This week, the UK implemented a 4-day work week. This is the biggest experiment there has been since remote work took over during the pandemic.
This questioning is a result of the disruptive workstyle changes of the pandemic in combination with The Great Resignation. And it’s not the first time this happened – as about a century ago people were still working 6 days a week – so this change might just be a logical next step in our work lives.
It has organisations in the world asking: what will the future of work look like? What are the needs of the employees and how can we, as an organisation, adapt?
Here are the pros and cons of a four-day work week:
Pros:
- Employee wellbeing: employees have reported an increase in energy, engagement and job satisfaction, and a reduction in stress. This in turn increases staff retention
- The environment: carbon emissions will be reduced when workers have to commute less often.
- DEI improvement: it’s an opportunity to attract different talents and promote an equal workplace, providing opportunities for employees to better juggle work and life commitments.
Cons:
- Customer dissatisfaction: when you’re dealing with direct customers, they might get annoyed that they cannot connect with your team on Fridays. This can be resolved using technology and other flexibility like remote work.
- Misconceptions: some organisations might want to apply a 4-day work week by compressing the 35 hours into 4 days. However, working longer hours a day actually leads to lower productivity, and in turn lower employee wellbeing. The four-day work week should consist of 4 days of 7 working hours per day.
Have you considered implementing a 4-day work week at your company? What is holding you back?
Here’s to open-minded organisations!
