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A four-day workweek is an arrangement where a workplace or place of education has its employees or students work or attend school, college or university over the course of four days per week rather than the more customary five. [1] This arrangement can be a part of flexible working hours, and is sometimes used to cut costs.
The four-day week movement has grown considerably in recent years, with increasing numbers of businesses and organisations around the world trialling and moving permanently to a four-day working week of around 32 hours, with no less pay for workers. Most of these businesses and organisations have involved white collar work, and found that a four-day week is a win-win for employees and employers, as trials have indicated that it leads to a better work-life balance, lower stress-levels, and increased productivity, mainly by eliminating wasted work time. An overwhelming majority of studies report that a four-day week leads to increased productivity and decreased stress, though experts question whether this arrangement is possible in blue collar work, where there may be little wasted time, or workers would be required to work faster to maintain the same productivity, potentially increasing stress levels and decreasing safety. [2] [3] [4]
The five-day workweek is a cultural norm; the result of early 1900s union advocacy to reduce the six-day workweek, which led to the invention of the weekend. In the early 20th century, when the average work week in developed nations was reduced from around 60 to 40 hours, it was expected that further decreases would occur over time. In 1930, economist John Maynard Keynes estimated that technological change and productivity improvements would make a 15-hour work week possible within a couple of generations. [5] Other notable people throughout history to predict continuing reductions in working hours include United States (US) Founding Father Benjamin Franklin, Karl Marx, British philosopher John Stuart Mill, and playwright George Bernard Shaw. In 1956, then US Vice President Richard Nixon promised Americans they would only have to work four days "in the not too distant future". [6]
Most advocates for a four-day working week argue for a fixed work schedule, resulting in shorter weeks (e.g. four 8-hour workdays for a total of 32 hours). [7] This follows the 100-80-100 model: 100% pay for 80% of the time, in exchange for a commitment to maintain at least 100% productivity. However, some companies have introduced a four-day week based on a compressed work schedule: [7] in the so-called "4/10 work week," the widely used 40 weekly work hours are distributed across four days instead of five, resulting in 10-hour workdays (hence "four-ten"). [8]
The 9/80 work schedule can be seen as an intermediate between a compressed 4 day week and a 5-day week: every 2 weeks, a 4-day work-week alternates with a 5-day work-week.
The resulting schedule may look different depending on the way the four-day week is implemented: in some variants, Friday becomes the permanent non-working day, giving employees three consecutive days off over the weekend; some workplaces split the day off among the staff, with half taking Monday off and the other half taking Friday off; sometimes the day off is added in the middle of the week such as a Wednesday, allowing for a mid-week break; and, in some cases the day off changes from week to week, depending on the company's current goals and workload.
Although it's not an actual implementation of the four-day week, some companies encourage their employees to spend a portion of the paid time on work-related experiments or personal projects. Google's "80/20 formula"—referring to the percentage of time spent on core and side projects, respectively—is an example of such policy. [9] [10]
According to the Marketplace radio program, the four day work week can be viewed as a white collar phenomenon. It has also been suggested that some blue collar jobs would see increased stress for workers if 100% of the five day productivity was expected in a four-day week. But advances in automation make the four day work week just as relevant for blue collar workers. [4]
The push towards implementing the four-day week has remained loosely relevant within the contemporary workplace due to the various possible benefits it may yield. Although mostly untested, these benefits mainly lie within increased cost-cutting, productivity, and work-life balance.
