The pandemic completely shook up how we work. I know people who had been working from home before lockdown, but many companies and workers had to figure out new ways of working remotely, and fast. And largely we did, much to the chagrin of Malcolm Gladwell and Martha Stewart. Now that we’ve lived through having to reformat the work landscape by necessity, there are those who say it’s time to rethink other parts of the system. Like Dale Whelehan, CEO of 4 Day Week Global, whose firm advocates for switching to a four-day workweek, and coaches other companies on how to make the transition. Australia, Europe, and Japan have already started trying it out, and even in the US the number of full-time employees working four-day weeks rose from 5% in 2020 to 8% in 2022, according to Gallup. Whelehan recently spoke to The Associated Press about the 411 of four-day workweeks:
Why should companies make the switch? The bigger question is, why shouldn’t they? There’s a lot of evidence to suggest we need to do something fundamentally different in the way we work. We have issues of burnout. We have a recruitment and retention crisis in many industries. We have increased stress within our workforce, leading to health issues, issues with work-life balance, work-family conflict. We have people sitting in cars for long periods, contributing to a climate crisis. We have certain parts of the population that are able to work longer hours and therefore be rewarded for that, creating further inequity within our societies. Lastly, we look at the implications that stress actually has on long-term health. We know that it’s linked to issues like cardiovascular disease, to cancer, to diabetes. So stress is something not to be taken lightly, and it’s only rising in our world of work.
Industrialization of the workforce brought about the 40-hour workweek: And management, led by Frederick Taylor, was looking at the relationship between fatigue and performance. A lot of scientific studies were done to try to understand that relationship, leading to the need for a five-day week as opposed to a six-day week. By the time I entered into the workforce, we no longer had a very physical, laborious workforce. It’s highly cognitive and highly emotional. The fundamental physiological difference is that our brain as a muscle can’t withstand the same level of hours of work as our muscles in our body might be able to. So it’s that mismatch between an outdated work structure of 40 hours, rooted in very physical labor, and what is now a highly cognitive workforce.
How does all the work still get done? The reduction of working time brings about productivity gains by people having naturally more time to rest and recover, allowing them to come back into a new week more engaged and well-rested. That’s one way in which you see productivity gains. … When we work with organizations, we use what’s called a 100-80-100 principle. So 100% pay for 80% time for 100% output. We ask organizations to design their trials in that sort of philosophy: How can you keep your business at the same level or improve while working less? The fundamental change we see is, let’s move away from thinking about productivity as how much time it takes to get something done, versus focusing on what outcomes we know drive businesses forward.
This is everything my elementary school-aged self ever dreamed of. Don’t get me wrong, I enjoyed school. But there was no denying the profound difference between a two-day and three-day weekend. Right now my day job insists requires that I be in the office four days, and then I work from home on the fifth day. Which is not the same thing as Whelehan is proposing! I need a new day job, but I digress… I found the backstory on how we got to the 40-hour week fascinating, as well as Whelehan’s assertion that our brains cannot work a 40-week the same way our bodies used to. You mean it’s not just the brain fog from overeating at lunch?! I love science! I highly recommend reading the whole piece — Whelehan also describes how the four-day week supports women in the workforce (who are often only paid part-time wages for still doing the same amount of work as their full-time colleagues), and he suggests that the biggest office time-sucks are meetings. Amen. I wonder if I can schedule a meeting for him to speak with my boss…
Photos via Instagram and credit: Christina @ wocintechchat.com on Unsplash
WFH and 4 day ww would work for many people.
Biz are going to need to make these employment options standard.
Past time for the 1% to wake up and realize they have to change they way they treat the employees.
Fair enough, but it’s a very specific subset of professions and operations that can offer this. If you are in any kind of service industry – not just hospitality but professional services – you have customers and clients who require full coverage. You can’t tell a client that you won’t meet their deadline because your staff (or even the one key member) is off Wednesdays. You won’t have those clients anymore. Your 4 days will turn to 0. And to be clear, this isn’t the 1% – it’s the 5 person design studios, or the 2 person law office, or the majority of the other US businesses.
