It’s taken over one century, but society is warming up to the concept of a four-day work week. More importantly, there is concrete evidence that supports the benefits of this arrangement.
According to findings from the six-month trial led by 4 Day Week Global, which saw several companies test out a shorter workweek with no loss in pay, 80% of workers were just as productive under this model as they were with a five-day model. Even more, companies reported a boost in revenue and an overall improvement in employee wellness.
For instance, skeptical company Soothing Solutions entered the trial with leveled expectations of a four-day workweek. However, since beginning the trial, the company has had no turnover and been able to support employees in a whole new way.
“One of our employees has an elderly parent who was terminally ill, and she got to spend three, four days a week with them,” Sinéad Crowther, cofounder of Soothing Solutions, told Business Insider. “She said nothing can give her that time back. She wouldn’t have got to do that in any other job.”
Despite the overwhelming evidence that shorter workweeks are beneficial to a workforce, some are still concerned over potential challenges, including employees working longer work days, trying to squeeze five days of work into four and fluctuating business activity throughout the year.
However, there is still a simple solution to these concerns: adopt staggered schedules that ensure someone is on the clock during the necessary times.
With any new workplace arrangement, leaders will be tasked with ensuring that execution makes sense for both employees and the business itself. If the four-day workweek can be successfully implemented, businesses can anticipate an overwhelming positive response.
