Which of the following would most weaken the case for wider trials?
Trials of a four-day working week have reported that staff are happier and that output is maintained. These results deserve attention, but they should be read with care. The firms that volunteer for trials tend to be those that expect to succeed, and the workers in them are likely to try harder when they know they are being studied. The sort of work also matters: a software team can compress its week more easily than a hospital ward. Even so, it would be wrong to dismiss the results. If a shorter week can be run in a few organisations without loss of output, there is a case for finding out where else it can work. The proper course is wider trials, in more varied settings, with outcomes measured independently.
Answer and explanation
Correct answer: B. Evidence that no organisation of any kind could keep up its output on a four-day week
- Step 1: The case for wider trials rests on the possibility that a shorter week can work elsewhere.
- Step 2: If no organisation could maintain output, that possibility would vanish.
Answer
Evidence that no organisation of any kind could keep up its output on a four-day week.
Why not the others: Disliking being studied, growth in software teams, shift work in hospitals and fewer sick days do not show that no organisation could keep up its output on a shorter week.
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