Is A 4-Day Workweek Important?

 

Whether you work for a multinational corporation or live off self-employment, the discussion about work-life balance has never been more relevant in this ever-changing society. Across all industries, employers and employees alike find themselves debating current standards regarding workweeks, especially as more workers than ever find themselves completing their day-to-day tasks at home rather than at an office. 

While the 40-hour, five-day workweek remains a staple across most nations, many have raised the prospect of changing this standard to reflect shifts in employee expectations by introducing a four-day workweek. Regardless of where your business stands on the issue, it’s clear that the market is shifting. From tech-giants Twitter and Square allowing employees to work from their homes forever to Microsoft’s experiments with a four-day workweek, it’s clear that the future will see a significantly different corporate reality than what society is used to. 

So, what’s the big deal? Perhaps your business remains wary of such an enormous change, or simply views these large-scale announcements as nothing more than brief PR-stunts meant to boost brand recognition. Since a four-day workweek is a relatively new concept, many companies struggle with the same fears, but current data may be enough to curb most of those worries. 

In this article, we’ll cover the four major factors that prove a four-day workweek isn’t only a relevant prospect, but a vital one in the age of COVID-19. 

Increased Productivity

Ever since the industrial revolution, employers have been experimenting with countless methods to boost the productivity of their employees. While the digital revolution of the 21st century replaces enormous factories with high-tech offices and cramped cubicles, their efforts haven’t changed.  

One of the most persistent questions circling the prospect of the four-day workweek is, unsurprisingly, focused on how it might impact business output. If this sounds like an experiment your business isn’t willing to take, then it should be pleasing to hear that one of the largest companies in the world already took the plunge. 

In 2019, Microsoft Japan gave employees a three-day weekend throughout the summer season to see how a four-day workweek could improve operations—or possibly ruin them. Remarkably, the company saw employee productivity improve by 40% throughout the experiment. Additionally, the company enjoyed lower maintenance costs thanks to the reduction of electricity usage by 23%. 

Microsoft wasn’t the only business to implement the policy. In the spring of 2018, New Zealand’s trust management company Perpetual Guardian experienced a 45% improvement in employee work-life balance and a 20% increase in employee productivity with a four-day workweek. The company has subsequently made the policy permanent. 

 

Downtime Leads to More Creative Thinking  

The improvements mentioned above aren’t a fluke: There is a reasonable explanation for why companies see such an increase with a four-day workweek. 

In an increasingly consumerist society, break times and days off are regularly seen as inappropriate, especially when it comes to business operations (time is money, right?). However, a non-stop cycle of work can deter results and decrease the capabilities of a workforce if employees aren’t given sufficient downtime between workdays. 

A growing body of research explains why downtime boosts creativity. When the brain focuses on the same stimulus over an extended period (i.e., an office cubicle, an excel spreadsheet), it eventually loses focus and causes performance to decline. Ideas become redundant, and creativity plummets drastically.    

To combat this phenomenon, a sufficient amount of downtime is necessary. By taking a break from operations, employees can return to their tasks refreshed and with ideas of higher quality to overcome business challenges. With a four-day workweek, workforces can return to the office on Monday with a mindset that is re-energized and eager to tackle their tasks better than ever before. 

Employee Cost Reduction — Will It Be Affected? 

Businesses are always seeking new ways to cut costs, and a four-day workweek is a prospect that further complicates cost-management efforts. 

On one end, an extra week out of the office provides direct benefits to the business itself. Utility fees such as lights and air conditioning will be noticeably lower, and office supplies won’t run out as quickly. 

When it comes to employee cost reduction, the answers are not as clear. Companies like Microsoft chose to continue paying employees a typical five-day workweek salary during their experiment. Still, some businesses may not be willing to make—or able to afford—the same decision. At this point, the prospect of paying employees a regular salary while keeping them on a four-day workweek may become a political one, though how strongly depends on where the business’s principal operations are located. 

Those who defend a reduced employee salary with a four-day workweek point out that employee concerns regarding payment may be offset by decreased commute times and improved work-life balance. Until the four-day workweek becomes more common, its actual impact on employee cost reduction remains yet to be seen. 

Ultimately, it may simply come down to each business having to make their own decision on what they’re willing to pay employees if they’re given a longer weekend.  

 

Has COVID-19 Made This the Perfect Time to Transition?  

No conversation about the four-day workweek can be complete without considering the effects of COVID-19. 

Industry experts have voiced their opinions on the matter, and their conclusion is clear: This is the perfect time to make the change. More than ever, it’s up to employers to show that they care for their employees as the world battles with the pandemic, whether their support comes through stimulus checks or improved health benefits. 

With most workforces operating from home, the line between work and life hasn’t been more blurred. By implementing a four-day workweek, companies won’t only help restore this distinction, but assist industries across the world in rising back to their feet. 

 

Change is a frightening thing, which makes it easy to understand why most businesses have yet to implement—or perhaps even consider—a four-day workweek. However, from increased productivity to effective cost management, there are more than a few reasons as to why this prospect could significantly improve workforces across the world. If anything, COVID-19 has proven that change is inevitable. If your business hopes to keep up with competitors, a four-day workweek might be the only way to do so.