They could hire more staff for coverage to rotate who is in and out, but companies seem to prefer being understaffed.
Not really. You can’t conflate large corporations with small, single-owner businesses. The majority of the businesses in this country are small- to mid- size. If you think those business owners are all sitting bank counting coins while their employees toil away, you’re mistaken. Some are, no doubt, but certainly a minority share. Most business owners I know are the hardest workers in the lot, as the responsibility to keep the business going and keep those people employed is on them. Nobody “prefers to be understaffed”. In fact, most would love the luxury to be able to afford another body to lighten the load.
Exactly why so many employers don’t want to support the four day ww: they know that they’ll have to hire more people to fill in the gaps.
Exactly, Molly. I have my own business and would love to be sitting on a huge bank account rolling around in gold coins like Scrooge McDuck, but it’s not happening. My husband and I work our asses off 10 hours a day five days a week, often times seven days a week. People assume that just because someone has a business they have all the money in the world to hire a lot of people. I would love to hire more staff and work less, but I don’t see that happening any time soon.
When people discuss remote/hybrid/4 day week of working or , I assume they’re talking about large companies, or even government offices, who can afford to hire more staff, but choose not for whatever reason (i.e making their budgets look good?). Then you wind up with a scenario where there isn’t enough staff to cover someone going on maternity leave or older people who have seniority and can take much longer vacations. Other staff get burned out trying to fulfill the coverage.
I wouldn’t put a mandated expectation of remote/hybrid/4 day week of working on smaller businesses. The reasons for working for a small business are likely different than someone choosing to work for a corporation. Perhaps closer connections are a benefit and some people prefer to take that benefit over some other advantage like remote working. Depends on what you want.
I do also think people will choose accordingly, depending on what’s available. If someone prefers remote working and can get that option at a certain organization (for example, a tech company), I think they will go of their way to apply to those places and choose that option. Conversely, if someone prefers working in-person they’ll choose to apply to those organizations and pick that option as well.
If someone works in a restaurant, obviously a whole bunch of other variables apply and they work in accordance with a completely different lifestyle than office workers.
However, when given options, I think people are going to choose what they want and go for it. When people discuss options like a 4 day work week or remote working, I don’t think they’re talking about applying these options across the board wholesale to industries where these options wouldn’t be feasible. My guess is they’re talking about companies like Tesla — a random example I’ve chosen because I always see a headline about Elon Musk wanting to bring people back to the office –who have the ability to provide alternative arrangements but seem stuck on bringing everyone in to in-person work, even though one of the reasons you’d choose to work for that type of company is the possibility of more options (including more money).
If those people are all working 4 days a week as well, there will be far fewer people demanding things on that 5th day. A lot of those people “wanting things” on the 5th day are also just working for someone else.
Just like people get through Sundays without the economy collapsing.
You’re assuming everyone is taking the same 5th day. This just is not the way it works. There are so many external factors. It’s a great idea and congrats to those who can take advantage, but it’s simplistic and unreasonable and uninformed to slag off businesses that cannot feasibly operate that way. And the whole “working for someone else” thing: Every single person can, if they are so driven, try to start their own business or find some way to be self employed. You have to be willing to take on all the associated risks, financial responsibilities, emotional responsibilities of keeping your staff employed (despite a lot of the comments here, most business owners care a great deal about their employees), and the pressure of daily operations and crazy political and financial market impact on their business. For a lot of people, they’re much happier being the employee and leaving it at work every day. If you resent working for someone else, have at it yourself. Signed, 36 year business owner (who brings in lunch every.day. for staff, gives ample vacation time, unlimited sick time – if you’re sick, stay home – and has some employees that have been there since day 1.)
I’m on my 3rd career now, but everything I’ve ever done has been goal-oriented rather than task oriented and with teams comprising specific talents that aren’t interchangeable. It’s the same now that I’m doing freelance work – there’s a specific contract, there’s a delivery date and I work until it’s done.
