After the COVID-19 pandemic, employees and employers are rethinking the workplace to make it even better. They are looking for ways to boost business productivity, flexibility and create a sustainable working environment. As a result, the idea of a 4-day work week was born.
To decide whether implementing it is feasible for your organization or not, let’s understand what it is first.
What Is a 4-Day Work Week?
The 4-day work week is a reduction in the standard 5-day work week policy, where employees will be working for 4 days a week instead of 5 days while the pay and benefits remain the same. When it comes to the workload, the 4-day work week can be of two types, i.e., compressed or shortened.
In a compressed work week, the eight-hour work per day is compressed into 10 hours. So, employees will have the same workload but the workdays will be slightly longer.
In the case of a shortened work week, the work hours are cut while everything else, including the workload, pay, and benefits remain the same. However, the most crucial aspect of this approach is that employees must offer 100% productivity.
Is Implementing the 4-Day Work Week Feasible?
A majority of UK companies have already embraced the four-day workweek and have seen a huge improvement in their brand and recruiting power. Almost 63% of businesses accepted that it helped them to attract and retain top talent.
Here are the different countries that have already embraced or are planning to embrace the idea.
- Iceland is one of the leaders when it comes to implementing the 4-day work week. The country conducted a test phase of a 35-hour to 36-hour work week and it proved to be a success.
- Belgium is likely to implement the 4-day work week only for employees who want it. So, employees have won the right to opt for a four-day work week instead of five without loss of pay.
- Scotland and Wales are about to join the global movement. Both are considering a government trial while Scotland’s trial is due to start in 2023.
- Sweden has got mixed reactions to the idea of a four-day work week. The country proposed a 6-hour work day instead of 8 and not even one was pleased with it. So, it wasn’t much of a success.
Since many countries have already implemented the concept of a four-day work week, it shows that employing it is feasible. However, it may not work without the right culture. If leadership and employees are not committed to making the four-day work week a success, it will probably fail.
Final Thoughts
As most workers have struggled with a disturbed work-life balance during the COVID-19 pandemic, there’s a possibility of the 4-day work week becoming the future. 92% of employees are ready to switch to a 4-day work week at their company according to a Qualtrics survey.
The 4-day work week comes with many benefits like better work-life balance, higher productivity, lower turnover, and only a few drawbacks. So, looking at the benefits, it seems like the idea is more than just hype and may become a reality in the future.
