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In Favor of the Four-Day Workweek

A.J. Nazem

Leadership ~ Program Management ~ Client Services ~ Project Management ~ Oversight ~ Product Design ~ System Design & Optimization ~ Staff Training

发布日期: 2024年10月25日

So here we are again…Another year and another debate on how much longer we should pretend the five-day workweek makes sense. We hear the older people in the room preaching about the need for it and the benefits of it…and at the same time we see the younger generation with their eyes rolling. I’m going to open this article with a question to you. Do you really need five days to do your job? Or as my good friend puts it (he specifically asked not to tag him in this and to remain anonymous) – “Do you need you to pretend you're busy for five days to do your job?”

I’ve worked in a variety of industries, one of which I’ve had to work 80-120 hours a week. I want to say that not as a bragging point. It was interesting and worthwhile personally to see that I could push myself to go to that high level…but I suffered in my personal life from it. More so, burn out is very real and if you’re burning the fuel that much, its more often than not you’re bad at delegating or time management. I’ve learned from those experiences to be a big proponent of working smarter, not harder.

Fast forward to 2 weeks ago where I returned from a mini vacation that I didn’t even know I needed. It made me realize that America’s running on fumes. We’re seeing the constant battle for attention with apps or the next big headlines. Tie it in with people having diminishing wages, all time high for lack of trust, higher prices for everything because of inflation (even if it is subsiding….or is it???), and so much more. The “grind set” mentality that was preached for so long after ’08 is pretty much dead and Gen Z doesn’t play into the games of dangling a carrot in front of you…they know it doesn’t work and we all do too. So whats the solution? Well, I’m hoping that this article lets you think that the four-day workweek is one of solutions to solve this.

So yes, I said it…Simply put, it’s time to knock it down to a nice n tidy four day work week. And I’m not talking about shaving off an hour here and there. I’m talking REAL…CHANGE…PEOPLE!

The Numbers Don’t Lie Folks

I can already hear a handful of my old bosses saying “Oh, here comes the entitled and lazy millennial/Gen Z nonsense." To that response, I say act like an adult and trust that you’ve instilled in us values and principles to where we make actions based on judgment and stats. I always try to speak with facts and let the numbers do the talking. So, let me hit you with some numbers before you pull the whole "back in my day" routine.

Studies across the world showed that companies with a four-day workweek saw up to a 40% increase in productivity. Yeah, you heard me right…40…freakin…PERCENT! To my non-math friends, that's almost half! In 2019, Microsoft Japan gave it a go and they saw their employees productivity shoot through the roof. And guess whats even better than that? Workers took 25% less time off. I don’t know about you, but I think that’s not bad for an experiment. Especially one that probably sounded like a stoner pitched at a board meeting.

But wait…there’s more!?!? There was another study that showed that companies that tried the four day week saw a 1.4% jump in revenue during the trial period. Some of the other companies that tried it had a 34% jump in revenue from the year before. So, to anyone who thinks sitting in an office translates directly to productivity, this actually means that workers are not only “slacking off” less...No…it actually translates to businesses thriving! And to any manager, isn’t that the end goal? More so, the UK, Spain, and New Zealand have all tested this. And spoiler alert…nobody is running back to five days…

The Pros: The Good Stuff

1. Increased Productivity:

Like I said earlier and pretty easy to grasp…when people know they’ve got a shorter week, they get more done in that shorter time. That, and just think about all the time wasted (ala meetings, or meetings about meetings, extended coffee breaks, longer lunch breaks, more frequent bathroom breaks). All that stuff just disappears when people know they got an extra day off. That’s an extra day to live their own lives and do what makes them passionate, or just errands so they’re less distracted. And when people feel respected and can thrive personally, then they’re likely to deliver that professionally as well. Again, a reminder that Microsoft Japan saw a 40% boost in productivity…You can bet that other companies would see similar increase…even half of that would be an incredible benefit to any organization!

2. Happier Employees:

Iceland did some studies on this (which of course they did) and the reports showed that workers were happier and less stressed. I know this seems insane…but hear me out…If you give people more time to relax, hang out with their friends & families, or just binge-watch whatever superhero show is popular (I’m on Peacemaker now – can confirm, it rocks)…then you somehow get less burnout. Happier workers mean fewer sick days, better mental health, and tying it back to item #1…increased productivity!

3. Higher Recruitment & Retention:

Post-Great Resignation, we see companies are still struggling to recruit and retain talent. If you want to keep your workers happy and attract that top talent that you always say you are on LinkedIn, then this is a strong tool you can use to help with that. That, and employees are more likely to stick around when they have a schedule that actually respects their time. It’s simple math…offer people better quality of life, and they’ll stick around. UK companies trialing the four-day week saw a 15% increase in retention. And that increased retention reduces operational costs and boosts team morale. All of these items impacts your companies bottom dollar!