I would LOVE a 4 day week, but that’s the problem with my job. We’re professional design services, and as it is we have clients who want to meet on weekends (we always say no, my boss used to but after the pandemic was like f it, not doing that anymore) and our whole business model is based on 40 hour work weeks for billing, we work hourly, not fixed fee.
We could do 4 10-hour days, but that’s tough, especially on those with kids needing child care, or people with other obligations outside of work.
Someday I may go out on my own and work a shorter schedule, but right now it’s not feasible. For those who can do it, it’s great though!
I’m with the advocate.
Our town hall was the first big government entity in the country to try a 4 day work week, and they never looked back.
Work has become more efficient, they say, people are less likely to go on extended tea-breaks to chat with colleagues, just to get a breather outside of the regular lunch hour and union-mandated breaks, and they all enjoy their 3 days off.
They have now adapted some kind of rolling system, where the 3 days off are not fixed, and not always Fr-Sun, or Sat-Mon — but again it was negotiated by the staff association and the mayor’s office.
And is it still an 8hr work day, or is it 10? So everybody’s getting by on less pay, and they’re good with that? I prefer a 40hr paycheck to a 32hr paycheck, as I’m guessing most people would.
Only just saw this now.
The workweek here in those types of office jobs has been 35 hours for quite a few years, and it stayed the same for four days, same pay and benefits too, so it’s doable.
And these kinds of jobs have monthly salaries, not hourly, so they effectively got a raise when the hours went down from 37.5 to 35.
My children’s high school did 4 day weeks from February through May, the kids loved it. Now my youngest works a job that is 4 days a week with three off. It works great for him. I love that it’s an option for him. I know he’s more productive and doesn’t complain about this job.
An extra day is amazing whether it’s consecutive or in the middle. I currently use my CTO to take an extra day off.
https://www.npr.org/2023/09/11/1198394085/uaw-big-3-automakers-4-day-work-week-shawn-fain-detroit
I certainly can attest to a 4 day work week being more productive. I had this and it was amazing what you were able to accomplish in 4 days verses 5. This was an option and most folks with families took advantage of it.
This is fine, but just one piece of the puzzle. Retention, stress, work-life balance and productivity also depend on good management. Four days with a bad boss is only slightly better than 5 days with a bad boss. And I don’t understand the part about the inequity of some people being able to work longer hours. If people want to work longer hours and are able to, why shouldn’t they get paid for that. Is this person saying nobody should be allowed to work more?
This SO needs to happen. I know Sanders has been advocating for a 32 hr ww for a hot minute now and has a bill for it. https://www.sanders.senate.gov/wp-content/uploads/32-Hour-Workweek-Act_Fact-Sheet_FINAL.pdf
77% of Americans support it but employers and the millionaires will tell you that it will hurt the economy–despite all evidence to the contrary.
I’ve gotten this far through the comments & I still do not understand the $$ issue. 32hrs a week is great, but I’d rather have a 40hr paycheck than a 32hr paycheck. I’m an adult with all the expenses an adult generally has–rent, food, gas & other car-related stuff, utilities & so on. And I’m supposed to do that on 20% less pay? I make an hourly wage–always have–and work for the government. Congress sure as heck isn’t going to increase our pay by 20% so that we can continue to live our regular lives on 20% less work. They b*tch & moan every year over giving us a 1.5% COLA.
The $$ issue is that the 4 day is meant to be paid at the 5 day rate. No one is talking about reduced pay – just reduced time.
I never was happier during the pandemic doing WFH. I feel some had to justify the salaries of middle managers, some of which do very little, why some have pushed for back to office plus the costly office space. There should be flexible work schedules if you are forcing back to office, so that not everyone is stuck in a bloody commute would help. I know of two people who do 4 day work weeks now and they LOVE it. I think the pandemic should have taught all of us that one way to work is not the only answer.
I’m allowed to work 4 from home, 1 day at this office, and I love it. Actually, it’s based on a two-week pay period, so you’re required to be in the office two days a pay period & you can do both in one week or however you want it. There’s nothing magical about working in an office. A lot of people go on & on about ‘face time’ being so important, but the reality is, there’s a LOT of wasted time at the office, lots of shooting the sh*t, dealing with printer problems, having to listen to other people’s teleconferences & etc.
