Will AI finally make the 4-day workweek a reality?
The following contribution is from Inc.com, one of the largest publications for small and medium-sized businesses in the United States, covering topics such as leadership, marketing, IT, HR, and more.
The author is Jessica Stillman, a writer and editor. Her daily column on Inc.com focuses on making work life (and life in general) more meaningful, joyful, and impactful. Visit jessicastillman.com for more information or to contact us.
A comprehensive study revealed that four-day workweeks benefit businesses and workers.
AI makes applying these findings more urgent than ever.
Much has been written about how artificial intelligence will soon reach many jobs.
People are already being laid off because AI has taken over their responsibilities.
What’s more, in a recent New York Times article, LinkedIn executive Aneesh Raman warned that AI technology is currently reducing the number of jobs available for entry-level positions. All of this has generated understandable concern among workers and labor market experts. But does the history of AI have to be one of loss and painful adaptation?
Not necessarily, according to Boston College economist Juliet Schor.
Her research points to a more encouraging possible scenario for AI’s near future.
Instead of precarity and unemployment, we would all have four-day workweeks and enjoy long weekends forever.
The 100-80-100 model is a proven success.
The push for the four-day workweek began long before OpenAI launched ChatGPT and ushered in the current AI race.
Entrepreneurs have experimented with it as a way to boost efficiency and morale.
Senator Bernie Sanders championed the idea as a fairer way to distribute the fruits of our collective labor.
And multiple countries, companies, and academic teams have conducted real-world trials of reduced workweeks.
Among the largest was a group of researchers led by Schor, who describes their findings in their new book, Four-Day Week:
The Transformative Solution for Reducing Employee Stress, Improving Well-Being, and Working Smarter (Harper Business).
The team’s three-year trial involved 400 companies around the world testing the 100-80-100 model: employees receive 100% of their previous pay for 80% of their previous hours, but 100% of their previous productivity.
Like previous trials, it showed that the four-day workweek is generally a resounding success on virtually every metric.
About 90% of companies chose to maintain the schedule after the trial ended, indicating that management was satisfied with the innovation.
Unsurprisingly, employees loved it.
«We have 20 well-being metrics, and they all show improvement,» Schor reported in a recent interview with MIT Sloan Management Review.
Workers didn’t feel more hectic or less connected to each other, and almost no one was looking for a second job in their newfound free time. Turnover was dramatically reduced.
AI Bolsters the Case for a Four-Day Workweek
This all sounds like the typical propaganda you hear from four-day workweek proponents. What does it have to do with AI?
While the arguments for a four-day workweek have always been sound, Schor says its implementation has taken on new urgency because of the expected productivity gains from AI.
As work experts from psychologist Adam Grant to computer scientist Cal Newport have documented, people have always wasted a lot of time at work.
The four-day workweek was conceived as a way to optimize that lost time, increasing employee productivity and rewarding them for their efforts with more free time.
But traditionally, Schor noted at Project Syndicate,
«We’ve been stuck with a five-day workweek, and the gains from productivity improvements have either been lost due to Parkinson’s Law [‘work expands to fill the available time’] or have been channeled into the owners’ pockets.»
«The four-day week seeks to ensure that workers reap significant benefits from improvements in productivity per hour,» he adds.
With AI powering the process of making work more efficient, there should be more productivity gains than ever to share.
This makes the question of how to distribute those benefits more urgent than ever.
Reasons for Skepticism
Schor warns that «the job-destroying potential of AI should lead everyone, from employers to unions to government officials, to seriously consider the four-day workweek as a solution to preserving jobs.
All recognize AI’s potential to create a large and growing pool of unemployed and underemployed workers.»
That outcome would add fuel to the fire of social instability, discontent, and violence, which is already a threat.»
Transferring Productivity to Employees in Reduced Hours
The sensible and socially responsible response to AI’s productivity gains is, therefore, to transfer some of them to workers in the form of reduced working hours.
This will contribute to a more stable (and humane) country and economy in the long run.
Which is a promising vision. Although there are reasons to doubt its viability. At least since the famous economist John Maynard Keynes predicted in 1930 that his grandchildren would one day work 15 hours a week, experts have argued that the benefits of technological progress should be passed on to workers in the form of more free time.
