Four Day Work Week: Pros and Cons

Four day work week is gaining popularity these days. But, you must have been wondering why business owners would allow their employees to work four days a week. Isn’t it profitable to perform all work day? Here, working productively in a short time gives the answer. With the help of technological devices and advice for working productively at workplaces, employees can do the work in four days. And, what does it offer to employees? It offers them freedom. They gain more free time to focus on their life and personal development, which contributes to their productivity at work.

We said that four day work week is gaining popularity, but it is not applied to many businesses yet. The ones who spread it already see the difference. For example, Perpetual Guardian from New Zealand has been using this method and seeing how it contributes to the business. It gives time to employees for their own development and their own development is connected with the business’s success. Also, it reduces stress levels which cause significant health issues nowadays.

What is a Four-Day Work Week?

Let’s explain four day work week in detail. Some people may think that four day work week means overworking hours in four days. But, the purpose of four day work week is to reduce working hours. So, it is can not be mentioned that you work more than a normal work day in a day to work one day less. To summarize, you work around 28 hours a week and you have your weekend starting from Friday.

Four-day workweek is still not accepted in some countries. They agree that it is a radical idea that can result in bad effects. Actually, working hours have been reduced since the late 19th century. The number of working hours has been reduced from 100 hours in a week to 40 hours. So, it will not be surprising for this method performed in many countries soon.

What are the Advantages of a Four-Day Work Week?

Four work weeks idea is brought about recently with the help of developments in technology. So, it is a new concept for businesses. Business owners have some doubts in their minds. In the following, we will see how the advantages of four day week for business owners and employees.

Better Employee Engagement

This method provides better working ve free time conditions to employees. Following that employees feel happy and motivated. It leads to being more committed at work. According to the research, employees who work in this method start to take more responsibilities at work. They feel engaged. Isn’t it great to have employees feel engaged and happy at work?

Decreased Business Expenses

We mostly mentioned benefits for employees. However, the business has many advantages for four day work week. One of the advantages is decreased business expenses. Closing the office for one day contributes to business owners’ economy.

Mike Chappel of Formspal says that “It’s not uncommon for office bills, staff perks, commuter advantages, and competitive pay to add up to a significant sum. On top of that, add to your total expenses the cost of providing complimentary lunches, happy hours, and any other charges that help develop your company’s culture.” 

Increased Productivity

We said that four day work week increases productivity at workplaces. But, how? Though employees are logged on for fewer working hours, they become more capable of arranging their working hours. They work productively in the given time. Robert Scoff of Sell states that employees produce better work when they have more time to rest.

No Wasted Hours

One of the big reasons to waste time is chatting with coworkers and surfing the internet. With four day work week, businesses get rid of wasted hours. How? No one will spare time for chitchat when they have limited time to finish their tasks. With this method, they know that they are supposed to complete everything in four work days.

What Are the Disadvantages of Four Day Work Week?

As four day work week is newly introduced, some business people have been wondering about the disadvantages. Now, we will mention the disadvantages.

Disorganization

In the first days of this method, many employees are struggling with scheduling. They do not know how to organize their meetings or tasks. In this case, businesses shorten the weekly meeting hours and training. But, as time passes they become better at the organization they realize that it is possible to organize.

Less Time with Colleagues

Some employees enjoy being around their colleagues. It motivates them to see colleagues’ faces and communicate with them. When you take one day off it can badly affect these employees. They can even start to feel isolated from the work environment.

Potential Burnout

Some businesses have to keep up with their customers. They must be ready for unexpected demand. In this case, four day work week can cause stress. Before, using this method business owners must be sure that they can deal with customer requests without unexpected problems.

Increased Costs

Four-day workweek doesn’t suit all businesses. Some sectors may face increased costs. For example, the healthcare sector requires staff to have night shifts. In case work days are reduced to 4 days, they will need to get paid extra for extra hours. And, it is not much advantageous for the business owner.