Three days of work and four days of rest per week, it's a bit of the dream of all working people (or almost). Well, according to researchers from Keio University (Japan) and the University of Melbourne (Australia), this setup would be ideal for those over 40. Indeed, beyond 25 hours of work, their performance would gradually decline, making them less productive.
To reach these conclusions, 3,000 men and 3,500 women over the age of 40 were subjected to cognitive tests. Reading aloud, logic, memory, perception, reasoning, everything has been scrutinized. Result:cognitive abilities would increase over the hours before collapsing after 25-30 hours of work. Professor McKenzie, in charge of the study, explains that "work can be a double-edged sword as it can stimulate brain activity, but long working days can cause fatigue and stress which potentially damage the cognitive functions”. Better health, productivity at its peak and four days off a week, that would be pretty good for a situation… Well, a major problem remains:the salary! Yes, inevitably by working only three days a week, the wallet becomes considerably lighter... But if someone finds a solution to this slight inconvenience, we vote for 25 hours! Well what, we have the right to dream, right?