At least since then, workers and companies have chosen to continue working longer hours to earn more and consume more.
For decades, faced with the choice between having Fridays off or having more things, we have collectively opted for having more.
Perhaps not consciously. Perhaps because we fear that if we don’t give our all, someone will devour us. But we can make that choice.
The fate of the four-day workweek rests with business leaders.
Perhaps, thanks to the magnitude of the disruption AI promises, this time it could be different. Schor is fighting for that outcome.
«The sooner [the four-day workweek] becomes widespread, the easier the transition to AI will be,» he says.
In fact, it’s one of the few things that will fulfill the promise humanity has long awaited from technological progress: freeing us from unnecessary work, providing sufficient free time, and creating a healthy rhythm of life.
Entrepreneurs, who set policies in their companies, are in a prime position to help decide whether their request will be met.
If AI makes it possible to adopt the 100-80-100 model and implement the four-day workweek in your company, would you do it? Or would you prefer to lay off staff and create a more efficient company?
Jobs and the Future of Work
The following contribution is from the World Economic Forum website and is written by Douglas Broom, senior writer for the Forum Agenda.
Spain’s four-day workweek results in healthier workers and less pollution
Giving workers an extra day off per week increases productivity, improves physical and mental health, and reduces CO2 emissions.
These are some of the surprising benefits of a four-day workweek, according to research.
Speaking at the World Economic Forum’s annual meeting in Davos in January 2023, Sander van ‘t Noordende, CEO of the human resources consultancy Randstad, said the four-day workweek was «a business imperative.»
Working smarter, not harder, has been the mantra of management consultants for decades.
But what if you simply work less? There is growing evidence that abandoning the conventional workweek benefits both employers and employees.
The World Economic Forum’s landmark 2020 report, «The Future of Jobs,»
predicted that the rapid digitalization of the world of work would lead to two-fifths of the global workforce working remotely. Many organizations would fully embrace flexible working, it added.
This principle was tested in a series of trials around the world in 2022, coordinated by the non-profit organization 4 Day Week Global, with the participation of employers from Ireland, the United States, Australia, and New Zealand.
Surprising Benefits of the Four-Day Workweek
The global studies were followed by major trials at the municipal and national levels.
In Valencia, Spain’s third-largest city, a pilot program tested a four-day workweek, scheduling local holidays on four consecutive Mondays during April and May 2023.
The new temporary workweek affected approximately 360,000 workers, who took advantage of the additional free time to exercise, relax, and prepare meals, according to an independent panel of health and science experts tasked with evaluating the program’s impact.
The results showed that people who participated in the program had better self-reported health, reduced stress levels, were less tired, and felt happier and more personally satisfied.
Reduced city pollution
Reduced commuting also led to reduced nitrogen dioxide emissions and improved air quality.
And in another 2022 study—one of the largest single-country trials in the UK to date, involving 73 companies and 3,300 employees—the results were similar: four days of work for five days’ pay benefited both employers and employees.
The majority of companies that participated in the four-day workweek trial said they were likely to implement it in the future.
Nearly half of respondents said productivity improved, either slightly or significantly, and 86% said they were very likely to continue with the four-day workweek after the study.
Increased Productivity
Simply put, working four days a week meant people were accomplishing more in less time.
In 2019, Microsoft Japan introduced the four-day workweek and reported a 40% increase in productivity.
Similar results were found in the 2022 global trials, where employees committed to covering 100% of their usual workload 80% of the time.
When asked to rate the improvement in productivity during the trial on a scale where 1 was negative and 10 was very positive, employers gave it a 7.7.
One employee in the Irish trial commented, «I think I’ve been a lot more thoughtful with my schedule. It’s one thing to plan, to make time to focus, or to identify my priorities for the workweek… and another to not accept every meeting that comes along.»
Happier Workers
More than nine out of ten employees who participated in the global trials stated they wanted to continue with the four-day workweek, with a rating of 9.1 out of 10.
Indicators of stress, burnout, fatigue, and work/family conflict decreased.
At the same time, employees reported improved physical and mental health, a better work-life balance, and greater overall personal satisfaction.
