Surprising: New Study Claims People Over 40 Should Work Only Three Days a Week

A new study released by the Melbourne Institute, Australia, suggests that people over the age of 40 should not work more than three days a week. "Unless you're part of a small minority, chances are you want to work less."

The study, led by a professor named Colin McKenzie, included 3,000 male and 3,500 female volunteers over the age of 40 who volunteered to answer questionnaires and be 'guinea pigs' for experts in memory and cognitive abilities. "Our research showed that workers over the age of 40 are most productive when they work only three days a week," explained the researchers, who examined, among other things, the participants' family structures, field of employment, economic and subjective well-being, and more.

"Participants in the study were asked to perform tasks such as reading text backward, reading words aloud, and reading long letters aloud. Our conclusion is that the level of intellectual stimulation is greatly influenced by working hours, and the more work is loaded at these ages, the more fatigue, stress, and pressure increase, and naturally, cognitive abilities decline," it concludes. "The results prove that those who work no more than 20 hours a week do the best for both themselves and their employer."