Does a 4-Day Work Week Increase Productivity? Companies Implementing the Practice Say YES!
The concept of a four-day workweek has been around for decades, although it has not been implemented on any large scale. In fact, in 1956, then-Vice President Richard M. Nixon said he foresaw the possibility of it in the “not too distant future.” The COVID-19 pandemic has brought a lot of things to light for us as we continue to reevaluate employee wellness in the workplace. Remote and hybrid work has given momentum to explore other aspects of how we work.
Have you wondered lately if working five days a week is the best schedule for business productivity? Or are we just repeating patterns laid before us that may not be in alignment with our values as a country anymore?
Companies like Qwick, co-founder and CEO, Jamie Baxter have extended a four-day workweek pilot with encouraging results. A discussion found in The Business Journals,
“Considering a four-day workweek? Start with these tips,” supports those positive findings. Others in the trial said the 4-day week had given employees more personal time to exercise, spend time with their families, take up hobbies, and boost their well-being - and in addition - their productivity when they are on the clock. After all, rock-star employees can only be as productive at work as they are in their personal lives!
Experiments of the 4-day workweek are being conducted mostly in the private sector across countries including the United States, Canada, Ireland, New Zealand, and Australia. The concept of the 4-day workweek is attracting people who are open to change, focused on employee health, and balanced work culture.
In the New York Times, an article speaking on the concept of the 4-day workweek mentioned the following: Founder and Chief Executive, Gary Conroy, at 5 Squirrels, a skincare manufacturer based in Brighton, England, said “Employees had become more productive while making fewer errors, and that employees were collaborating better”, while participating in the trial.
In the USA, the California Democrat Mark Takano proposed legislation in July that would convert the standard workweek to 32 hours. With this change, anyone who works over 32 hours a week would receive overtime. The legislation is still awaiting a vote and recently garnered the support of the Congressional Progressive Caucus.
In short, we are seeing that an increase in productivity results directly from employees feeling valued by the companies for whom they work. If employees had more time to tend to their personal lives, needs, and well-being, maybe there would be less stress interfering with their cognitive and emotional states in the workplace leading to increases in work performance!
Is your company considering a 4-day workweek schedule? Reach out for help in avoiding compliance pitfalls.