The five-day work week might be fading away
Instead, an old idea, a four-day work week, could become a reality, shaping the future of staff engagement
Santosh Kumar Dash &
Sidharth R.
A
three-day weekend is not
beyond anyone’s dream,
and it may soon be a reality.
The idea of a four-day week
against the usual 40-hour, five-day
work week has been mooted for
decades. The call for fewer work
hours itself is older than the Great
Depression. After the reduction of
working hours in the 1920s and
1930s led by Henry Ford, from
more than 60 hours a week to the
current 40, the notion of fewer
working hours for the same pro-
ductivity aided by higher technol-
ogy grew prevalent. The noted En-
glish economist, John Maynard
Keynes, predicted that his grand-
children would only work about 15
hours a week. Even though the
prediction seems a little far-
fetched right now, the direction of
change seems about right as com-
panies from all over the world toy
around with the idea of fewer
working hours.
Trial results show benefits
The most recent and widespread
adoption of a four-day work week
was a trial run by Microsoft in Ja-
pan in 2019. The trial was conduct-
ed with a typical eight-hour work
day for four days and a three-day
weekend but a five-day week pay
cheque. Microsoft was happy with
the result as it saw a 40% increase
in worker productivity, presuma-
bly due to increased job satisfac-
tion and lower burnouts. Micro- a four-day work week for public productivity because better rested
soft Japan also reported that a sector employees in the United and more invigorated workers will
shorter work week led to higher ef- Kingdom. It would cost at least £17 be more productive. The extant
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ficiency in the form of lower office billion, assuming stable productiv- code may not find many takers
costs. It saw a massive 23% dip in ity but an expanded workforce. since it will find resistance from
electricity costs and a 60% fall in Another major drawback is that the workers and companies who
the number of pages printed in the employees in firms that would not very well know it might result in a
office. decrease work hours in a four-day decline in productivity — thus the
Perpetual Guardian, a New Zea- work week would have to work 10 total value of the output they
land trust management company, hours on working days, which can produce.
also reported a 20% increase in lead to increased stress and de- The conventional negative rela-
worker productivity after a similar gression. A two-day weekend was creased satisfaction. Implementa- tionship between work hours and
trial in 2018. Most trials of a four- often not enough for women, es- tion of a four-day work week can productivity is being proven right
day work week seem to increase or pecially mothers with young chil- also affect employees’ holiday again through numerous four-day
at least keep constant worker pro- dren, as they would not have entitlements. work week trials all across the
ductivity. Gains in productivity al- much time for themselves after all world. The shorter work week has
so depend on the kind of work. the care work. Women often opt The Indian scene numerous advantages for em-
The idea of increased productivity for smaller shifts and shorter work A study conducted between Fe- ployees and employers and can be
due to a fall in working hours has days for lower pay after they be- bruary 1 and March 7 across sec- crucial in increasing productivity
been carried along since Henry come mothers. A four-day work tors in 2022 by Genius Consul- and employee well-being, higher
Ford. However, an increase in a week for everyone instead could tants, in India, found that among employer efficiency, and also in-
worker’s productivity in a manu- ensure pay equality among gen- 1,113 employers it surveyed, 60% creasing employment in the eco-
facturing firm with a decrease in ders. A three-day weekend may al- preferred a four-day work week nomy. These advantages have led
work hours would not mean a si- so push men to take up more un- and believed that it would posi- to large strides in this mode of
milar increase in productivity for paid domestic work, which would tively affect employee productivi- work, such as in Iceland, where
an employee in the service sectors give women more leeway. With ty and well-being. Recognising the 86% of employees have the right to
such as education or health. enough work-life balance in a four- growing trend, the Central govern- work on a four-day work week.
In a larger view, fewer working day work week, women would be ment is set to roll out the new la- The concern on the applicability
days will lead to lower commuting able to focus more on work, hence bour codes, which include rules of four-day work is real, but exam-
and hence have a positive impact adding to their career prospects. for a flexible four-day work week. ples such as Iceland show that it
on the environment, including a On the four-day work week, the runs well with a few exceptions.
fall in electricity consumption in Not always a virtue new codes stipulate the require- Implementing a four-day work
offices. Lower work hours are also A four-day work week is not one ment of a minimum of 48 hours week without a reduction in aggre-
being seen as an important tool to that fits all. The service sector has per week; hence the employee will gate working hours such as in In-
revive employment rates after the challenges implementing a four- have to work for 12 hours on each dia is most likely to fail in yielding
novel coronavirus pandemic. The day work week, especially for working day. The new regulations the desired advantages. The draft
New Deal in the United States small firms. For example, a hair- on the flexible work week with 12 code should not forget the Parkin-
mandated overtime pay after 40 dresser cannot cut more hair by hours of daily work are not likely son’s law that says work expands
hours a week to increase employ- reducing hours; so too a musician to increase productivity as the in- so as to fill the time available for its
ment after the Great Depression. A in the context of more concerts. creased per day hours of work completion, and it should be a
similar move is argued to be a via- This limited applicability is also re- would work against employee mo- guiding principle in designing In-
ble option to reduce unemploy- levant in schools and hospitals. tivation to increase output. It is dia’s new labour codes.
ment prevalent in the global eco- The sales and marketing depart- well-known that productivity de-
nomies after the pandemic. ments of firms may also face this clines after a certain number of Santosh Kumar Dash is an Assistant
issue as there would be less time to hours a day. The draft code should Professor at the Gulati Institute of Finance
Gains for women chase leads, build customer rela- remember that only a reduction in and Taxation (GIFT),
A shorter work week is seen as a tions and solve issues. The Centre the number of workdays, keeping Thiruvananthapuram. Sidharth R. is an
welcome step toward gender for Policy Studies, U.K., studied the number of hours fixed, would M.A. student in Economics at the
equality and women’s career pro- the possible cost of implementing contribute to improved labour University of Kerala