Although some employees continued to work on their day off, most felt more productive and performed better.
People reported exercising more and sleeping more during a four-day workweek.
For families, the results of the UK study were very positive: the time men spent caring for their children increased by 27%.
Better for the Planet
With one less day of work, weekly commuting time was expected to decrease, and that’s precisely what happened: it went from 3.5 hours to just under 2.6 hours, a 27% decrease.
But an even bigger surprise was the overall reduction in car commutes, from 56.5% to 52.5% of employees.
Remote Work and Greater Environmental Awareness
The researchers stated that this was partly due to remote work, but there were other signs of increased environmental awareness as well.
Time spent on household recycling, walking, cycling, and shopping for eco-friendly products saw a «small but significant» increase.
A previous study from the University of Massachusetts Amherst found that a 10% reduction in the workday reduced an individual’s carbon footprint by 8.6%, leading senior research economist Juliet Schor to argue that a shorter workweek is key to reducing global carbon emissions.
Are they here to stay? Four-day workweek trials garnered near-unanimous approval from participating employees, with 97% stating that it should be permanent in their organization.
Employers were also very positive: 92% of participants in the UK are maintaining the four-day week.
Globally, participating companies reported that their revenue increased by approximately 8% during the trial and was 37.55% higher than the same period in 2021.
Recruitment increased, absenteeism decreased, and even the number of resignations decreased slightly.
Either a reduction in hours or an increase in pay
A worrying finding for companies that do not adopt the four-day week is that seven out of ten employees stated they would demand a pay increase of between 10% and 50% if they were required to work five days a week; 13% stated that no amount of money would convince them to give up the four-day week.
Business Imperative
Speaking at the World Economic Forum’s annual meeting in Davos in January 2023, Sander van ‘t Noordende, CEO of global HR consultancy Randstad, said the four-day workweek was «a business imperative» in a world where talent is scarce.
Urging a change in attitude among employers, he stated that bosses should treat employees as customers. «You ask your customer what they want and try to do the best possible job for them. You should treat talent equally,» he stated.
A Randstad study showed that half of employees were willing to quit their jobs if they were dissatisfied there.
Flexible scheduling and hybrid working (combining in-office and remote work) are proven ways to increase job satisfaction, van ‘t Noordende added.
The four-day workweek has become permanent for most UK companies in the world’s largest pilot.
The following contribution is from The Guardian and written by Rachel Hall, a reporter for the outlet.
A study shows that 51% of participating companies adopted the change permanently, while 89% are still implementing the policy one year later.
Most UK companies that participated in the world’s largest four-day workweek pilot have made the policy permanent, according to a study.
Of the 61 organizations that participated in a six-month pilot program in the UK in 2022, 54 (89%) are still implementing the policy one year later, and 31 (51%) have made the change permanent.
More than half (55%) of project managers and executive directors said that a four-day workweek, in which staff worked at 100% capacity for 80% of their time, had a positive impact on their organization, according to the report.
For 82%, this included positive effects on staff well-being; 50% saw a reduction in staff turnover, while 32% reported improved recruitment. Nearly half (46%) reported improved work and productivity.
Report author Juliet Schor, a professor of sociology at Boston College, said the results showed real and lasting effects.
«Physical and mental health, as well as work-life balance, are significantly better than at six months. Improvements in burnout and life satisfaction remained stable,» she stated.
However, Matthew Percival, director of the Confederation of British Industry,
said that the four-day workweek was not a one-size-fits-all solution and would be unlikely to pay for itself in many sectors.
He said: «If companies have the budget to extend their offering to employees, they will consider the benefits of shorter working hours against increased pay, pensions, or paid parental leave, as well as improved health and wellbeing support.»
The report on the four-day workweek, by the think tank Autonomy and researchers from the University of Cambridge, the University of Salford, and Boston College (USA), concluded that «many of the significant benefits seen during the initial trial have been maintained 12 months later,» although they noted that this was a small sample.
Almost all (96%) of staff said their personal lives had benefited, with 86% reporting improved job performance, while 38% felt their organization had become more efficient, and 24% said it had helped them with family responsibilities.
