A Four-Day Workweek

Can working less lead to happier and more productive societies?

In early 2023, research organization Autonomy announced the results of the largest trial of the four-day work week, involving 61 UK companies and just under 3,000 employees. The majority of companies found the experiment to be a success, with 92 percent continuing with the four-day workweek.

That workers like working less isn’t surprising. But the study found the shortened workweek not only didn’t hurt company productivity, in many cases, it benefited the company. Researchers detected no drop in productivity or revenue but did see a significant decrease in resignations.

Historically speaking, there’s no real reason for the traditional five-day, 40-hour workweek. It’s just the result of an agreement between labor unions and employers in the 1930s. For a variety of reasons,  many people, particularly factory workers, worked more than 12-hour shifts, six or even seven days a week. The 40-hour week evolved after long battles, negotiations, and a lot of (relative) pain on both sides. But there’s no reason it’s the “right” or “most productive” or “best” arrangement. It’s just the way we’ve been doing it for decades.

The idea behind the four-day workweek is that people can be just as productive in 32 hours as they are in 40. For those of us that think we spend too much time working, these studies showing the benefits of a shorter workweek are encouraging.

The four-day workweek slowly growing in popularity as a way to boost productivity and morale in the workplace.

The Potential Benefits of A Four-Day Workweek are Significant

A four-day workweek will have all kinds of advantages for employees.

Aside from the obvious advantage of having more free time, a four-day workweek could result in increased productivity and improved job satisfaction due to a better work/life balance.

More opportunity to devote time to health, leisure, and family activities improves the work/life balance and refreshment from tired routines.

More “Meaning”

With fewer days at work, people can have more time to do activities they find more meaningful.

“In a 2013 survey of 12,000 professionals by the Harvard Business Review, half said they felt their job had no “meaning and significance,” … another poll among 230,000 employees in 142 countries showed that only 13% of workers actually like their job. A recent poll among Brits revealed that as many as 37% think they have a job that is utterly useless.”
-Rutger Bregman, Evonomics1Link
Is this really the best we can do?
Furthermore, having a longer period off could encourage employees to become more productive during their working days due to increased motivation knowing that there is more free time ahead.
I’d argue that this desperation at a meaningless existence where work takes up so much of our time is a leading culprit of the increasing depression plaguing the country, leading to the so-called “death of despair.”

as Derek Thompson laments in The Atlantic:

“Anxiety, depression, and suicidality have increased to unprecedented levels among young people. Meanwhile, deaths from drugs and suicide—so-called deaths of despair, which are concentrated in the white working class—have soared in the past two decades, recently reaching the highest levels ever recorded by the federal government. Across generations, Americans seem to be suffering from, and dying of, new levels of loneliness in an age of crumbling institutions.”

In most cases, an increase in free time means increases in family cohesion and healthier lifestyles. With happier people and families, there’s a lift across all areas of society. Less crime, happier people, better educational results, less spending on health care… At first blush it might seem silly to extrapolate from a shorter work week to moving closer to world peace, but is it really that silly?

More time for parents to spend meaningful time with their children,  and other family members. It would produce happier kids who would do better in school. Less time on bullshit jobs that do nothing for anyone is replaced with constructive and meaningful interactions.

The free time can be used for important personal developments such as hobbies or learning new skills which could eventually lead to career growth. More time allows for more entrepreneurial activities which could potentially become additional sources of progress across society.

Finally, a four-day workweek can lead to fewer illnesses and improved mental health. With more free time employees would have the chance to take better care of themselves, including going to the gym, reducing stress levels, and improving their overall well-being. This trickles up to less spending on health care across society.

All these benefits combined should lead to happier and healthier employees who are better equipped with the knowledge and energy to succeed.

Employers Too Can Benefits from Giving Employees More Free Time

Employers and shareholders too stand to benefit from a four-day workweek. Companies need to consider whether a four-day workweek could be beneficial for all involved. Some might fear the potential impacts on overall organizational performance, but some studies have shown an upside when implementing this kind of shift in working patterns. Benefits include improved productivity due to less absenteeism and higher employee retention rates.