4. Less Absenteeism:

I know I keep bringing up this Microsoft study, but the results were just so awesome (and its such a well known company) that the numbers to speak for themselves. Microsoft saw sick days go down by 25% during their trial. I’m thinking of one old boss right now who always said, “giving people more time off would make them lazier.” Thank God no one liked him and he got fired eventually! And clearly he would be wrong here too…because again, when you give your employees a break, they don’t need to take as many days off. That, and employees came back feeling more refreshed.

5. Environmental Benefits:

And we’re all talking about reaching climate goals and reducing our carbon footprint. Its just like working remote showed, cutting down the workweek means less commuting. Fewer cars on the road means less pollution. Iceland’s experiment showed CO2 emissions drop significantly. Now, I’m not saying I’m Greta Thunberg…but…that does sound like a win to me!

The Cons: Yeah, There’s Some Downside

1. Not All Jobs Fit the Mold:

Just like remote work can’t work for everyone, the four day workweek won’t work for every job out there. If you’re a nurse, a teacher, or a cop, I’d imagine you probably can’t just clock out after four days and say, “See ya Monday!” Some industries need coverage all five days. Sure, you can rotate shifts, but that’s a logistical constraint to manage that, as well as require a certain headcount to make it feasible.

2. Compressed Hours Can Lead to Burnout:

If you’re cramming 40 hours of work into four days, you might be cutting out some of the fluff…But on the opposite side, you’re also packing a lot into those days. People might end up feeling even more exhausted. You’re looking at (4) 10-hour days. For some, that might be fine, but for others, it’s a burnout waiting to happen. But then again, maybe you can do (4) 8-hour days instead to remedy this.

I found the happy medium was done perfectly at Nikon – (3) 12.5-hour days, followed by (3) days off…then (4) 12.5-hour days and then (4) days off. It was pretty awesome that you only worked (1) whole week in a (2) week period. But it goes without saying that the end of that last fourth day week was a bit rough. So this might also not work for everyone.

3. Initial and Ongoing Costs for Employers (Tangible and Intangible):

As anyone knows, change costs money, and switching to a new system ain’t free. Companies will need to adjust, retrain, and maybe even change up their workflows. For smaller businesses, that might be a big hit upfront. And let's be real…anyone my age can tell you in our 20s that some bosses just loved to see you sitting there in the office, even if you’re doing absolutely nothing. So that resistance to change can cost the company time and growing pain/headaches as well…especially if mid-to-senior level management is resistant to change on how they manage their team and expectations. Also, lets not forget emergencies do happen. So maybe companies need to pay more if they need to pay employees to be on-call in case of emergencies. All of this has the potential to cost your organization money one way or another.

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4. Potential for Lower Customer Satisfaction:

Lastly, even if you’re working a four day week – that doesn’t mean your customers are. They’re probably still on the five-day schedule…so what happens when they need something on that fifth day? You’re either staffing a skeleton crew or telling them to wait until next week. Or you have one team work the front side and others work the backside. But depending on the volume, that may not always fly in a “get-it-now” world. But again, maybe you can figure out a happy medium or stack shifts to accommodate this.

The World’s Changing, So Should Work

Here’s the thing: we’re not in the Industrial Age anymore. Nobody’s hammering out widgets in a factory all week. We’re living in the era of AI, remote work, and DoorDash. We’ve got the technology to make this happen. If you don’t believe me, check out Iceland’s recent trial—85% of their workforce is now either on, or moving towards, shorter hours without sacrificing pay. This isn’t some fringe idea. It’s mainstream now.

And don’t give me that “We need face time in the office” argument. We’ve had two years of Zoom calls. We get it. Unless you’re working with heavy machinery, you can probably get your job done in less time. And if not, well, maybe you are the problem or your processes are setup with some (or too many) bottlenecks.

So, What Are We Waiting For?

Now, let’s be real…You’re telling me that between all the Zoom calls that should’ve been emails, the watercooler chit-chat, and the internet rabbit holes (don’t lie, you know you’ve been there), we’re really giving 40 solid hours every week? We’re in a time-wasting marathon, but instead of a trophy, we get burnout. In the end, it’s a lose-lose for everyone. That means less productivity, more stress, and don’t even get me started on commuting.

If you’re in the office Monday through Friday, you know that half the week is spent either ramping up or ramping down. Monday’s a coffee-fueled haze. Wednesday, you might actually get something done. And by Friday…you’re eyeing the clock like it’s a bomb you have to diffuse. It’s not exactly efficient.

If we're talking quality of life, the four-day week is a no-brainer. You get more time to live your life, recharge, and dare I say…be happier. The work still gets done, companies make money, and everyone’s a little less cranky.

In the words of every comedian ever: "What’s the worst that could happen?"

Look, we’ve been stuck in the same grind for too long. It’s time to try something new. If the math says it works, and people say they’re happier, why not give it a go? We should be embracing change instead of clinging to this Don Quixote-esqe outdated five-day week like it’s the last Blockbuster (or Hollywood Video)!

So, what do you say? Ready to live in a world where we don't need a three-day weekend just to recover from the workweek? I know I am…Let’s make it happen!

Did I miss anything, do you agree, or strongly disapprove? Feel free to drop a comment and let me know what you thought of this article!