Organizations reduced working hours by an average of 6.6 hours to achieve a 31.6-hour workweek.
Most gave their staff a full day off per week, either universally or on a staggered basis.
The report concluded that protected days off were more effective than those where staff were on call or expected to work occasionally.
The most successful companies made their four-day workweek clear, reliable, and well-communicated, and designed their policies jointly with staff and management, carefully analyzing how to adapt work processes, the authors wrote.
Challenges some companies encountered included working with customers and stakeholders in cases where the four-day workweek was not the norm, or where the policy was implemented unevenly, leading to resentment among some employees.
This month, the Scottish government launched a four-day workweek trial for some public services.
Autonomy is calling on the Westminster government to introduce policies that will enable wider adoption, including the right of workers to request a four-day workweek without loss of pay, a trial in the public sector, and funding to support the transition in the private sector.
Paul Oliver, chief operating officer of Citizens Advice Gateshead, said a four-day workweek helped his employees cope with a «demanding role» and improved retention, as the charity was unable to pay high salaries. «We wanted to find a way to improve staff conditions so they could rest better and dedicate more time to work,» he added.
The increased efficiencies introduced by the pilot meant it exceeded its objectives, including improving the quality of advice and the number of clients served, expanding to a seven-day service through greater flexibility, increasing profitability, and reducing staff sick leave. «We are moving away from the nine-to-five model, which doesn’t work for our society or our clients,» Oliver said.
Mark Downs, chief executive of the Royal Society of Biology, said his organization maintained the policy—in which staff shared Mondays and Fridays off—because it had been well received by staff and external partners.
One unexpected benefit he found was that the days he worked and most staff did not were much more productive. He also felt it made the RSB a more attractive employer, with applicants citing the four-day workweek as a selling point.
Anthony Painter, policy director at the Chartered Management Institute, said he was «following the evidence of the four-day workweek with interest,» as CMI research had shown that employees valued flexible working above all else, including pay increases.
He added that managers would need better training to implement the changes. «They will need the best managers to ensure that flexibility and productivity are two sides of the same coin: better ways of working,» Painter said.
A government spokesperson said: «We have no plans to introduce a four-day working week. Ultimately, it’s up to employers and employees to agree on what working arrangements work best for them, and in April we will implement changes to our flexible working legislation, including the right to request flexible working from day one of a new job.»
The Rise of the 4-Day Workweek
The following contribution is from the American Psychological Association website and is written by Zara Abrams.
Employees are excited about a shorter workday. What does the research say?
Key Points
The four-day workweek is gaining popularity, driven by the recent rise of flexible working.
Pilot studies have shown that transitioning to a four-day workweek improves employee well-being and job satisfaction and can reduce certain costs for organizations.
Against a backdrop of global changes in the work environment, a bold idea continues to gain momentum.
Advocates of the four-day workweek argue that employees, businesses, and society at large would be better off with one less day of work.
The movement is part of a broader debate about the balance between work and leisure time,
said Dr. Lonnie Golden, professor of economics and industrial relations at Penn State Abington, who studies the determinants of workplace well-being.
These questions intensified during and after the pandemic, including national and international debates about work-life balance, employee flexibility and autonomy, and who should benefit (or who might be harmed) by new technologies such as artificial intelligence (AI).
“The pandemic provided employees with an opportunity to explore the possibilities of flexible working, and many appreciated its tremendous benefits,” said Dr. Dale Whelehan, a behavioral scientist and executive director of 4 Day Week Global, an organization conducting four-day workweek trials worldwide.
The four-day workweek has been gaining popularity in the United States for decades, tripling its incidence among full-time workers between 1973 and 2018 (Hamermesh, D. S., and Biddle, J. E., ILR Review, advance online publication, 2023).
In 2024, 22% of respondents to the APA Work in America survey said their employer offered a 4-day workweek, compared to only 14% in 2022 (2024 Work in America Survey: Psychological Safety in the Changing Workplace, APA, 2024).
It’s worth noting that not all 4-day workweeks are created equal.
Some models compress 40 hours into 4 days, while others reduce weekly hours while offering full pay and benefits.
