We’ve heard rumors about the 4 day working week, and how some countries swear by it. It seems the UK have jumped on the bandwagon and have piloted the new way of working, which includes reduced hours, less working day and the same wage.
As with all ways of working, there are plenty of pros and cons to consider and if this way of working for would be right for your business and industry.
Pros for the 4-day working week
Happier Employees
It’s a no brainer that the team will be happier. Spending less time in the office and taking more time for themselves, how can you not be happy?
Having an extra day, so 3 days in total leaves employees with more time to focus on themselves, their wellbeing and spending time with friends and family. Workplace burn out is seen too often from people pushing themselves too hard, this extra day could be all that’s needed to increase happiness and decrease sick days.
Increased Productivity
Workplace happiness and productivity go hand in hand, once one is boosted the other should too! When you’re tired and sluggish with a foggy mind, it’s hard to produce the best work and stay on top form all day.
The additional day should eliminate the tired as you’ve had even longer to rest and recover from the busy week.
Environmental Benefits
Benefits are available for the employer, employee and the planet!
A 4 day working week means 1 less trip to the office, so think of all the vehicles coming to work per day and how much this could reduce their carbon footprint.
Not only for the planet but reducing the amount of commuting days, means more money can be saved by all.
Cons of a 4 day working week
Not suitable for everyone
The main flaw of introducing the reduced working week is that not every person or industry can participate.
For example, if you work in an office, it might be possible for take the 4 days. However, this will depend on how the business operates. Whereas, if you’re a nurse, 4 days a week wouldn’t be feasible when the industry is already short staffed.
The accessibility could be an issue and shows an unfair balance.
Customer Care
In this day and age, we expect a response instantly and for any problems to be resolved quickly. Naturally, being in the office less, reduces the response time and over time could affect the level of customer care given.
With delayed responses and messages actioned in 2-3 days rather than right away, could be the difference between a good and bad service. Furthermore, it could also affect the amount of returning business if customers aren’t able to wait.
Workload
At the best of times 5 days in the office isn’t enough, so this begs the questions of is 4 working days enough time to get the workload complete?
Just because the hours are reduced, doesn’t mean the workload will. Essentially, you’ll need to cram 5 days worth of work in to 4. You need to ask yourself, if this is achievable?