The trend of a “4 day work week” is catching up rather quickly. With some countries strongly advocating its benefits, this workplace trend has become even more popular during the mid-phase of the Covid-19 pandemic. With most companies offering work-from-home, this only seems to be the next big move to help employees cope with the already mounting stress surrounding uncertainties.
Being the buzz of the corporate world, it is time we understood what it means, how has it been tested, if it really works, and whether it holds a future.
Let’s jump right in.
How has the 4 day work week taken over?
Around five decades ago, working 6 days’ a week was the norm. It was assumed that longer hours of work, meant more dedication to one’s profession. Stress levels were higher, and work-life balance was close to inexistent. Overworking and fatigue forced companies and employees to slowly make the shift to 5 days’ work weeks. Hours were carefully planned according to the needs of the job, and the results were jaw-dropping. Not only did the employees appreciate it by showing loyalty towards their employers, but their fatigue reduced drastically, which meant better performance.
Prior to Covid-19, many companies around the world, experimented with 4 day work weeks for various reasons, among which were:
- To showcase themselves as game-changers
- To attract suitable talent (and retain the existing ones)
- Promote social, personal, and mental well-being
Even with their own monitoring metrics, results were somehow positive.
What started off as 4 days in the office and the choice of picking 1 day to work from home, it soon transitioned to 4 days of work during the week, with minimal or no changes in salary for diminished hours. With the previous work week being 40 hours (5 days and 8 hours per day), the new system had a 32-hour work week.
With continued appreciation from employees, it soon became a popular trend, and various studies showed enhancements in productivity at work.
Trials and Successes
Many countries attempted the experiment of implementing a 4 day work week. While some succeeded, others retained their 5 day system. But with Covid-19 and the pandemic changing the outlook of employees and employers on work-life balance, changes were necessary.
Here are some countries who took initiatives to conduct the experiment. Let us explore what their success seemed like.
Spain – at the onset of the first lockdown in March 2020, the western European nation initiated a program to try the 4 day work week on a large scale. With the support of the government, the risks faced by the employers were reduced. This meant that the initiative was successfully carried out, with no cuts in pay.
Japan – a nation that has long been known for its overworked employees, recently decided to do something to combat the fatigue levels and exhaustion of the workforce. Employees were leaving work to tend to childcare and to care for the elderly, purely because they could not juggle between the long hours and their personal lives. This raised serious concern for the government, who was already struggling with the slowing death rate and stagnant birth rate causing an imbalance of tax-payers and redeemers. The government instructed several companies across various industries to initiate a 4 day work week to try and combat the overworking situation and retain the current skilled workforce.
New Zealand – As a solution to help employees cope with stress during the Covid restrictions, the government of New Zealand asked companies to offer its employees the option to work only 4 days a week, with the same number of hours each day, as before. Not only were current employees happy, but attracting talent became easier too, for many companies who offered this, along with the flexibility of hybrid working conditions.
India – with labour law changes due in the fiscal year of 2022-23, the 4 day work week may be conducted on a trial basis, though it is still unclear as to what the work hours would be. But, in a country where some companies still function 6 days a week, this experiment is sure to stir up further talks of work-life balance.
Pros and Cons of the 4 day work week
How can the transition take place globally?
Many companies still work on the 6-day system, around the world. It must begin by understanding that greater number of days or hours spent at work is not directly proportional to greater productivity. It is when this realisation dawns upon employers, will they begin to see what employees need.
While several companies fear a loss in customer satisfaction (if they keep their office closed for an extra day), they forget that the twenty-first century comes with the possibility of integrating technology and enhanced Artificial Intelligence into their customer service.
It is a slow process. It took us a few decades to get rid of the older methods of work, and adopt newer, more apt ways of working. Experiencing some resistance during implementation of new concepts, has been a way of history, and shall continue to be so in the future. Yet, it has not stopped change, and nor will it.
Has the 4 day work week been implemented in your country? What is your take on it?