Working-time reduction in a Mexican precast concrete plant: productivity and wellbeing outcomes

While debates surrounding reduced working hours and four-day working week models have expanded internationally, existing evidence remains concentrated in high-income countries and service-based sectors. Limited research has explored how working-time reduction operates within physically demanding industrial environments, particularly in Latin America, where long working hours and productivity concerns continue to shape organisational practices. This research examines the technical and social feasibility of phased working-time reduction within a Mexican industrial setting through a real-world intervention conducted in a precast concrete manufacturing plant in Monterrey. The study addresses this gap through a mixed-methods intervention implemented over three consecutive phases, gradually reducing the working week from 51 to 42 hours while maintaining operational continuity. Quantitative analysis combined objective operational indicators, including productivity, absenteeism and production costs, with repeated employee wellbeing surveys measuring stress, fatigue, recovery, sleep quality and work–life balance. Qualitative interviews further contextualised employees’ experiences. The findings suggest that phased working-time reduction can be implemented without negatively affecting operational performance. Despite substantial reductions in working hours, labour productivity per hour increased across the intervention phases, while absenteeism and production costs remained stable or decreased. Employees also reported better wellbeing, sleep quality and work–life balance without corresponding increases in perceived workload pressure. Rather than supporting the assumption that productivity depends primarily on extending working hours, the intervention suggests that organisational performance may also be linked to enhanced recovery, greater motivation and more sustainable forms of work organisation.