A study from the University of Massachusetts concluded that a four-day workweek would cut humanity's carbon footprint by nearly 30%. [11]
An increase in remote work during the COVID-19 pandemic led to an increase in the desire for flexible work arrangements. [12]
In 2022, not-for-profit advocacy group 4 Day Week Global launched a series of six-month trials for companies in:
and
Employees of participating companies will work one less day a week with no reduction in pay. The UK pilot is the world's largest trial of a four-day week to date.[ citation needed ]
Since the COVID-19 pandemic, several governments have proposed and launched four-day working week trials:
Prime Ministers Jacinda Ardern of New Zealand and Sanna Marin of Finland have each proposed a four-day workweek as a consideration. [20] [21]
Two trials in Iceland between 2015 and 2019 in which working hours were reduced to 35 hours a week without pay reduction for 2,500 workers resulted in "dramatically increased" well-being, and improved work-life balance and stress ratings from employees, measured by a range of indicators such as burnout and perceived stress. [22] Productivity also remained the same, or improved across the majority of all the workplaces, according to UK think tank Autonomy and the Icelandic Association for Sustainable Democracy. [23] While framed as a "four-day week", the trial was for reduced working hours, not necessarily compressed within four days, from 40 to 35 and 36 hours. [24] The study ran two large-scale trials and included more than 1% of Iceland's entire population. [25] The vast majority of the workplaces removed up to three hours from the week, not eight, as would be needed in a four-day week. Agreements to reduce work hours following the trial have led to a reduction of an hour or less. [26] Due to these factors, the study was perceived to be an "overwhelming success", with 86% of the population working in wage labour later receiving permanent reductions in time spent at work through negotiations. [27] [28] [29]
In New Zealand, trust company Perpetual Guardian announced in February 2018 that it would begin trialing a four-day work week in March 2018. [30] The six-week trial, initiated by founder Andrew Barnes, saw the company's 240-plus staff nominating a day off each week whilst still receiving full pay. [31] The trial, held in March and April 2018, attracted international media attention. [32] [33] [34] [35] [36] In late March 2018, Barnes noted that the trial was going well with staff reporting more time for their families, hobbies, completing their to-do lists and doing home maintenance. [37] [38] [39] [40]
The trial, which was tracked and assessed by the University of Auckland Business School and Auckland University of Technology, [41] [42] [43] was described as a success [44] and "a total win-win". [45] [46] Perpetual Guardian then extended the four-day work week scheme permanently. [47] [48] The trial saw increased productivity, [49] customer engagement levels, [50] and staff engagement; [51] reduced staff stress levels; [52] and improved work–life balance. [53] [54] [55] The company's revenue remained stable while costs went down, due to less power being used throughout the period.
The trial sparked publicity both in New Zealand [41] [56] [57] [58] and internationally. [59] [60] [61] [62] [63] [64] New Zealand workplace relations minister Iain Lees-Galloway said the trial was "fascinating". [65]
The initiative was held up by Barnes as a way of helping to close the gender pay gap and increase diversity in the workforce. [66] [67] Barnes also held the scheme up as a potential blueprint for the workplace of the future, ensuring companies were attractive to millennials [68] and easing Auckland's traffic congestion. [69]
However, while four-day work weeks were deemed a success for most, not everyone involved within the Perpetual Guardian trial was able to adapt, with some reporting feeling increased pressure to complete work within a shorter time frame, particularly around deadlines. [70]
Microsoft Japan conducted a trial four-day work week in summer 2019, granting workers paid leave on Fridays. At the same time it cut the length of most meetings from a full hour to half an hour, and capped attendance at five employees. For the duration of the trial, the company reported a 23% reduction in electricity costs. [71] Sales per employee increased 40% during the last year's same period. [72]
In 2023, Valencia, Spain, implemented a pilot program scheduling local holidays on four consecutive Mondays, resulting in a four-day workweek for 360,000 workers. This initiative, designed by the left-wing Compromis coalition, showed notable health benefits, including reduced stress and improved air quality due to decreased vehicle emissions. Participants developed healthier habits, although there was an increase in tobacco and alcohol use. The program also positively impacted children's well-being through improved parental work-life balance. Hospitality and tourism saw increased activity, while retail experienced a decline in sales. [73]
