Go home, buddy.
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Image Christopher Furlong/Getty
Go home, buddy.
Image Christopher Furlong/Getty
Welcome to the new NPR series, where we highlight the people and things that are making headlines – and the stories behind them.
It just keeps popping up, doesn’t it? The concept of an extended weekend without a pay cut. Theoretically, it’s so compelling that we as a society refuse to let it go.
But it begins to look like the mirage of an oasis in the desert. We’re desperate for some relief, but it always seems only out of reach…
What is it? Four-day work week. There’s been some research in recent years looking at this, but are we seeing it in mass?
- For some, it’s here now. A pilot program in the UK tried it at dozens of companies. And the results were so good, most of the participating companies said they would stick with it.
- This concept is based on the idea that most jobs with a 40-hour workweek can complete the same amount of work in 32 days (or at least four 10-hour workdays).
- As work itself evolves at breakneck speed (today our colleagues are literally robots), the Monday-Friday model seems pretty outdated to many people.
- The UK study also found a long list of benefits associated with cutting: 46% of employees said they were less tired; three out of five say it’s easier to balance work and family. Sounds pretty good, doesn’t it?
What is the big problem? Well, the idea seems to be gaining momentum – at least in some circles.
- A study by Ernst & Young in 2022 on the “future of work” surveyed more than 500 US C-suites and business leaders across a variety of industries and found that 40% have started using the four-day workweek or are in the process of doing so. .
- Buuuut it’s not that simple.
- A 2021 study in New Zealand found that after switching to a four-day workweek, work intensified – as did the pressure around performance management.
- And some experts have noted that employees were able to having trouble disconnectingso they questioned whether a week of four directions would help.
- Then there are the questions of equality. Some noted that ideas are most dominant in white-collar and tech work. And the idea of a fixed 40-hour workweek may even seem like a luxury to those with longer hours, staying up late or unpredictable schedules.
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Job. Job. Job.
Olivier Douliery/AFP via Getty Images
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Olivier Douliery/AFP via Getty Images
Job. Job. Job.
Olivier Douliery/AFP via Getty Images
What are people saying?
David Frayne, a research associate at the University of Cambridge who worked on the recent UK trial, said the sign is positive:
“We feel really encouraged by the results, which show the many ways companies have turned the four-day week from a dream into a reality, with many benefits… We think there’s a lot here that should prompt other companies and industries to try it.”
Simon Ursell, chief executive officer of an environmental consulting firm that participated in the trial, told NPR that the company had made the four-day work week permanent. But he says that reimagining the traditional work structure shouldn’t stop at this one idea:
“I think testing has proven that working in the way that works best for your organization to hit the best productivity sweet spot at the time, that’s what you have to aim for. It’s not necessarily just that. four days. I think the real question for me is what’s the best thing for your organization? What will you get the best results for?”
Lindsay Tjepkema, CEO of a marketing technology company called Casted, told NPR last year that she doesn’t believe that having an extra day off is the relief people crave.
“Real flexibility is being able to say, ‘Hey, I want to start the workday late’ or ‘I want to leave work early on Wednesday for kids, for friends, for personal reasons. , for pet reasons, so if I insist on that flexibility at our company means you have Fridays off, that’s not flexibility. a day.”
Is a four-day week an option in every industry?
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So what now? The idea won’t go away.
- In Maryland, a group of legislators just introduced proposed legislation for a four-day workweek. If passed, participating businesses may be eligible for tax credits.
- Talk about pandemic disruption a bit here, but the timing of this conversation may ultimately be right. Forced to let employees work remotely, many managers find that they can trust employees to manage their time, meet deadlines and expectations, and adapt quickly to an informal office structure. traditional.
- Also, give the planet a thought here: fewer workdays mean fewer cars on the commute and lower utility bills. Anything that reduces carbon emissions amid the climate chaos of 2023 would work for me.
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