The 2020 Quarantine is seen in a negative life by most, but the effects on how business is conducted are in some ways positive. The traditional five-day work week has since been challenged with new ways of working, such as remote work, flexible hours, and sometimes – a four-day working week.
But what companies have adopted this new schedule, and what have they achieved? In this article, Real Business will provide an overview of how a four-day working week functions, its pros and cons, and how it compares to traditional work hours in effectiveness.
Table of Contents
What Is The Four-Day Working Week?
A four-day work week is a flexible working arrangement, where employees work for four days in a week rather than five. The four days worked are often set by the company, with Friday typically being the off day – creating a three-day weekend. But there are also cases where Wednesday becomes the off-day instead, allowing for a break in the middle of the week.
In many trials undertaken in the 2022 four-day workweek pilot trial, workers continued to receive 100% of their pay despite working 80% of the hours (32 hours versus 40) – provided that productivity remained at 100.
How In Demand Is A Four Day Working Week?
Surveys by the Henley Business School Study in 2021 found that 67% of employees would consider their personal lives improved with a four-day working week, and for the businesses that implemented the new schedule, 78% of employers reported a reduction in stress among their workers.
In 2022, a large-scale UK trial took place in which 61 companies and around 2,900 employees would work a four-day working week. The results showed that over 90% of the participating companies opted to continue the four-day week, and 18 of those companies made it a permanent change.
This is because of the positive impact this new working model had on the workplace. Not only was productivity at the same level, or higher, but there was a 65% reduction in sick days and 71% of employees reported lower burnout.
More companies and UK employers are beginning to see the benefits of reducing the working hours of the week.
Benefits Of The Four-Day Week
The four-day working week has numerous benefits for both employees and employers. Some of the key benefits include:
- Improved Productivity – Studies have shown that a four-day week has resulted in equal or sometimes greater levels of productivity. Microsoft Japan, for example, tried a four-day work week, reducing hours while maintaining the same level of pay, and they found a 40% increase in productivity. Perpetual Guardian in New Zealand tried the same thing and reported a 20% increase in productivity. Insights shared by these studies found that the shorter working week with no loss of pay results in an increased level of drive and passion for employees, optimising their efficiency.
- Better Work-Life Balance – A four-day working week provides employees with an extra day off, allowing them to pursue personal matters that they may otherwise not have time for. This has a positive impact on mental health, stress and overall quality of life.
- Reduced Costs – Employers can also benefit from reduced costs associated with a four-day working week. For example, the Henley Business School Study 2021 found that businesses that implement a four-day working week have less overhead costs, reduced energy consumption, and lower maintenance costs – saving around £104 billion annually.
What Companies Have Embraced A Four-Day Working Week?
Four-day weeks have positively affected employee productivity, work-life balance, and mental health across various companies.
Let’s take a brief tour of a few such companies and their experiences with the four-day workweek.
- Hutch – Hutch is a game development company, which, despite developing products meant for leisure, is a very competitive and demanding type of company to work in. The four-day working week was a huge boon for Hutch, allowing an extra day off, leading to increased motivation and creativity that easily offset the reduced hours worked.
- Tyler Grange – This ecological consultancy implemented the four-day working week to great effect. Employee turnover decreased as a result, and the company found that many job applications from higher-skilled individuals came in, attracted by the improved working model.
- We are purposeful – This social impact consultancy company found that their staff’s motivations were improved greatly as a result, with many employees finding a newfound passion for their work. This is due to their goal of addressing social injustices being embodied by taking on a model that boosts employee well-being.
- Infigo – This software company adopted a four-day workweek to reduce employee burnout. The extra day off resulted in higher energy levels and better focus thanks to their shortened schedule.
- Awin – This affiliate network found, like many businesses, that their staff satisfaction was boosted after implementing the four-day week. This improved service levels and defused a lot of workplace social issues as a result.
The implementation of a four-day workweek would not have been implemented without the support given during the 2022 UK trials. This had financial support from “4 Day Week Global”, which was in collaboration with the UK think tank “Autonomy” and Cambridge University. They said the risk of loss is precisely why, to adopt this approach, companies have to weigh the risks and pitfalls, such as ensuring that the quality of their services would not be affected in such a case.
Some companies choose to keep the 40-hour total work hours by splitting it across four days, but this approach raises concerns about longer hours negatively affecting employee well-being and productivity.
Misconceptions Surrounding The Four-Day Work Week And Work-Life Balance
For many, a four-day workweek may instantly indicate lower productivity or a drop in service, since businesses will be available for fewer days. However, this is not always true. The companies that embrace this approach realise that the ultimate goal is to reduce working hours and increase productivity, rather than limiting the operational days of a business.
This means that many companies will still have the same coverage in hours, just with additional staff, outsourced work, or simply smart planning. Balancing between high-quality customer service and productivity is not an impossible task, as has been proven by the 2022 UK trials.
The Difference Between Reduced Hours And Compressed Hours
It’s worthwhile to differentiate here between reduced and compressed hours. Reduced hours mean working fewer hours in a week, while compressed hours mean keeping the same 40 hours of a traditional work week, and squeezing them into 4 working days.
How To Implement A Four-Day Work Week
To begin rolling out the new four-day working week, you must follow best practices to support employees and the company both:
- Goal: Set and define your goal. Productivity retention, for example, is very different to a productivity boost.
- Planning: Your plan should work towards not losing anything you need to function properly. Analysing your processes and operations, and deciding where you can introduce changes is necessary before you start. Shuffling around tasks and changing the way you delegate responsibilities allow you to maintain productivity and profitability.
- Engage Staff: Embracing a four-day workweek requires transparency and communication with staff. The changes introduced should be discussed with your team so that you can listen to their concerns and receive proper feedback.
- Pilot Run: Any new system cannot be introduced company-wide unless it is trialled and piloted. This initial trial period is essential for identifying potential roadblocks and gives you the chance to fine-tune the implementation plan.
Conclusion
The four-day workweek, once a novel concept, is now a reality that is taking place in different businesses and industries in the UK. Amazon, which has not been fully committed, started offering positions with a four-day week schedule, and may soon become one of the biggest examples of the formula working.
Many smaller companies that tried the four-day week proved that the approach can increase employees’ happiness, productivity and resilience – but Amazon is a much bigger name. The recognition that the company could bring to the viability of a four-day working week could spell a huge change across businesses as a whole.
If you are a business owner, you could also become part of the new trend. Embracing a four-day workweek is about changing the work culture that values quality over quantity. It creates a new culture where balance and well-being are priorities, and this is the new direction that modern business is going in – ensuring that work/life balance is more important than maintaining a traditional five-day week.
FAQ: Should I use project management software?
Absolutely. Technologies have aided many transitions in work arrangements, such as the Quarantine’s fully remote shift in many industries. If you feel overwhelmed during the transition period, you can resort to project management software. Asana or Trello are examples of software that allows you to organise your workflow, thus making the transition smoother.