As of July 2022, more than 80 UK companies and organisations are recognised as having permanently implemented a four-day working week of fewer than 35 hours, with most doing fewer than 32 hours. [74] [14] These include: the consultancy Think Productive, which has been doing a four-day week since 2011; [75] [15] Plymouth-based Portcullis Legals, which has highlighted improvement with productivity and stress levels among staff, whilst providing higher levels of satisfaction amongst its clients;[ citation needed ] Cornwall-based accountancy firm Whyfield; Bristol and Devon-based Barefoot Architects; [76] gaming studio Big Potato Games; [77] Atom Bank, [78] Leeds-based recruitment agency Charlton Morris; [79] Suffolk-based manufacturing company CMG Technologies, which has been doing a four-day week since 2015; [80] Dorset-based Gungho Marketing; Southampton-based engineering firm Highfield Professional Solutions; and, Edinburgh-based Vault City Brewing. [81]
Of the 73 enterprises in the study, 41 firms answered to a survey midway through the plan. Nearly 86% of those polled stated they would continue to follow the four-day workweek guideline when the experiment is over. [3] According to 4 Day Week, employees experienced decreased childcare and commute expenditures, which resulted in an average annual savings of £3,232.40, or around £269.36 per month, for a parent with two children. [14] [82] [16] [83] As 50% of workers claim improved productivity during the period, the Manufacturing Technology Centre (MTC) announces it will permanently provide a four-day workweek to its 820 employees (although with 36 hours instead of 48). [84] According to Loughborough University, which undertook an external study, the staff's reaction was "overwhelmingly favourable," and for more recent hires, the policies were one of the primary draws. According to survey results, maintaining a "work-life balance" was important to respondents. [84] However, some companies in the scheme found the move to reduced hours "trickier". [85] [86]
A first for a UK local body, South Cambridgeshire District Council (SCDC) opted to proceed with the experiment of a four-day workweek (30-hour workweek) for roughly 470 desk-based employees. Staff will receive the same full-time compensation during the trial, which will last three months starting in January 2023. The decision, according to council leader Bridget Smith, will improve employee welfare. [87] Joe Ryle, director of the 4 Day Week Campaign, said: "The decision by South Cambridgeshire District Council to outline plans to become the first ever UK local authority to trial a four-day week is historic and should be applauded." [87] However, Anthony Browne, South Cambridgeshire MP, criticised the move, accusing the SCDC of "charging the taxpayer for the privilege". [88] The district council had planned extend its trial until April 2024 but in June 2023 local government minister, Lee Rowle, ordered that the council the end the trial because it was not permitted under the Local Government Act. [89] In the face of opposition from Conservative ministers, backed by the TaxPayers' Alliance, shorter hours are to be introduced in neighbouring Cambridge city council, and eight other English councils are said to be considering testing shorter working weeks. Glasgow city council was monitoring the pilot programmes and described the four-day working week as "an aspirational position". [90]
Regarding the 4 Day Week Global trial organised by think-tank Autonomy and researchers at Boston College and the universities of Cambridge and Oxford, the trial involved 61 companies and almost 3,000 workers [91] The trial's findings suggest that more than nine out of 10 companies that adopted a four-day working week in the UK will continue to use the more flexible way of operating. [92] Specifically, 18 firms decided to maintain the four-day working week on a permanent basis, and 38 others will continue with the trial. [93] Over the trial period, revenue at participating companies rose on average more than a third compared with the same time in 2021, and the number of staff leaving companies fell significantly. [94]
The 4 days workweek was discussed in House of Lords on 5 September 2022 when Baroness Bennett of Manor Castle questioned if the government is considering the measure especially after Jacob Rees-Mogg announced a crack down on flexitime. Lord Callanan emphasised that government is assessing the measure. [95] According to Peter Dowd, Labour MP for Bootle in Merseyside, cutting the number of hours worked each week to 32 would provide "every British worker the chance of moving to a four-day week." Dowd stated: "I am introducing this legislation because we're long overdue a shorter working week". [85] The bill to mandate 4 days workweek was debated in the House of Commons on October 18, 2022. [96] [97] Before it can become law, it must successfully pass through a number of phases. [98]
In September 2023 the Scottish government announced the trial of a four-day working week by the end of 2023. [99]