Unsurprisingly, employees are mostly enthusiastic about both types of 4-day workweeks: approximately 80% of respondents to the Work in America survey say they believe they would be happier and just as effective with 4-day workweeks.
Some lawmakers also support this initiative. Since 2023, both Representative Mark Takano and Senator Bernie Sanders have introduced bills that would reduce the standard workweek to 32 hours.
Sanders and others argue that this change would allow the working class, including those unable to work remotely, to share the benefits of recent technological advances and economic growth.
The research, so far led primarily by economists and sociologists, is still in its early stages.
Improvements in Employee Well-Being and Satisfaction
Clinical trials show improvements in employee well-being and satisfaction, as well as in retention and recruitment, and most companies that test the 4-day workweek choose to continue with the model.
Critics caution that the data are still limited and that longitudinal, randomized studies are needed to better evaluate the results.
«With their expertise in measuring engagement and well-being, as well as identifying individual differences, psychologists should be involved in evaluating whether 4-day workweeks are beneficial overall and where nuances may exist,» said Dennis Stolle, JD, PhD, senior director of applied psychology at APA.
Psychology can answer questions about 4-day workweeks, he said, and contribute to the broader conversation about the future of work.
How can research help us respond to the changing world in a way that benefits employees across all industries, drives business success, and advances society at large?
The Advantages of Flexible Work
The 4-day workweek can take several forms.
In the reduced-hours model, endorsed by Senator Sanders and 4 Day Week Global, employees work four 8-hour days.
Sometimes called the «100-80-100» model, workers receive 100% of their pay for working 80% of the time, while maintaining 100% of their productivity.
In the compressed-hours model, employees receive full pay for working four 10-hour days.
A 1999 meta-analysis of this approach found higher performance and job satisfaction ratings, but no changes in absenteeism or productivity (Baltes, B. B., et al., Journal of Applied Psychology, vol. 84, no. 4, 1999).
In a 2020 case study in which the Canadian municipality of Zorra, Ontario, tested the model with its public employees, 73% of participants said they would continue working a compressed workweek if given the opportunity (Spicer, Z. & Lyons, J., State and Local Government Review, vol. 55, no. 1, 2023).
However, research findings on compressed workweeks are inconsistent, with some experts warning that longer workdays could be detrimental to employees’ health and practically impossible for parents with primary caregiving responsibilities. (Compressed workweeks are common in certain sectors, such as healthcare, and extensive research has explored them from a safety and effectiveness perspective.)
Improved Work-Life Balance
A 2024 study of 247 construction workers found that, overall, the transition to a compressed workweek improved work-life balance and did not increase fatigue.
However, these benefits were largely mediated by employee expectations.
Those who thought the new schedule would improve their lives tended to benefit; those with low expectations did not (Mühl, A. & Korunka, C., European Journal of Work and Organizational Psychology, Vol. 33, No. 5, 2024).
Since 2022, 4 Day Week Global has collaborated with researchers around the world to lead a series of pilot studies on the reduced workweek (100-80-100 hours).
The 6-month trials, which began in Ireland and the United States, have expanded across Europe, South Africa, Australia, New Zealand, and other countries. 4 Day Week Global offers initial guidance and resources for workplace reorganization, while independent researchers collect pre- and post-test data on employee well-being, organizational performance, and more.
In studies conducted in more than 200 companies, workers reported improved mental and physical health, life satisfaction, and positive affect, as well as lower stress, burnout, fatigue, and work-family conflict.
These gains remained relatively stable over a 12-month follow-up (Evaluation of Global Trials of Reduced Working Time at No Pay Reduction, 4 Day Week Global, 2022; 4 Day Week Long-Term Pilot Report, 4 Day Week Global, 2023).
“So far, the results are fairly consistent across companies and countries, and quite positive. We saw overwhelming evidence that worker well-being improved considerably from the beginning to the end of the trial,” said Wen Fan, PhD, associate professor of sociology at Boston College and one of the principal investigators of the global 4 Day Week trials in the U.S., along with economist and sociologist Juliet Schor, PhD, also of Boston College.
Workers were extremely satisfied with the trial, Fan added, with 10% to 15% of participants in each pilot saying that no amount of money persuaded them to return to a 5-day workweek.
