The Purpose of the 4-Day Work Week

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October 7th 2022

Can you imagine working only 4 days a week at full pay? Well, in fact, that’s exactly what is being trialled in the UK right now – The 4-day work week.

The Guardian recently put out an article explaining how thousands of UK workers begin the world’s biggest trial of the four-day week, with a 6-month pilot currently underway. If this was to be deemed successful, it could truly transform the working lives of everyone on the planet (if it were to be adopted, that is).

Today, we’re going to explore the pros and cons of the 4-day work week, as we could very well be on the precipice of a transformation in how we work forever.

 

What is the 4-Day Work Week?

So, what exactly is it? Are we just getting rid of Friday? Well, sort of. Unlike people who work ‘compressed hours’ – meaning those who work 30-40 hours over 4 days – the 4-day work week actually utilises reduced hours instead. For example, they would work around 28 hours over four days instead, meaning that the hours of the ‘fifth day’ are negated completely. This doesn’t just mean working Monday to Thursday and having a three-day weekend, as some companies may work off of different scheduling, but the idea is there.

Since the late 19th century, our working hours have more than halved on average, so it’s not such a radical idea to adjust them even further.

So, what are the actual benefits of moving to a 4-day work week? Let’s explore more on what those could be.

 

What are the Benefits of a 4-Day Work Week?

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From productivity to overall happiness, a 4-day work week can really motivate employees to put their best work out there in a shorter span of time. It can look even more attractive to potential future employees too, giving your company more talent to choose from. It’s safe to say that there are more upsides than downsides, so let’s take a look at the good stuff.

 

Mental Wellbeing and Morale

Happy workers are hard workers, right? Well, with more space to enjoy time with family and friends in the week, employees will bring their best self to work. Being in a positive head space opens up so much more creativity and also helps to boost the overall morale of the workplace, minimising burnout too.

 

Productivity and Performance

It’s a well-known fact that high morale in the workplace breeds more innovation and positive discussion. With your employees in high spirits and raring to go, you’ll likely see huge boosts in productivity – leading to a better overall company performance in the long run.

 

Flexibility and Balance

Every worker on the planet craves a healthy work-life balance, and sometimes it feels almost impossible to achieve. With a 4-day work week, you give employees more flexibility in how they wish to spend their time when not at work. With hybrid working and working from home becoming increasingly more common in the post-pandemic world, a 4-day work week would further compound that flexibility, giving you an upper hand in retaining your talent and staff.

 

Recruitment and Culture

Recruitment is incredibly important for any business. With a 4-day work week, any company will likely receive an influx of applications for various roles, allowing them to choose the most fitting talent for the business. With more choice on the talent table, you would be able to build a business that has perspectives from many different backgrounds and expertise. Off the back of this, a multicultural workplace helps to build a positive workplace culture for all involved.

 

Disadvantages of the 4-Day Work Week

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Although it is a fantastic idea, the 4-day work week isn’t necessarily all flowers and roses – there are a few drawbacks.

Unfortunately, the 4-day work week isn’t suitable for every industry on the planet. Professions such as those in the medical sector require employees to be present at work more frequently or consistently, as people’s lives depend on them. Also, small businesses and start-ups may have a more difficult time implementing a 4-day work week than other larger businesses and corporations, simply due to lack of a large workforce in general.

When essentially deleting a day from each employees’ calendar, it’s important that businesses hone their schedules enough so that they have enough staff working on each given day. This is to ensure day-to-day operations aren’t impacted and can only be solved through vigorous attention to detail in the scheduling department.

With industries such as retail and hospitality, the 4-day work week can present them with the issue of either taking on more staff, or reducing their operating hours, which will ultimately be what decides whether they take on the new change or not.

 

Where Else is Implementing the 4-Day Work Week?

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The UK trial of the 4-day work week isn’t the only one, just the largest so far. There are other countries in the world which have taken on the 4-day work week already, and some to great success, and others who have conducted similar studies/trials to the one in the UK.

In Belgium, workers were given the option to work either 4 or 5 days – with the 4-day option being at full pay (but working 5 days’ worth of hours, so this evens out).

Over in Iceland, between 2015 and 2019, a study was conducted with over 2,500 workers participating, which found that the overall wellbeing and morale of employees went up dramatically when working only a 4-day work week.

In New Zealand, 81 employees at Unilever are currently taking part in a trial of the 4-day work week, giving them full pay. While a much smaller number of employees, Unilever has stated that if it turns out to be a success, it will consider expanding the 4-day work week to other countries!

So, the UK trial of the 4-day work week could spell a huge change for workers here and going off of the trials that have happened elsewhere, it’s likely to be a success – an exciting prospect for many workers in the UK, we’re sure.

 

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There are many things about the 4-day work week which seem to be endlessly positive for companies – boosted morale and productivity, better recruitment options, better work-life balance and so much more.

With the UK trial currently underway, we’ll be paying close attention and hoping that the results come out positive, possibly ushering in a new age for working people across the country.

If you’re in the market for a new office, larger office, or simply a better office layout, head over and take a look at our serviced offices and our managed offices today and browse our huge selection of office spaces all across the UK & Ireland.

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