In 2008, employees of the Utah state government all began working ten-hour days from Monday to Thursday. [1] [100] By closing state government offices on Fridays, the state expected to save on operating costs such as electricity, heat, air conditioning, and gasoline for state-owned vehicles. [100] Utah ended this practice however, in 2011, with the Utah Legislature overriding Governor Gary Herbert's veto of five-day work week legislation. [101] Many local governments have had alternative schedules for many years. [102] [103] [104]
Due to budgetary problems, public schools in Hawaii closed on 17 Fridays in 2010. [105] In 2002, it was reported that over 100 school districts in rural areas in the United States have changed the school week to a four-day week; most also extended each school day by an hour or more. [106] [107] The changes were often made in order to save money on transportation, heating, and substitute teachers. [106]
According to a 2021 study, which examined four-day school weeks in Oregon, the switch to four-day school weeks led to lower test scores in reading and math. [108]
In January 2022, D'Youville College announced a transition to a 4-day, 32-hour work week for all staff and administration without any change to employees pay or benefits. [109] The employees were previously working 37.5 hours per week. [109] This initiative was a follow-up to a pilot program in 2020 which received positive feedback from employees. [110] The program is described as a 6-month trial. [111]
In The Gambia, a four-day work week was introduced for public officials by president Yahya Jammeh, effective February 1, 2013. Working hours were limited to Monday through Thursday, 08:00 to 18:00, with Friday designated as a day of rest to allow residents more time for prayer and agriculture. This regulation was abolished in early 2017 by his successor, president Adama Barrow, who decreed a half-day of work on Fridays. [112]
Karoshi, which can be translated into "overwork death", is a Japanese term relating to occupation-related sudden death.
Remote work is the practice of working at or from one's home or another space rather than from an office.
The 35-hour workweek is a labour reform policy adopted in France in February 2000, under Prime Minister Lionel Jospin's Plural Left government. Promoted by Minister of Labour Martine Aubry, it was adopted in two phases: the Aubry 1 law in June 1998 and the Aubry 2 law in January 2000. The previous legal working week was 39 hours, established by President François Mitterrand, also a member of the Socialist Party. The 35-hour working week had been on the Socialist Party's 1981 electoral program, titled 110 Propositions for France, but was not pursued because of the poor state of the economy.
Working time or laboring time is the period of time that a person spends at paid labor. Unpaid labor such as personal housework or caring for children or pets is not considered part of the working week.
Flextime is a flexible hours schedule that allows workers to alter their workday and adjust their start and finish times. In contrast to traditional work arrangements that require employees to work a standard 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. day, Flextime typically involves a "core" period of the day during which employees are required to be at work, and a "bandwidth" period within which all required hours must be worked. The working day outside of the core period is "flexible time", in which employees can choose when they work, subject to achieving total daily, weekly or monthly hours within the bandwidth period set by employers, and subject to the necessary work being done. The total working time required of employees on an approved Flextime schedule is much the same as those who work under traditional work schedule regimes.
A part-time job is a form of employment that carries fewer hours per week than a full-time job. Workers are commonly considered to be part-time if they work fewer than 30 hours per week. Their hours of work may be organised in shifts. The shifts are often rotational.
A full-time job is employment in which workers work a minimum number of hours defined as such by their employer.
The weekdays and weekend are the complementary parts of the week devoted to labour and rest, respectively. The legal weekdays, or workweek, is the part of the seven-day week devoted to working. In most of the world, the workweek is from Monday to Friday and the weekend is Saturday and Sunday. A weekday or workday is any day of the working week. Other institutions often follow this pattern, such as places of education. The constituted weekend has varying definitions, based on determined calendar days, designated period of time, and/or regional definition of the working week. Sometimes the term "weekend" is expanded to include the time after work hours on the last workday of the week. Weekdays and workdays can be further detailed in terms of working time, the period of time that an individual spends at paid occupational labor.
