Julie Y. Cai
The four-day workweek has gained increasing traction over the past decade due to technological advancements, improved productivity and shifts in the labor market. The COVID-19 pandemic gave us a chance to reimagine the work-life balance, and we should continue on that path by truly considering the benefits of working four days.
It entails workers having the same workload and receiving the same pay and benefits.
Some say the four-day workweek is too radical of an idea, but growing evidence reveals myriad benefits to employees and employers. We should be taking the idea seriously.
In the last two years, 8 million Americans reported working part-time for non-business reasons, such as self-care, caretaking obligations for others or spending time with family. As companies and workers emerged from the pandemic-induced recession and telecommuting, employers and employees started to think seriously about what matters most to them in life.
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A shorter workweek would allow workers more freedom to use time at their discretion.
Within a workplace, each employee is at various stages in their life. Having the choice to reconsider their return to work by focusing more on productivity and finding the best combination of work time instead of duration of hours is vital.
Through a four-day workweek, workers would have more control over their work time, ultimately improving their well-being. Research suggests that work-time flexibility and schedule control positively affect one’s perceived job satisfaction and reduce work-family conflict.
Workers can choose which four days they wish to work, and the combination of four days could differ from week to week. This discretion on the four-day workweek allows workers the ability to maximize their well-being because they can be more responsive in adjusting a schedule that better fits family needs, such as child care emergencies.
A four-day workweek also could save commuting costs for many families. It would reduce the stress associated with frequent work-home transitions.
For employers, implementing a reduced workweek may improve their employees’ mental health, boost productivity and increase retention. Through a four-day workweek, employees may use that extra day to gain training, learn or rest.
According to the largest trial of a reduced workweek with no pay reduction that was implemented at British companies, about 90% of participating companies across various sectors noted they would continue with the four-day working arrangement. Among companies worldwide that switched to a reduced workweek without reducing pay, workers’ burnout decreased by about 70%, and it also reduced resignations, according to Boston College researchers.
Employee mental and physical health can improve -- without a loss in aggregate output.
Further, by minimizing unnecessary meetings and encouraging more independent work, managers can save on operational costs. One company with a four-day workweek saw a reduction in electricity consumption of 23%.
The extra day from work could have a positive effect on society, including for the climate. It could reduce the number of trips to work, which reduces carbon emissions from vehicles.
A shorter workweek might create more job opportunities.
How can we get there? Change is not easy. It will involve cultural and structural shifts in the long run. Despite the tremendous increase in productivity, it has been over three-quarters of a century since the Fair Labor Standard Act ensured overtime pay for time beyond a 40-hour workweek.
With the high rate of job turnover and a continued labor shortage in specific industries over the last two years, employers should consider a four-day workweek to recruit and retain workers.
Cai is an economist with the Center for Economic and Policy Research in Washington: InsideSources.com.
