The idea behind a 4-day workweek is to be more productive, work less, and have more free time. This method has shown to be a valuable schedule change that promotes employee productivity and happiness while increasing company revenue.
If you had to guess, out of the eight hours you spend working each day, how many hours do you spend productively?
According to a study by Vouchercloud, the average answer is two hours and fifty-three minutes. Because we are conditioned to focus on time spent (productively or otherwise) instead of output, we often distract ourselves with other things instead of focusing on finishing one task in a timely manner.
Think of Parkinson’s Law: Work expands to fill the time allotted for its completion.
Belgium, Iceland, Scotland, and Japan are a few of the countries that are experimenting with the 4-day workweek. For many of these countries, the results have been successful. Employees are committed to working fewer hours, more productively, for the same pay.
A study by Qualtrics shows that 92% of employees would support their employer’s choice to implement a 4-day workweek.
If implemented correctly, all teams, in-office, hybrid, and remote, can benefit from a 4-day workweek.
What Is A 4-Day Workweek?
A 4-day workweek is precisely what it sounds like. Instead of working the traditional five days a week, you work four days a week. The goal is to achieve the same amount of work in fewer hours. In most cases, salaries stay the same, and productivity and happiness levels increase. A recent Zippia case study about 4-day workweeks showed that:
- Productivity increased by 20%
- Employee stress levels decreased by 27%
- In-office workplace electricity bills decreased by 20%
- In-office company’s carbon footprints decreased by 17.2%
- Company revenue increased by 34%
How Did The Traditional 5-day Workweek Originate?
The 40-hour workweek of eight hours a day, five days a week, is becoming archaic. It was introduced nearly 100 years ago by Henry Ford of Ford Motors. Ford implemented this method after realizing that having his employees work 48 hours a week barely increased productivity.
Men made up 80.7% of the workforce at this time, and it was less common to have a two-income household. Nowadays, 61% of married couples with children work full-time jobs, leaving less time for family bonding and more people searching for childcare.
Advantages Of A 4-Day Workweek
A 4-day workweek can benefit everyone involved- employees, managers, CEOs, etc. Without trying to stuff all your plans into two days, you have three days to be productive, relax, and practice a new or old skill that brings you joy. It’s a great way to counterbalance the dreaded feeling of burnout.
From a managerial standpoint, a 4-day workweek:
- Is more attractive to top talent
- Increases employee retention
- Gives employees a weekday off, meaning they are less likely to use personal days for doctor visits or other weekday tasks
- Improves company culture and morale
- Provides a better work/life balance
- Reduces business expenses
Disadvantages Of A 4-Day Workweek
While there are many benefits to transitioning to this new schedule, there are a few possible drawbacks too. Consider the following:
- If you close the office (in-person or remote) for an extra day, your clients or customers may not be able to receive support when they need it
- You’ll need to work out a lot of details with HR
- You may need to retrain employees to focus on their output instead of time spent on projects
- Depending on productivity levels, you may need to hire a few extra employees
7 Questions To Consider Before Implementing A 4-Day Workweek For Your Remote Team
- Will employee salaries stay the same?
- Will working hours be extended?
- Will current benefits and PTO contracts remain the same?
- Which day of the week will the company be closed? Or will you stagger the days off, allowing some employees to be off on Mondays and others on Fridays?
- Will a shorter workweek negatively cut into meetings and employee bonding time?
- Will you need to hire additional employees?
- Do your employees value this idea?
How To Implement A 4-Day Workweek At Your Remote Company
Before anything else, ask yourself why you’re considering this idea. Do you want to improve employee satisfaction, attract new talent, or increase productivity? Write your answer down. Be clear and genuine about why you think this is the best choice.
Call A Meeting With Team Leaders
Ask them their opinion of a 4-day workweek. Ask if they have any concerns. Discuss how they would manage their teams differently and streamline proficiency during the 4-day workweek.
Give them time to gather data, including employees’ opinions, how the change would affect clients, and which day is least productive. Keep in mind that some employees may want to respond privately. Suggest anonymous forms to get everyone’s honest opinion on the subject.
Talk Logistics With Human Resources
Your HR representative may need to write up new contracts, rework existing policies, and talk with current employees. Another critical aspect to discuss with HR is overtime laws. Ensure that these changes will not break any labor laws in your area.
HR and team leaders may have ideas about new tools that can streamline processes or insight into how employees can be motivated to their full potential. They may also help you see where time is wasted and how to accelerate/expedite/or do away with these tasks–think fewer meetings and better communication.
Announce The Date The 4-Day Workweek Will Go Into Effect To Your Employees, Clients, and Customers
About a month in advance, clearly announce when these changes will occur.
This will give your team abundant time to adjust and ask questions. You will have plenty of time to explain to your clients and customers how these changes will not negatively impact your relationship. Explain any extra provisions you’ve put into place.
Keep Track Of Your Goals, Sales, and KPIs
Pay extra close attention to your KPIs to ensure everyone is on track. If there’s been an unexpected downturn, investigate it and chat with your team to figure out what’s going on. While an extra day off each week is typically enough of a morale booster, employees may need an extra push in the right direction or a retraining of time-saving techniques.
