The 4-day work week is undoubtedly growing in popularity. Shortening working hours for no loss in pay is one of the most appealing factors for employees to transition to a 4-day work week (not to mention 3-day weekends every weekend!), and though employers have been wary to adopt new frameworks, they should consider abandoning tradition for higher rates of productivity, retention, and employee wellbeing.
What is the 4-day work week?
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The 4-day work week erases the typical five-day, 9-5 work schedule most of us know (and loathe), leaning in favor of 32 hours of actual work time each week. The abbreviated hours warrant the same amount of pay that a 40-hour work week would, offering the likelihood of more employee retention and productivity for companies. For employees, the benefits lie in improved mental and physical health, reduced stress, and more personal time to take care of OOO projects or just relax.
Findings from a recent six-month 4-day work week trial across 61 companies in the UK report that 92% of the companies involved in the trial are officially implementing the shortened workflow. In this case, the companies reported significant decreases in employees’ sick days, personal days, and resignations compared to previous quarters. Despite impressions that a 4-day work week might harm productivity, revenues actually increased an average of 1.4% across the board.
Different companies have toyed with accomplishing the 32 hours over 4 or 5 days – but either avenue still suggests that reduced work hours provide positive changes.
Though some 4-day week studies were ongoing pre-COVID, there’s no doubting that the pandemic remarkably altered attitudes toward working, resulting in more curiosity about the shortened week. 2020 brought about a societal shift toward solely working from home – with this, workers uncovered the sheer power of a healthy work-life balance, and are seeking it to this day.
Work-Life Balance In The 4-Day Work Week
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The 4-day work week lends itself to a generous work-life balance where employees can take care of themselves and the rest of life’s obligations more thoughtfully. Just imagine a world where every weekend is a 3-day weekend – you could finally take your car in for service without wasting a precious lunch break, or take your kid to the waterpark of their dreams, all without an endless stream of emails looming in the background.
This new framework comes at a time when workplace burnout is at an all-time high, pushing people who once cared a lot about their job to the brink of chronic stress or straight-up apathy – and neither one’s a good recipe for productivity. Burnout also persuades employees to prioritize themselves over mundane work tasks – another threat to companies’ KPIs.
We’ll see this self-before-work mindset become even more widespread as Gen Zinfiltrates the workforce, demanding flexibility and autonomy. But reduced work stress and more leisure time for employees of all generations could result in more positive mental and physical health outcomes, allowing them to perform more efficiently and effectively. The UK 4-day work week trial saw noteworthy reductions in burnout, stress, anxiety, fatigue, and sleep issues among workers, and suggests others outside of the study can feel the same.
Workplace Productivity And The 4-Day Work Week
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According to Parkinson’s law, people work harder when given less time to do the work. This same idea applies to the 4-day work week. Some companies have seen productivity jump as much as 40% in comparison to that of a 5-day work week, without asking less of their employees. The quality of work getting done could potentially suffer, though, which is an aspect 4-day-curious companies should consider.
AI can also aid productivity within the shortened work week. Just like any new technology – like the invention of email or the iPhone – made work easier, AI can take the heavy-lifting out of day-to-day work tasks, sometimes shaving off hours or *days* off of total work time. This is a huge win for teams that seek success through efficiency and productivity.
Why not the 4-day work week?
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The main arguments against implementing a 4-day work week is that less face-to-face interaction among teams will result in a less socialized work environment and a loss of office culture.
Though these potential outcomes exist, fresh faces in the workforce don't necessarily view them as negative. After all, Gen Z isn’t taking away office socialization and culture entirely, they’re just changing it. Office culture is rarely at the front of Gen Z minds, too – they’d rather work for companies that can exhibit their commitment to the issues their generation was cursed with, like climate change, sustainability, social justice, and diversity.
For Companies Considering A Shorter Work Week
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The 4-day work week can benefit companies beyond just work. Along with offering insurance and retirement packages, company leadership and management can use the 4-day week’s strong appeal to draw in more talent. We saw this unfold when remote work became more of a thing, so it’s reasonable to predict that the flexible 4-day work week calls for more interest in the roles companies have to offer.
Companies can also leverage the shortened week towards their employee retention efforts. Employees want to work for companies whose ethos aligns with their own – and since the workforce has increasingly opted for anti-burnout solutions, they’ll want to continue working for companies that value their wellbeing.
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Header photo by Anna Nekrashevich / PEXELS