Most surprisingly, Fan added, most business leaders were also very satisfied at the end of the trials.
Many saw improvements in retention and recruitment, savings in sick leave, and increases in revenue.
At the end of the 6-month pilot program, companies gave the trial an average rating of 9 on a scale of 0 to 10.
«The most consistent finding is that most companies that embark on a 4-day-a-week trial program continue with it,» Whelehan said. «That alone demonstrates its value, not only for health, but also for business.»
Flexibility Where Teleworking Is Not Possible
Advocates of the part-time model, including Senator Sanders, argue that it can offer some flexibility to employees in sectors where teleworking is not possible.
This could make flexible work, currently more common in white-collar professions, accessible to the entire workforce.
Four-day workweeks are already more common among younger, less educated, non-unionized, and male workers.
They are also more common among restaurant workers, healthcare workers, and first responders (Hamermesh, D. S., and Biddle, J. E., “Days of Work Over a Half Century: The Rise of the Four-Day Week,” NBER Working Paper 30106, 2022).
Greater work flexibility, including the adoption of a four-day workweek, could also improve gender equity in the workplace. Research by Dr. Claudia Goldin, a professor of economics at Harvard University and winner of the Nobel Prize in Economics for her work on the gender wage gap, shows how wage inequality is linked to the conflict between childcare responsibilities and job inflexibility, including the need to work a strict schedule in a specific location (Flexible Hours and the Gender Wage Gap, Center for American Progress, 2015).
A third model for the 4-day workweek, widely rejected by researchers and advocates, involves both part-time employment (e.g., four 8-hour days) and a pay cut.
A recent survey conducted by Goldin and colleagues through the Middle Class Renewal Project found that 42% of full-time employees were willing to accept a pay cut for a 4-day workweek, even though this option favors employers.
This approach is generally considered a disinvestment in the workforce; employees working under this arrangement typically do not receive full-time benefits.
Degree of Trust Between Employee and Employer
At the heart of the 4-day workweek is a degree of trust between employer and employee, and a sense that an organization is looking out for the best interests of its people, said Joseph Lyons, PhD, an assistant professor of political science at Western University in Ontario, Canada, who studied the public sector trial in the municipality of Zorra.
“If the organizational culture wasn’t good beforehand, the 4-day workweek won’t be a panacea,” he said.
Caution
While the findings of these trials appear impressive, the researchers caution that they are preliminary and that more rigorous studies are needed to assess potential drawbacks. A 2023 systematic review of the literature on the four-day workweek found support for improvements in morale, job satisfaction, and turnover, but also identified some negative impacts, such as scheduling issues, more rigorous performance measures and supervision, and the risk of benefits fading over time (Campbell, T. T., Management Review Quarterly, vol. 74, 2024).
“It’s still early. I would be cautious about some of this data that’s just starting to come out,” said Tammy Allen, PhD, distinguished university professor of psychology at the University of South Florida, who has studied flexible work arrangements for more than 20 years. “One thing we need to study is the potential ‘honeymoon effect.’ At first, this seems fantastic, but over time, it could lose some of its luster.”
Allen stated that experimental studies, such as a large randomized controlled trial, could help provide stronger evidence in favor of the 4-day workweek and more closely analyze factors such as absenteeism and productivity.
Another limitation of current research is selection bias: most companies that agree to participate in a 4-day workweek trial may already have some evidence that the arrangement will work for their business, Fan stated.
“Government support could help us gather stronger evidence, for example, tax incentives that can motivate diverse organizations to sign up,” she stated.
Measuring productivity is another challenge, which can vary considerably across organizations or sectors.
“In this context, the hardest thing to measure objectively is productivity, so the effects on well-being and satisfaction will be much clearer,” Golden stated.
Training companies to monitor production in ways that are meaningful to them could also help reduce potential downsides to the 4-day workweek, such as increased employee monitoring.
Asking the Right Questions
Businesses have played an important role from the beginning in demonstrating the potential of the 4-day workweek, Whelehan said, but the way forward requires new collaborations with academic researchers and government funders.