The eight-hour day movement was a social movement to regulate the length of a working day, preventing excesses and abuses of working time.
Shipley Do-Nuts is an American doughnut company and coffeehouse chain with more than 300 franchised stores in the Southern United States, including Texas, Oklahoma, Louisiana, Arkansas, Tennessee, Mississippi, Florida, Alabama, and as of 2018, Colorado. Its headquarters are located in Northside, Houston, Texas.
Many both in and outside Japan share an image of the Japanese work environment that is based on a "simultaneous recruiting of new graduates" and "lifetime-employment" model used by large companies as well as a reputation of long work-hours and strong devotion to one's company. This environment is said to reflect economic conditions beginning in the 1920s, when major corporations competing in the international marketplace began to accrue the same prestige that had traditionally been ascribed to the daimyō–retainer relationship of feudal Japan or government service in the Meiji Restoration.
Microsoft Japan Co., Ltd. is a Japanese subsidiary of Microsoft headquartered in Minato, Tokyo. It develops both hardware and software technologies for consumers and business partners.
Work–life balance in the United States is having enough time for work and enough time to have a personal life in the United States. Related, though broader, terms include lifestyle balance and life balance. The most important thing in work and life is the personal ability to demonstrate and meet the needs of work and personal life in order to achieve goals. People should learn to deal with role engagement management, role conflict management and managing life needs to achieve balance. Balance is about how to properly achieve the desired work and life satisfaction and needs in a conflict situation.
Chris Bailey is a Canadian writer and productivity consultant, and the author of The Productivity Project (2016), Hyperfocus (2018) and How to Calm Your Mind (2022).
Andrew Howard Barnes is a New Zealand-based entrepreneur and philanthropist who founded New Zealand's largest corporate trustee company, Perpetual Guardian, and spearheaded the trust company's efforts to create four-day working weeks.
Bullshit Jobs: A Theory is a 2018 book by anthropologist David Graeber that postulates the existence of meaningless jobs and analyzes their societal harm. He contends that over half of societal work is pointless and becomes psychologically destructive when paired with a work ethic that associates work with self-worth. Graeber describes five types of meaningless jobs, in which workers pretend their role is not as pointless or harmful as they know it to be: flunkies, goons, duct tapers, box tickers, and taskmasters. He argues that the association of labor with virtuous suffering is recent in human history and proposes unions and universal basic income as a potential solution.
The 996 working hour system is a work schedule practiced illegally by many companies in China. It derives its name from its requirement that employees work from 9:00 am to 9:00 pm, 6 days per week; i.e. 72 hours per week, 12 hours per day. A number of Mainland Chinese internet companies have adopted this system as their official work schedule. Critics argue that the 996 working hour system is a violation of the Labour Law of the People's Republic of China and have called it "modern slavery".
The six-hour day is a schedule by which the employees or other members of an institution spend six hours contributing. This is in contrast to the widespread eight-hour day, or any other time arrangement. It has also been proposed as a better alternative to the four-day week, another proposed way to reduce working time.
In the video game industry, crunch is compulsory overtime during the development of a game. Crunch is common in the industry and can lead to work weeks of 65–80 hours for extended periods of time, often uncompensated beyond the normal working hours. It is often used as a way to cut the costs of game development, a labor-intensive endeavour. However, it leads to negative health impacts for game developers and a decrease in the quality of their work, which drives developers out of the industry temporarily or permanently. Critics of crunch note how it has become normalized within the game-development industry, to deleterious effects for all involved. A lack of unionization on the part of game developers has often been suggested as the reason crunch exists. Organizations such as Game Workers Unite aim to fight against crunch by forcing studios to honour game developers' labor rights.
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