A 4-day work week: the pros and cons

We all love a 3-day weekend – bank holidays are always a cause for excitement. But what if you scrapped the traditional 5-day working week and made this the norm? Would your business thrive? Or would productivity take a hit?

There’s an argument that modern technology has sped up the way we work, and that the five-day working week is no longer necessary.

Recent trials of a four-day working week in Iceland have been reportedly successful. Microsoft’s Japan offices trialled it and saw an impressive 40% increase in productivity. It’s also proved successful in countries like Sweden and Norway.

But how do you know if a 4-day work week is right for your business? To help you decide, here are some pros and cons.

Advantages of a four-day working week

Happier employees

Having a three-day weekend leaves employees with the chance to improve their work-life balance, by having more free time. This will increase overall happiness and can help to increase customer loyalty. It’s a win-win.

Reduced costs

If your office was closed for one extra day every week, running costs would see a significant drop. Additionally, employees would be paying less to commute and would see cut costs in expenses like lunches and coffees too.

Environmental gains

If you want to lower your company’s carbon footprint, keeping employees off the road and the office electrics off 20% more of the time can be a big help.

Increase in productivity levels

Discontented staff can distract their co-workers. A shorter week usually means happier, more fulfilled employees who will therefore by more focused on their job when they’re in the workplace.

Perpetual Guardian, a New Zealand firm trialled a 4-day week. The results found that 78% of employees could more effectively balance their work and home life. This was compared to 54% prior to the experiment.

Recruitment and retention

Being able to offer a more flexible work pattern is definitely a “work perk”. Research shows that 63% of businesses found it easier to attract and keep quality staff with a four-day working week. This balance benefit is still a rare offering, and can be a great way to get the best talent through the door (and keep them engaged).

Disadvantages of a four-day working week

Longer hours can result in more stress

For many businesses, their employees who are working on a 4-day week might be expected to still complete the full 40 hours, but in four days instead of five. Longer days can have a significant effect on your employees’ stress levels and therefore their overall wellbeing and productivity. Despite having more days away from work, this way of working could have a negative impact on both them and your business.

It doesn’t suit every business model

Unfortunately, a four-day week doesn’t suit all businesses. It’s an option only viable for companies that can re-adapt their whole business to a new way of working. Adopting something a big as this will take a lot of consideration to whether or not it’s right for your company.

Reduced hours may mean reduced work

While some organisations have seen productivity rise, your actual results may vary. It can depend on the commitment and maturity level of the team. There also may not be a one-size that fits all solution. Instead, the 4-day work week could be viewed as a perk for employees who can be counted on for results.

Negative effects on customer experience

If your team are having the same day of the week off, this will result in your customers not being able to reach you when they would likely expect to. However, this could be resolved in a number of ways. A company could have some employees working Monday-Thursday and others Tuesday-Friday to ensure working hours are covered for communications. Or you can incorporate the help of a virtual assistant one day per week to handle telephone answering and email management.

4 Day Work Week Pilot Programme

Given the growth in interest in this new way of working, 4 Day Week Global began supporting companies and non-profit organisations who wanted to try a 4 day, 32-hour work week with no reduction in pay. In 2022, their efforts led to the world’s first coordinated trials and the large-scale independent research effort of the impacts of a 4 day week. You can download the full report here.

Conclusion

If you believe a 4-day working week could be successful in your business, we suggest starting with a trial programme, perhaps during your slower months. Then analyse whether a 4-day working week works for your employees, customers, and your business.