With an additional day off, employees can use it for personal purposes, resulting in less time away from the office which equates to more time working productively. It would result in fewer disruptive “sick” days and more predictable coverage.

A company offering employees more free days is likely to attract and retain more talent. Fewer employees will seek new job opportunities due to increased job satisfaction.

Ultimately, these benefits are essential for any business as they help create a stable workforce that can grow and flourish together in the long term without high replacement costs for employers.

A shift to a shorter workweek should come with clear expectations

Obviously, managers who rely on time spent in the office, rather than results, as the metric for evaluating employee value, will not embrace a shorter work week. But these managers are lousy.

The right way to get the best results isn’t to force employees to work a certain number of hours. It’s to have clear goals and strategies, and realistic, reasonable, and clear expectations of what employees should be doing.

Managers need to set actual projects that drive results. We waste so much time because there are so many bad managers. Rather than setting clear goals and strategies and defining success, many simply look at hours worked as the only metric that matters. Employees who work over the weekend (or at least respond to emails then) are often seen as the hardest workers, the most dedicated, even though their contribution to progress could be negligible. 2Employees who spend their time making sure peers and management know-how “hard” they are working are often the least productive employees of all.

It All Starts With Enlightened Companies

We don’t need the government to get involved in mandating the workweek. If the four-day workweek is better for employees, without effect on the company’s bottom line, the free market will take care of the rest. Through Impact Consumerism, customers can reward companies that prioritize their employee’s happiness.

Employees will gravitate toward companies with shorter workweeks, and over time, as companies compete for talented employees, they’ll have no choice but to reduce the length of the workweek.

Transitioning to a shorter schedule may seem like a daunting task, but it doesn’t have to be. All it takes is a few companies moving to a shorter workweek and remaining competitive and profitable. As those companies inevitably attract well-rounded, talented individuals, more and more companies will have no choice but to keep up.

It’s likely that even with more companies moving to shorter hours, not all sectors or regions will transition at the same time. In some sectors, a four-day workweek might not be possible. But employees will more than likely be compensated for the extra days. Perhaps, instead of more off days during the week, they would have an entire month off or something similar.

A Four-Day Workweek Can Transform Society for the Better

While it’s great that individuals and companies can benefit from the four-day workweek, at the macro level, the benefits of a four-day workweek accrue to society at large.

If more people are happy and fulfilled in their life, it leads to happier communities. People can spend more time with friends, family, neighbors, and in the community at large. They can support local businesses, attend local events, volunteer, etc.

With more meaning, fewer people may turn to drugs or alcohol to relieve the absence of meaning in their lives. Less depression, less crime, less homelessness, and improved mental health are just some of the positive outcomes of a four-day workweek.

More practically, fewer working hours should see a reduction in traffic and less environmental pollution. Commuters would save time and money while taking fewer trips to the workplace, leading to less fuel consumed across the country. Moreover, studies have already suggested that reducing active commuting times drastically improves air quality.

More free time to spend with family and friends can lead to better mental health and even improvements in physical health due to less stress caused by overworking.

Moving Forward As A Society

A four-day workweek can have pervasive societal benefits and should be a strategy we look at for improving society.

It offers numerous advantages for employees, employers, and society at large. Employees benefit from the flexibility to fit other commitments into their schedule, such as attending doctor appointments or caring for relatives. It also gives them a sense of autonomy and control that increases motivation and productivity.

For employers, a four-day system can decrease labor expenses without compromising quality. Furthermore, businesses may experience an increase in revenue due to improved employee performance and engagement levels.

By keeping workers healthy and happy through reduced hours, society at large can enjoy the associated positive outcomes such as fewer sick leaves and more resources dedicated towards leisure activities.

Clearly, most of us think we spend too much time in the office. If we can get people to have more time to devote to the things that are important to them, we should be able to craft a happier place.

We don’t have to make as much money, develop new technologies, or exploit resources as fast as we possibly can.

Where’s the fire?

Let’s just all take a time out, think about what’s important, and try to enjoy this journey we call life.

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