The five-day work week was adopted to accommodate Jewish and Christian days of rest over one hundred years ago, and since then it has stuck.
For modern day purposes, this schedule leaves employees feeling fatigued, unmotivated and unable to get real rest when the weekend comes around.
According to research from Miami University, employee motivation and performance declined with a five-day work week.
Additionally, the traditional 9 to 5 work schedule isn’t all that it appears to be. Thanks to technology, employees are checking their work emails and messages long after they have clocked out for the day.
It’s past time for companies to accommodate the evolving needs of their workforce, while optimizing productivity and improving wellbeing.
One way some companies have tried to combat these issues is with a four-day work week. However, some studies have indicated that condensed schedules hurt productivity. While it sounds promising in theory, workers aren’t meant to be working 10-hour days.
Spreading out work may actually be ideal for some workers. In fact, some professionals have found that they enjoy working on the weekends as they don’t have to deal with the flow of emails and phone calls throughout the day.
Adopting this method can improve a worker’s wellbeing by not feeling the pressure of a time crunch and allowing them to wind down at the end of the workday better.
Overall, the best method is to be flexible in your work operations and listen to employees. Every person has their own set of unique needs, values, home situations and more.
