Workers have reported better health and wellbeing under a four day working week model, and businesses have even been more productive, but the model may not be practical in the global business world, the aftermath of a new trial reveals.

Thrive, a learning technology company, and the University of Sussex, together produced a new trial of the four day working week, using a number of tools, including MRI scans, blood tests and sleep trackers to understand its affects not just on business outcomes, but on employee physical and mental wellbeing.

The company also had their employees fill out weekly questionnaires to detail their experience, as well as obtaining regular feedback from customers to see how they were affected by the new regime.

The results seem overwhelmingly positive at first glance – overall employee wellbeing rose by over a fifth (21%), and sleep problems fell by 20%.

Stress also fell by nearly a tenth (8.6%), while burnout and emotional exhaustion dropped by 14.7%. Depersonalisation burnout fell only slightly, but still by 2.3%.

Anxiety fell by 5% while reports of feeling a personal accomplishment increased by 11.4%

On the business side, the reduction of hours seemed to have no negative affects on productivity. Employees were able to reach their goals even a fifth (19.4%) more than in a traditional five-day working week model.

However, Thrive did see some negative affects in their customer service, which suffered as its customers still worked a traditional five day week. Introducing a different working model can prove restrictive if the model greatly contrasts the status quo.

Despite its many benefits, the company is therefore deciding to only implement the four-day week on a seasonal basis.

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“While we would have loved to implement it on a full-time basis, our experiences in the trial also highlighted that the success of a four-day work week will rely on widespread cultural change across the UK business landscape,” said Thrive co-CEO Cassie Gasson.

“As a business serving hundreds of organisations, it highlighted that five-day coverage for our customers is essential when they’re operating more traditional ways of working.”

Gasson says that until the four day work week is normalised, it would be difficult for her company to commit full time to the model.

The trial is just the latest to highlight some of the many benefits, and potential issues, of a four day work week. Previous trials have cemented the model as an overarching positive that still has yet to be widely adopted.

Still, the 4 Day Week Campaign says that nearly 2,000 UK businesses have already adopted the model permanently.

Creative solutions to the five-day work week contrast could be staggered four day work weeks, or seasonal four day periods.