While location flexibility has become one of the more common trends in the modern workforce, its close cousin schedule flexibility could single handedly uproot how the work week operates.
Four-day work weeks are certainly not a new concept, but the pandemic thrusted this model into the mainstream as traditional nine-to-fives began to be less accessible to working parents and other professionals.
Shorter work weeks are expected to take a lead role in the future of work, but there still remains pushback from established employers who simply want to return to normal. However, the pre-pandemic workplace is ancient history at this point, and the last two years have taught society just so.
Companies who have tested out a four-day work model have found great results, too. For instance, 86% of those participating in the UK’s 4 Day Work Week Global pilot said they will continue operating under this arrangement after the study is complete.
Not only is this good news for employees, but business leaders are also gaining a lot. For instance, companies that cut down on their work hours saw a slight increase or equal productivity.
“It’s a benefit for prioritization,” said Adam Grant, a professor of organizational psychology at the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania. “When you have less time, you start to focus on the things that really matter. That might mean managers assigning less busywork, and it might mean fewer frivolous meetings.”
