Four Day Work Weeks: Yay or Nay?

“The five-day week is a nineteenth-century construct that is not fit for purpose in the twenty-first century.” This controversial quote by Andrew Barnes, an entrepreneur and author, challenges the current Western culture of five-day work weeks, which has contributed tremendously to the success of Western civilization. But from the past two years of consistent hybrid and work-from home workstyles through the pandemic, many employees and companies have discovered the tremendous benefits these styles have towards mental health, work-life balance, and equality of employees in the workforce. Since the transition of in-office presence starts to unfold, the discussions of four-day work weeks have been an emerging hot topic in corporate Canada, to regain the similar benefits from hybrid work life.  

Change of Work Style 

Work from home gives individuals more flexibility in their daily schedules, which has an overall positive effect on employee satisfaction. During the COVID-19 pandemic, many offices closed, forcing employees to work from home. Although this was unsettling at first, many individuals experienced a much better work-life balance.  

A return to in-person work has taken this balance away, having detrimental effects on employees. According to a Deloitte Canada survey, their employees are facing more stressful lifestyles due to in-office mandatory attendance, and have complained about poor personal time since coming back into office from work-from home schedules. This type of reaction has been recorded across many companies and industries. There has been a noticeable decline in performance from burn-out causing lower quality results from employees. 

The Exchange of Peace for Satisfaction and Poor Health 

Many corporate workers find it difficult to have a balanced lifestyle outside of work. This affects overall productivity and does not give them enough time to complete their errands on a two-day weekend. These workers are stuck choosing between relaxing or completing personal errands they set off during the week. As a result, individuals set aside relaxation and peace for the satisfaction of completed tasks, affecting their mental health tremendously. The sacrifice of recharge time for finishing up chores and then going back to work create stressful and health degrading situations for many individuals. A research study on a New Zealand company recorded that 78% of respondents found four day work weeks allowed them to balance their time more efficiently.  

Our current economy has seen tremendous success through five-day work weeks. However, the world is advancing, and old policies are no longer applicable to current lifestyles. Considering these changes, four-day work weeks must be more prominent in corporate societies. 

Save on Expenses, Improve on the Benefits 

From a rational standpoint, the reduction of a whole operational day is logical as it would significantly reduce company expenses. Although offices are normally open five days a week or more, it is very costly to do so. By reducing a work week to four days, companies can reduce overhead costs such as power bills, water, and other office supplies expenses. Conversely, some may argue that the loss of one business day would result in decrease in revenue. However, a number of studies prove that a shorter week increases productivity and can lead to improved quality of work. This is because employees are more relaxed and satisfied as the additional day off helps them prioritize their mental and physical health. Therefore, relationship found between four-day work weeks and improved productivity will lead to greater revenues.  

How the World Works 

The positive effects of four-day work weeks-such as a healthier workforce, improved productivity, and increased profitability-has been experienced by various countries. The world’s most productive nations, such as Norway, Denmark, Germany, and the Netherlands, have 27-hour work weeks, which is approximately four days. These countries have seen a tremendous increase in their economic growth ever since they implemented four-day work weeks. Unsurprisingly, these four countries are also listed as some of the happiest places in the world  

Canadian companies such as the PRAXIS, Sensei Labs, and The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society of Canada have joined 8 other Canadian firms in implementing a shortened week during a six-month pilot program. Joe O’Conner who is the CEO of Elevate Festival Toronto has claimed that Canadian companies have already implemented four-day work weeks, they are just buried under overly-long meetings, distractions during the work day, and poor use of technology. After the program has concluded, O’Conner believes that companies will get better efficiency out of their employees, while giving them flexibility to enjoy their time during their days off.  

Japan, a nation known for having overworked employees, ranks as 20th out of 35 countries for productivity. This claims that even with employees working more hours, it does not lead to better results, instead it becomes detrimental towards the Japanese economy. 

Everyone Gets an Equal Chance  

In the past decade, companies have taken great strides towards enforcing equality in the workplace. A four-day work week promotes equal rights for women which in the end creates a more equal workspace. A shortened week would give individuals more time to fulfill their childcare responsibilities. This would be especially helpful for women, who are more likely to leave employment because of childcare responsibilities. A 2021 study conducted by the Center for Global Development revealed women are about three times more likely than men to take up childcare responsibilities. A four-day week will give women the opportunity to be successful caregivers for their newborn children while also excelling in their profession. 

See you on Friday… 

The four-day work week presents various benefits. However, many counties and companies still follow a five-day work week due to the worry of less output from employees, because of losing a whole day. But, from many experiments and studies, that theory has been deemed flawed. Even with evidence, is there a more in-depth reason why companies are not transitioning to a four-day week, or are they just falling behind in this fast-paced world?