A 4-Day Work Week: Shaping the Future of the Workforce

Why Should We Revise The 40-Hour Workweek? 

Pioneer of the first successful 40-hour workweek and founder of the Ford Motor Company, Henry Ford, once said, "The five-day workweek isn't the ultimate, and neither is eight hours". 

The 40-hour workweek might be the bedrock of modern working, but it can be viewed as outdated and not reflective of our 21st-century work lives. Five-day work weeks are modeled off 19th-century factory jobs and not the digitized age we live in, where some of our work is automated or sped up by technology and bots. The future of work is continually evolving and five-day work weeks aren't nearly as essential as they were once thought to be. 

Change in the workplace might be inevitable, but what has accelerated the process and made 4 day work week a reality for many has been the onslaught of the pandemic. 

Following months of remote working during the spread of COVID-19, many workers are re-evaluating their lives and jobs, choosing workplace flexibility, a greater work-life balance, and having more choices over their schedules above overworking and risking burnout. 

The possibility of a 4 day work week ties in with the priorities and expectations employees have in the post-pandemic era. 

Employers should consider a 4-day work week to draw in recruits and retain old employees or face the risk of having their best workers resign or not attracting top talent. 

What Would A 4-day Work Week Look Like?

Many companies with a 4-day workweek employ the 100-80-100 model. With this approach, employers might expect employees to maintain 100% productivity for 80% of their time while receiving 100% of their usual salaries. 

In other words, employees work as they previously would over less time - between 32 and 36 hours - without having their pay cut. 

Of course, a 4-day workweek model varies among businesses, with some condensing a 40-hour workweek into four days, expecting employees to work ten-hour shifts. Though employees might receive an additional personal day, they would risk burnout from overworking. 

Which Countries Work Four Day Weeks?

Places worldwide are toying with the idea of a 4-day work week, but one country that first opened our eyes to the possibility is Iceland. 

Between 2015 to 2019, Iceland's Association for Sustainable Democracy (Alda) conducted the world's largest work experiment involving 2500 participants across multiple industries. The goal was to cut working hours down from 40 to 36 by demonstrating a correlation between working to a better standard and fewer hours worked weekly.

Results of the trial revealed long-term benefits like improved worker well-being, enhanced productivity, better focus, and concentration, and strengthened local businesses.

There are other countries jumping on the 4-day workweek bandwagon, including Spain, which plans to base its pilot study on Iceland's. 

Very recently, Belgium's multi-coalition government has made strides toward improving workplace conditions by approving a 4-day work week in offices and giving employees the right to turn off their devices and ignore work requests after hours. Though putting these reforms into law might take time, it's a step in the right direction. 

Meanwhile, Wales commits to starting their trial in 2023, while Scotland is also entertaining the idea of one. 

Currently, a massive trial study involving approximately 38 companies is underway and is set to last several months in the US and Canada. 

New Zealand's prime minister, Jacinda Aldern, has also flagged the benefits of 4-day work week businesses and other examples of flexible working to boost the local economy and promote tourism after the pandemic. 
 
Japan, a country with chronically overworked citizens, is also reviewing the prospects of shorter workweeks for a more equitable work-life balance. Microsoft Japan and Panasonic have already joined the trend for a 4-day work week. 

Looking at The Evolution of Working Less

On August 20, 1866, the US activist group National Labor Union asked Congress to pass a law limiting workdays to eight hours from a grueling 12 to 16 hours. Although unsuccessful, their attempts fueled the urgent need for reform among Americans and helped people realize the social and health implications of toiling long hours.

It would take half a decade before the real change was enacted in the workforce, with Ford Motor Company popularising the Monday through Friday work week in 1926.

The case for shorter workweeks is a centuries-old battle. Henry Ford hypothesized that shorter workweeks with the same pay would enhance productivity, not hurt it, a theory that has largely proven to be true.

Calls to shorten the workweek to four days aren't new either and began in the 1950s. The thinking behind a 4 day work week is identical to Ford's working philosophies. If one less working day per week is beneficial for employees and companies, imagine the impact of two on productivity. 

Unfortunately, uptake of the4 day work week has been glacially slow - but the pandemic has got people rethinking the benefits of having increased flexibility, with short work weeks being part of that. 

What Are The Benefits Of a 4-Day Work Week?  

Embracing a four-day workweek benefits companies and employees in the following ways. 
Increased Productivity 

It may seem contradictory, but employees who work less make better workers. When there are fewer hours to be productive, people are more likely to work efficiently and less likely to waste company resources and time. 

A Stanford University study reveals that attempts to quantify the relationship between working hours and productivity shows a massive drop in productivity among workers who accumulate 50 work hours or more per week. Work martyrs aren't doing themselves any favors by working a couple of extra hours, and companies that expect people to work overtime regularly aren't reaping the rewards they think. 

Employees who burn the midnight oil only lose valuable sleep, produce low-quality work, and make costly errors. 

In the same vein, people aren't programmed to work eight straight hours, and since we're working in a digital age, it's easier to procrastinate and distract ourselves online while pretending to be hard at work.

