There’s a variety of speak proper now a few 4-day work week—each globally and right here in the US. In Iceland, 86% of the workforce is now operating on a 4-day work week.1 And the idea is catching on—Spain, New Zealand and Japan are giving it a shot, and a California congressman simply launched laws to make the 4-day work week occur right here within the States.2 So, might America be subsequent? Not so quick, of us. Let’s speak in regards to the execs, the cons and what the analysis says.
What Is a 4-Day Work Week?
A 4-day work week implies that persons are working 32- to 36-hour weeks (perhaps even much less)—not full 40-hour weeks. That makes this idea totally different from shift work, the place folks work fewer days however nonetheless match 40 hours into the work week. With a 4-day work week, you’re assured a three-day weekend each week. And did I point out that the pay doesn’t lower? That’s proper—you continue to get the identical wage or hourly pay as if you happen to’re working a full 5 days.
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You is likely to be saying, “You had me at a three-day weekend!” Or perhaps you’re questioning how productive folks can actually be in the event that they’re solely working 4 days. Regardless of which camp you’re in, let’s dive into the information collectively.
What 4-Day Work Week Statistics Present Us
Right here’s what the analysis says: A 4-day work week really makes folks extra productive. At the least, that’s what the research are displaying in Iceland, the place staff say they really feel much less harassed and burned out and that their total well being and work-life steadiness have gotten an improve.3
The research lasted from 2015 to 2019 and in the reduction of on staff’ hours with out slicing down on their revenue. And guess what? These workers mentioned that by having shorter hours, they’d the vitality to do different issues of their lives—like handle to-do lists round the home, train, reconnect with household and buddies, and even take up new hobbies.4 All of that truly improved their high quality of life at work too. That they had higher attitudes as a result of they have been coming to work absolutely current as a substitute of operating on empty.
4-Day Work Week Advantages vs. Cons
Okay, so we went over a number of the advantages already, however let’s dig a bit deeper right here. There are a variety of execs and cons that you just may not count on in the case of the 4-day work week.
4-Day Work Week Advantages
1. Avoiding Burnout
People working full-time jobs put in a median of 44 hours per week.5 And an entire lot of persons are working far more than that, which is why we’ve received an issue with workaholism in our nation.
The extra relaxation you will get, the extra doubtless you’ll be capable to keep away from being overworked. The advantages from this are big—not solely in your psychological well being (which is a giant deal) however for the standard of your work too! The much less office burnout you’re feeling, the extra doubtless you’re to remain invested in your job and truly produce high quality work.
2. Extra Intentionality In regards to the Approach You Work
If you solely have 4 days within the week to get stuff finished, you then is likely to be extra cautious about the way you schedule your days. You’ll in all probability attempt more durable to remain targeted and have fewer interruptions too. In the event you’ve been kicking again and phoning it in on Fridays, a 4-day work week is likely to be the kick within the pants you want.
3. Higher Work-Life Steadiness
It’s a basic math formulation: The extra time you spend on the workplace, the much less time you spend with household. And you may’t get these moments again. With the ability to have a greater work-life steadiness could make you and your loved ones an entire lot happier and more healthy.
And even if you happen to don’t have a household of your personal, work-life steadiness remains to be essential—you possibly can spend extra time with buddies, volunteer for church actions, or pursue your hobbies.
4. Extra Time for Private Growth and Self-Progress
Time spent engaged on your self exterior of the workplace could make you higher within the workplace. Private development can go a good distance in growing your management abilities, connecting with others, and even bettering your self-confidence. And if you happen to’re solely working 4 days per week, properly, you then’ll have extra time in your fingers to develop in these areas.
4-Day Work Week Cons
1. Much less Time to Do Work That Issues
Positive, having an extended weekend is likely to be nice, however the fact is {that a} 4-day work week provides you much less time to collaborate and get your work finished—it simply does. That’s the tough actuality right here. In the event you’re solely working 4 days, then the strain is on to jam-pack all that you may into 4 days.
2. Increased Ranges of Stress
In the event you’re pressured to cram as a lot work and conferences as you possibly can in solely 4 days’ time, your stress ranges might really find yourself being increased than they have been in the course of the 5-day work week.
3. Unhappy Prospects
Give it some thought: In case your entire enterprise shuts down each Friday, your clients may not be too blissful about it. In any case, 5-day work weeks are nonetheless the norm for most individuals. It is sensible that the folks you serve would count on that from your small business.
Why Do We Even Have a 5-Day Work Week (40 hours)?
Right here’s a historical past lesson for you: The 40-hour work week that everyone knows now really got here from Henry Ford—, the automotive man. He was one of many first enterprise leaders to pioneer the 40-hour work week in America. The employees in Henry Ford’s manufacturing facility had been placing in eight-hour days—six days per week. That meant they solely had someday off to catch a break. Not precisely a really perfect working scenario.
So, Ford took issues into his personal fingers. When he determined to provide his staff two days off, he noticed an enormous enhance in productiveness, not a lower. And the thought caught on. Ford impressed different leaders to undertake his coverage, which helped flip the entire cultural tide in opposition to overworking. In 1940, congress modified the Fair Labor Standards Act to make employers pay staff extra time in the event that they labored greater than 40 hours—and the 40-hour work week turned a finished deal.6
Will a 4-Day Work Week Occur in America?
Don’t maintain your breath right here. It’s true that conventional work has modified lots because the pandemic, and analysis exhibits loads of advantages from working simply 4 days per week. Nonetheless, it could take lots to persuade most companies to go for this variation. Now, that doesn’t imply some firms received’t do it. Similar to distant work, it’s going to depend upon the corporate and the way they wish to run issues. If the 4-day work week appeals to you, then search for firms which have that as a profit—simply don’t look forward to finding a ton of them but.
Look, if you happen to hate your job, working someday much less isn’t going to unravel the true drawback right here. The larger query is how you are able to do work that issues to you and go from simply gathering a paycheck at your J-O-B to dwelling out your dream job with goal. This can be a big ache level for many American staff—practically 70% of People aren’t engaged at their jobs.7 However it doesn’t should be that manner. That’s why I wrote my e book From Paycheck to Function—to provide you a transparent, step-by-step plan to discovering work you like.
