4-day work week better for environment, worse for health

Less work, more play may actually be better for the planet - but not your health (Getty)
Less work, more play may actually be better for the planet - but not your health (Getty)

Research shows less work, more play may actually be better for the planet.

Sure, that could just be lazy researchers looking for an extra day off. But economists argue going to a four-day work week would lead to a reduction in energy consumption.

Four days of driving to work instead of five means you're using less energy, which also means lower carbon emissions.

And there is proof it's worked before.

In 2007, the US state of Utah changed the working week for state employees, extending the working hours from Monday to Thursday and eliminating Fridays completely.

In its first 10 months, that saved almost $2 million in energy costs.

But like any great idea, there is a downside to it, and it could be to do with your own health - especially for women.

Women working those longer, 12-hour days were more than three times as likely to suffer heart disease, cancer, arthritis or diabetes at some point in their life compared to women working a regular work week.

And they're more than twice as likely to have chronic lung disease or asthma.

So while the idea itself seems nice on the surface, for some, the hidden consequences may not make it worth it.

Newshub.