“Where academics continue to play the most crucial role is in lobbying the government to conduct clinical trials in the public sector or in the private sector funded by the government,” he concluded.
Undoubtedly, more research is needed, and psychologists can be an important part of the solution.
They can help gather data on engagement, well-being, and long-term outcomes, as well as on individual differences in 4-day workweeks—for example, do they work especially well for certain occupations, life circumstances, organizational structures, or personality types?
Psychologists can also use their theoretical knowledge, including concepts such as self-determination and autonomy, to explore the mechanisms underlying the benefits of the 4-day workweek, Fan said. «Are we seeing benefits simply because this gives us more time for ourselves or for family?» he asked.
«That’s one explanation, but another is that it’s not just about the reduction in hours, but also about the feeling that the company really cares about us.»
As part of the broader debate about remote work, the four-day workweek could also be part of a long-term solution.
Deciding where it fits will require more research, but also a broader debate about societal priorities and values, Golden concluded.
Who benefits?
For example, if AI can take over some job tasks, who would benefit: companies (by reducing staff), employees (by working less), or both?
Simply replacing employees with AI is a short-term solution, Whelehan said, that may initially save money but will lead to widespread unemployment in the long run.
This also hurts employers, who would likely pay more taxes for social services, he added.
Therefore, it is in the inherent interest of both employers and the government to ensure that employment remains high.
«The new frontier requires us to answer a question,» Golden said. «What do we, as a society, want to do to improve job quality and worker well-being without sacrificing productivity?»
Is the 4-Day Workweek the Future? These 10 Companies Think So
The following contribution is from Indeed and is written by Nikki Carter, a writer and editor with over 10 years of experience helping clients tell their stories. Since 2019, she has also run Will & Way, a newsletter about writing, work, and identity.
The pandemic imposed a new level of flexibility on many workers, with a rapid and non-negotiable transition to remote work—a shift that won’t be going away anytime soon.
How are these changes manifesting?
On the one hand, workers are seeking greater flexibility in new and different ways.
Meanwhile, employers are faced with the challenge of becoming more competitive.
Pay, benefits, and flexibility are key factors for companies seeking to avoid the Great Resignation and move toward what we call the Great Realization.
Among the work-life balance benefits that are becoming more common, more and more companies are testing and implementing the four-day workweek, and everyone is noticing its benefits.
The History of the Traditional Workweek
The typical 40-hour workweek became the standard the last time we revolutionized the way we work, almost 100 years ago.
The Industrial Revolution was a time of great activity for the United States, and with it, labor laws and practices were put to the test.
Henry Ford was the first to examine productivity and observed that it decreased the more people worked.
Because of this finding, he created the standard 40-hour workweek to maintain constant productivity.
In 1938, the Fair Labor Standards Act implemented overtime pay for work over 40 hours and, in turn, discouraged employers from scheduling employees to work more than that amount per week.
The Rise of the Four-Day Workweek
As the Great Resignation unfolds, flexibility has become a bargaining tool for both sides of the table.
In addition to better pay, job seekers are now seeking a sustained work-life balance, which can include telecommuting, comprehensive benefits, and a four-day workweek.
In a survey of Americans aged 22 to 35 who had recently quit their jobs, 80% of respondents supported a four-day workweek.
Notably, 32% would have remained in their jobs if this work arrangement had been an option.
An empowered workforce is driving the labor market to consider new ways of working and introducing new bargaining tools.
Some countries and companies are moving ahead with the transition to a four-day workweek, and there is growing evidence to support this transition; there is even a pilot program for interested organizations.
It’s important to note that while the pandemic allowed many people greater flexibility than before thanks to telecommuting benefits, not all workers benefited.
Less than 40% of jobs can be performed remotely. The advantage of the four-day workweek is that it truly has the potential to positively impact 100% of the workforce. Benefits of the Four-Day Workweek for Businesses and Employees
Below are some key benefits that businesses and employees have experienced after implementing a shortened workweek: higher employee retention, increased productivity, and improved financial health.
Retention
After fair pay, flexibility is one of the most important needs driving retention, according to Indeed’s Happiness at Work study and happiness experts Dr. Sonja Lyubomirsky and Dr. Jan-Emmanuel De Neve.
