Is There Really Anything to a Four-Day Work Week?

Abstract

Picking up on the fact that the workplace is changing isn’t exactly difficult nowadays—the past few years of remote work and mass resignations have made it abundantly clear that today’s employees are looking for more control in terms of balancing their work lives with their personal ones. One means of doing so that has gained steam is the idea of a shorter workweek.

Let’s examine the philosophy of the four-day workweek, and how it may benefit your operations.

The Four-Day Workweek, in a Nutshell

Rather than an employee going into the office (or, if working remotely, logging in) five days a week, the four-day workweek—appropriately enough—limits their time at work to four days out of seven. Critically, this is without impacting an employee’s weekly take-home pay… your team members will still make the same amount of money as they would working five days.

Does this reduction of operating time sound extreme? A little, until you consider that the 40-hour week was the result of a considerable limitation of working hours. Back in 1890, most full-time employees in the manufacturing industry were working 100-hour weeks on average.

What Benefits Could a Four-Day Week Bring?

There are plenty of perks that a shortened workweek can bring. Two big ones are:

Boosted Productivity

Overwork is a significant issue, one reason being that it significantly hinders productivity over time. It has been repeatedly proven that cutting back on working hours enhances this coveted productivity, with Norway, Denmark, and Germany demonstrating practical examples of the benefits to be had.

Engaged Employees

On a related note, employee productivity is closely linked to employee satisfaction, which itself has been shown to have significant benefits. A shorter workweek has been observed to lead to less time taken off for health-related reasons and improved mental fortitude amongst staff members.

No Matter Your Working Hours, We’ll Be There to Support You

Whether or not your business subscribes to the four-day workweek moving forward, working with us can ensure you have access to the IT maintenance and support you need to remain operational. Learn more about how our managed services can also help your business accomplish more by calling 888-748-2525.