Work 4 Days a Week: The Advantages and Disadvantages

Everyone likes the idea of a 3-day weekend but is the 4-day work week as good as it sounds? Find
out about the benefits and drawbacks of working four days a week here.
Want to work fewer hours but be paid the same amount? Then read on, glean any useful
knowledge you can from this post and take it to your boss.
There has been a plethora of strategies devised for improving employee work life balance. For
instance, there has been an increase in companies offering flexible working time, co-working
space, and remote work.
However, one of the more revolutionary approaches taken by the more progressive organizations
is to implement a four-day working week for full time employees.
Yes, that means working 4 days a week, but without taking a pay cut or adding the number of
hours per day. There has been much debate over the potential of switching to a four-day week,
I endeavor to summarize it in the following passages.

The Advantages of 4 Day Workweeks

For a start, it would address a huge problem of burn outs that permeates the UK labor market.
In 2017-2018, 57% of all sick days were due to work related stress, anxiety or depression and 44%
of these were caused by workload pressure alone.
With more free time to recover and recuperate employees will perform better, enjoy their
responsibilities more, and inevitably take less sick leave due to high stress levels. Also, four-day
workweeks will provide:
Increased Productivity
A case study in New Zealand which involved a company with 240 employees revealed a decrease
in stress by up to 45% and an increase in overall life satisfaction. With that in mind, not only did
their productivity increase, but also their company loyalty.

Increased Employee Engagement

The three day weekend and an extra day off, allows for employees more time to rest and recover.
Hence, they are less likely to be stressed or take sick leave. As a result of having more time to
relax, they should return to their jobs with greater motivation.
This was highlighted in a trial in Sweden from 2015-2017, as nurses doing a 4 day work week
were recorded as requesting less sick hours, arranging 85% more activities for patients in their
care, and reporting better health, mental wellbeing, and greater engagement. If you are
interested in finding out more about employee engagement check out our guide that will provide
you with indepth understanding of the topic.
Bolstering Equality within the Organization
There is a large disparity when it comes to the two million British people who are unemployed
due to childcare responsibilities, with 89% of them being women.
A four day working week will promote an equal establishment and diversity and inclusion in the
workplace, as it will allow for employees male, female and non-binary to spend more time with
their families and balancing out care and work commitments.
Being Greener
A shorter work week can reduce overall carbon emissions due to a decrease in commuters as
well as save energy. Not only will you do your part in saving the planet, you will also save
money in energy bills! To find out more about the benefits of a green workplace check out our
article exploring sustainability in the workplace.

Andrew Barnes promotes this flexible model and highlights its flexibility and positive effects on
productivity, engagement, job satisfaction and employee wellbeing:
Embedded content: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xjgqCgoxElw&t=155s

The Disadvantages of 4 Day Work Week

Trying to compress work hours
Some people view a four day work week as doing the same amount they would usually do in 5
days, but compressed into a lower number of days. Trying to squeeze 40 hours into four days is
not a healthy approach and can lead to greater stress, decreased engagement and
further decreased productivity__. Therefore, if you settle for this new standard it should consist
of four 7 hour work days and provide sufficient coaching to your team.
Customer Satisfaction
Of course, such a change will disgruntle many customers who would prefer to have services
available 5 days a week. However, for many organizations, using technology such as AI there can
be a way around this.
Closing Thoughts
Although, there is a long way to go in terms of any legislation being passed to make a four day
week a reality for the wider society, the more progressive private companies trial this new
phenomenon, the greater the chances of it become a reality for us all.