Much has been written recently about the rise of the Four Day Work Week. A global trial has received wide-spread support and early feedback has been extremely positive. It appears that support for this movement can only increase as positive reports spread and employers look for a point of difference in the war for talent.
There is no doubt that the post-COVID world is a challenging one for many of us. Leaders are stressed, exhausted and navigating unchartered waters with no map and little experience. Employees are burnt out, frustrated, anxious about personal finances and looking for some sort of balance in their lives. Is the Four Day Work Week the answer? Will it attract top talent to your business? Will it provide some much-needed additional downtime to ensure we are re-energised and focused at work?
Before you dive in there is a lot to consider….
The movement is based on a reduction of hours while maintaining full remuneration – the argument being that productivity can remain the same with the removal of ‘wasted’ time which typically accounts for a significant portion of our day – unnecessary meetings, excessive social interactions etc.
To achieve this businesses must have:
- A highly engaged workforce committed to working intensely to maintain output / productivity at current levels
- Systems and processes that measure output and productivity effectively
- Solutions to ensure customer service, sales and delivery services remain uninterrupted at levels required by customers or clients
- A solution that applies to the entire workforce or an ability to effectively manage any perceived inequalities that might arise
While early studies state that workers are increasingly energised, engaged and productive there is concern that the need to maintain consistently high levels of output and intensity while at work could lead to excessive stress and burnout despite the additional time away from work.
Many organisations are still working out how to effectively measure productivity and output in a hybrid working environment – this brings another layer of complexity which could make the already hefty burden on people managers even more onerous.
Reduced hours are unlikely to tempt many senior Executives who are typically working well beyond the traditional 40-hour week already. There appears to be potential for this to further widen the gap between leadership and the layers of employees beneath them – will those with leadership aspirations that engage in a reduced work week be seen to be less motivated or somehow unambitious?
Does this then have the potential to widen the gender gap with men in senior leadership continuing to rise up in their careers committing excess hours to the demands of executive roles while woman embrace the reduced working week and take on even greater responsibility at home in caring for children and household?
If reduced hours is the answer, is a Four Day Work Week the best solution for all? Particularly while schools remain on a five day model? Wouldn’t reduced hours with the flexibility to determine your own hours be the optimal solution for most? That of course brings a whole additional set of challenges but is likely to be the next stage of exploration in this new world of work-life integration.
So, while early feedback looks extremely promising and we see great potential for the Four Day Work Week to address many of the challenges and obstacles that are facing businesses today in attraction, engagement and retention; there is so much to consider and we urge caution, research and a great deal of preparation before diving in. We continue to watch and review with interest and are very keen to hear from anyone who has participated in a trial to date around the key takeaways, benefits and challenges.
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