@BeanieBean I feel like there is SO much wasted time in an office setting—talking about last night’s season finale episode of such and such TV show, gossiping about celebrities, coworkers grilling one another about their love lives, illnesses, breakups, children, etc, not to mention I always felt MORE compelled to surf the web at work for some reason, but less so when I work from home.
Since having kids I work 4 days a week. I’m a public servant and the organisation’s structure allows it.
I don’t miss work as much as before as I do all appointments on that day off.
My workload and paycheck are 80% of what they use to be, but I oddly don’t feel the full 20% loss. I save some money by doing things myself instead of outsourcing it (cleaning, cooking, gardening my own food).
I’ll change job if I have to go back to 5 days a week!
My first full time job, I worked 4-10s for 3 years. It was fantastic. Got used to the 10hr shift after about a week, so it didn’t feel like -ugh, 2 more hours?!- every day. I had a day off to do my errands, and then 2 days for whatever! Ideally, haha. More like 2.5 days of errands, but whatever.
Next job was 8-10s, 6 days off. Remote location.
Early 30s, finally had a “normal” 5 day, 8hr schedule, it totally started wearing me out. Doing office work. Versus both those other jobs being fairly physically demanding. Just having 2 days off was quite a difference. Never able to “catch up” for the week. More stressed out being in the office more days. And I loved all those jobs and had good to great bosses.
Anywayyyy I guess this man is talking about 4-8s. So 32 hours. Which does sound better for humans. Instead of businesses.
I am an American living in Canada and most people who work full-time work 36-37.5 hour per week and it is considered fulltime, not 40.
I have friends that own a small business. Mom and pop style organization. They employ maybe 4/5 part-time employees. Yes they would gladly hire more people except here in New York State anyway for each person you hire You’re not just paying their wage. You are paying their unemployment and workman’s comp and other taxes so that the wage is the least of your expenses. Not everybody that owns their own business is Mr Scrooge. I’m myself worked a labor intensive job in a supermarket and we tried the four day work week 10 hours a day. Was just too long a day with that much labor intensity.
THANK YOU.
That would be tough to be on your feet 10 hrs a day, hats off to you. When I worked 4/10s, a good chunk of time was spent driving to our work location (federal archaeologist here, and national forests are way the heck out in the middle of nowhere). That made it bearable, the long drive (e.g., 0.5-1.5 hrs, each way).
A lot of people in my line of work 4days/week, but it’s 4/10s. I myself have worked 4/10s, which is easy enough to do when you do fieldwork (archaeology), but I find it too much to sit that long in an office. I don’t even want a 10hr day while working from home. And I’m willing to bet, here in the States, when people talk about a 4day workweek, they mean 4/10s.
I would love this. I’m 53 years old, and physically, I have lots of energy — but I’m really starting to notice that my brain is pretty much done by the end of day 4. Most Fridays, I’m only capable of things like catching up on missed emails, planning for the next week, doing some work-related reading. A big part of my role is reviewing written deliverables — and I recently asked my team members not to send me something to review on a Friday, because it just won’t happen. I simply don’t have the brain space, and the sharp attention to detail, for it that I have after a weekend of rest. In some ways, Fridays are pointless because I do so little of any real consequence — I could easily squeeze what I do on Fridays into the other 4 days, and get paid the same amount for fewer hours of work.
Maybe I’m naive but I think this could work. 4 day at 8 hours at the same pay. Across industries. The main thing that would need to change would be our expectations as a society. We can’t expect retail stores or restaurants to be open 6 or 7 days a week.
In Switzerland many stores are closed on Sundays, including supermarkets. This means everyone plans with that closure in mind. We can definitely do this in America. We just have to be okay with more downtime. So at my software company, instead of a release that takes 4 months, be okay with 6 months.
I bet most people would rather adjust to a slower pace than deal with burnout and chronic stress. All of that leads to unhealthy lifestyles and disease.