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2024 KPMG poll of 100 US CEOs found that
nearly one-third of US companies are exploring the idea of dropping one day a week. That may sound unimpressive at first, but think about it for a moment. Let it sink in.
This is only the vanguard.
Four-day week trials and studies have been surprisingly positive for both employees and employers. The large
UK four-day work week pilot program was so successful that, of the 61 firms that participated, 92% said they would continue their four-day work week beyond the trial, including 29% that had already decided to make the change permanent.
Earlier studies were also successful. And several companies have reported success in many facets of their business with their own trials, such as US-based
Exos.
Employees are receptive to the idea. A
Washington Post-Ipsos conducted a year ago
showed that 75% of US workers would rather work four 10-hour days than five eight-hour days for the same pay. Meanwhile, according to a
survey by cloud-software vendor Qualtrics, 92% of US workers are in favor of a shortened work week, even if it means working longer hours each day.
European countries may be ahead of the curve on shorter work weeks, with the UK and Germany undertaking large-scale trials; Iceland, Portugal, and
Spain are also running pilot programs; and Belgium is the first country to pass a law that gives workers the option to work a four-day 40-hour week.
Analyzing the benefits
A shortened work week can help companies
attract top talent, boost employee retention, reduce employee stress, lower the carbon footprint of employees (and potentially that of the company), and save employees money on commuting and childcare. The largest benefit, however, is a major boost to work-life balance, which appears to
foster an increase in work productivity. (Check out this list of
pros and cons of the 4-day work week.)
The concurrent arrival of a host of generative AI tools should also bolster productivity, mitigating any risks when switching to a four-day work week.
Those who oppose the notion might see productivity as chiefly measured by time — so many minutes equals so much productivity. And that might be true for assembly-line manufacturing, for example; the four-day work week isn’t for every company.
For many other jobs where what’s being created is intellectual property, ideas, strategic plans, sales, marketing, and software, for instance, intellectual acuity is the essential ingredient — and burn-out is a very real challenge in such roles. To be sharp, you need to be well-rested in mind and body. A four-day work week could well boost productivity in that kind of environment.
Even before the pandemic, some companies had begun to loosen up. Casual Fridays became work-at-home Fridays, for instance. Switching to working four days a week seems like a natural progression in that scenario.
So, it’s not surprising that a common finding of many four-day-work-week trials is that employee productivity grows, even in 32-hour weeks. More days in a week allows for more meetings, more distractions, more long lunches, and more employee procrastination. Fewer days in a week forces employees to sharpen their time-management skills and focus on completing tasks. Getting your mind out of the job for three days recharges your batteries and brings new perspective to your work, which in turn can elevate productivity.
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