A Happier Team 
You might find that the majority of your employees support four-day workweeks. 

Spending less time at the office helps workers achieve a greater work-life balance, allowing them to decompress longer while having more time to socialize and be with their families. 

Healthier Employees 
By spending less time at the office sitting behind their desks, employees are less likely to get sick and experience fewer sick days, especially among workers with chronic illnesses who may need additional rest and recovery. 

At the same time, in not having to clock in additional hours, workers are less likely to suffer from mental burnout, depression, and exhaustion. 

Engaged Professionals 
With an entire or most of the workforce experiencing three-day weekends, teams might feel refreshed and ready to tackle the challenges of a new week. 

They'll also probably be more motivated and capable of dealing with stress after a restful couple of days off. This spells for less sick-induced leave, fewer disruptions, and reduced dips in productivity resulting from worker burnout or disengagement.

At the same time, office workers have more time for handling personal responsibilities that won't feed into working hours.   

Financial Incentives 
While increased staff productivity, improved worker engagement, and an effective workforce are incredible benefits for a company, there are also cost-saving incentives linked to short work weeks. 

By closing shop one day earlier, businesses might save money by reducing their electricity usage, printing costs, and other operational charges.

The Case Against A Four Day Work Week 

There are flaws of four day work weeks every business should consider. 

Reluctant Staff Members 
Despite the overwhelming advocacy for four-day weeks, not everyone on your team might be on board. 

For staff members that like to balance their work across five workdays, cramming a workload into four days might not be pleasant, ideal, or even possible. 

Additionally, reducing hours might mean less time for breaks, socializing, and fun when all the focus is on finishing the work for that week and optimizing productivity. In other words, the need to be productive might negate the importance of building a strong workplace culture. 

Not A One Size Fits All 
A 4-day work week isn't suitable for every business, especially those in customer-facing industries where 24/7 support is expected by the clientele. Companies in these fields might struggle to keep up with demand or be unavailable when purchasers need them, which isn't good for business.

However, adapting the four-day workweek solution to match their company requirements might be a way to keep both customers and employees happy. 

For example, employers can alternate employees' schedules - they might not be working the conventional Monday to Thursday or take three consecutive off days. However, they'll still have an extra day a week for themselves. Another way customers can find other avenues of support is through AI chatbots and self-service knowledge libraries when real-time communication isn't immediately available. 

Might Result In People Being Overworked
In an ideal world, a 4 day work week would mean fewer hours and days of work per week for an employee while maintaining productivity and the same salary.

Unfortunately, a 4 day work week can be interpreted and modeled in various ways, including jamming 40 hours of work into four hectic days. Being expected to work long hours is backbreaking, can cause burnout, and might not align with the needs of working parents.

Tips for Achieving a 4-Day Work Week Successfully 

Rushing into a 4-day work week can work out disastrously if your transition isn't planned out step-by-step. 

Here's how to implement your four-day week with minimal hiccups. 

Determine Your Organisation's Needs 
Though a 4-day workweek might be high on some job-seekers agenda, it's not might not be a perfect match for your company. 

Look into how your company operates to see if 4-day weeks are even feasible. Your top priority should be to ensure that your workflow isn't compromised and that your customers aren't receiving a raw deal in your move toward 4-day work weeks. 

Switching to a 4-day workweek isn't the only form of workplace flexibility available to you. You can make other adjustments in the workspace that may help people achieve a greater work/life balance and job satisfaction. 

Ask Your Employees What They Want 
Having longer weekends might seem worth the pressure of working harder over a shorter period, but not everyone will be thrilled at the prospect. Some people need that extra day to finalize projects and check everything off their to-do list without being forced to work harder and quicker than what’s possible.

Ask for your employee's input before making any final decisions. Having a shorter workweek might be less important to them than having a more relaxed schedule. You might find that your staff works five days anyway to keep up with deadlines, which defeats the purpose of a 4-day workweek. 

How Far Away Are We From Achieving A 4-day Workweek?

A 4-day work week is a giant leap forward in achieving greater work flexibility and freedom, but it might not be the silver bullet everyone expects. 

Exercise caution as you head towards it. Though there might be numerous countries and thousands of companies with 4-day work weeks, it's still a relatively new concept that's not yet widely practiced. Its kinks are still being worked out - it’s certainly not a one-size-fits-all. 

That being said, now is the best time to experiment with 4-day work trials - the pandemic has opened our minds to new ways of working following months of forced WFH situations. Workers' views are transformed too, they expect more from their jobs and want more autonomy and freedom.

At the same time, lockdowns and hybrid working have also revolutionized businesses and their thinking about productivity. Being productive doesn't mean a five-day week under constant surveillance, and that's why four-day workweeks in this business climate have a genuine chance of becoming a reality for many.  

If flexible working hours and hybrid working space ring a bell then Office Hub is the best place to refer to. From suitable working space in viable areas - Office Hub prides itself in covering all of the US!