Ultimately, people are looking for jobs that not only allow them to earn a living, but also offer autonomy and flexibility. We’ve found that 63% of companies that meet these requirements find it easier to attract and retain employees.
Other countries have taken note. For example, Iceland adopted a four-day workweek without cutting pay and received strong employee approval.
The country reports increased well-being, burnout prevention, and improved retention.
And if you’re worried about people working fewer hours, take note: Even when companies tested a four-day workweek with 10-hour days, resulting in the same 40-hour workweek, employee retention and satisfaction improved.
Greater Productivity
In terms of productivity, according to the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development, more working hours equal fewer.
The OECD ranked Mexico, with the highest average workweek, as the least productive country.
The four most productive countries (Luxembourg, Ireland, Norway, and Belgium) average fewer than 30 hours per week.
The United States ranks fifth, with an average week of 33.6 hours.
In Japan, Microsoft tested a four-day, 32-hour workweek and found that although workers worked 20% less than before, productivity increased by 40%.
Employees reported being happier and more focused during work hours, and the company found that people used less free time, among other benefits.
As a result, Microsoft Japan has decided to permanently implement the four-day workweek.
Reduction in Costs and Overhead Expenses
Depending on how companies decide to implement the four-day workweek, this can have a significant impact on their bottom line.
If a general three-day weekend is implemented, a 72-hour weekly period without operations is created.
This reduces utility consumption, wear and tear on equipment such as printers, and potentially reduces sick leave.
It also reduces the costs of additional services, such as meals and snacks.
For example, Microsoft Japan reduced costs by 23% monthly on electricity bills alone during its four-day workweek trial.
10 Companies That Have Adopted the Four-Day Workweek
Here are some companies that have joined forces to pioneer the permanent adoption of this work alternative.
Note: None of the companies mentioned in this article are affiliated with Indeed.
- Basecamp
Basecamp offers products and services to help other businesses streamline communication and increase productivity. They adopted the remote work method 10 years ago and are currently leading the way with a four-day workweek during the summer.
- Bolt
Bolt, an e-commerce payments platform that offers fraud protection and data management, aims to make online payments easier, more efficient, ethical, and secure. These philosophies also extend to their way of operating and dealing with their employees. Bolt formalized its four-day workweek in January 2022, giving all employees Fridays off.
- Buffer
Buffer responded quickly to the pandemic, immediately adopting remote hiring and a four-day workweek starting in May 2020. The social media management and software company has continued its mission of helping brands expand their audiences and hire for a wide range of positions across the country.
- DNSFilter
DNSFilter offers cloud-based web content filtering and threat protection for IT professionals and managed service providers, as well as a global startup accelerator positioned to help entrepreneurs. In October 2021, they adopted a biweekly three-day weekend policy and currently offer fully remote positions.
- G2i
G2i, a point of contact between startups and mid-sized companies with web and mobile developers, has a robust remote work network. After piloting a four-day workweek, they decided to implement it permanently, arguing that it greatly contributes to a calm work environment where people can thrive.
- Goosechase
Goosechase, a fun-focused software company, created a way to conduct real-life scavenger hunts on mobile phones. The company implemented a four-day workweek in June 2021, and while they recognize some challenges for customer-facing positions, they have found that the advantages far outweigh the disadvantages and plan to continue this strategy.
- Nectafy
Nectafy is a content and marketing company that provides original and engaging content for B2B companies. They adopted a 32-hour workweek before the pandemic in January 2020. Nectafy currently also has a 100% remote workforce.
- Panasonic
Perhaps the largest global company to introduce a four-day workweek to date, this technology and electronics manufacturer with over 100 years of experience decided in January 2022 to offer an optional three-day weekend to its employees.
- thredUp
The online shopping and clothing-sharing company is changing the way people shop for secondhand clothes, as well as the way its employees work. thredUp began offering a four-day workweek in 2021 and is now hiring for both remote and hybrid positions at its San Francisco headquarters.
- Uncharted
Tech companies aren’t the only ones changing the workweek, as this nonprofit supporting social causes demonstrates. Uncharted implemented a 32-hour seasonal workweek in June 2020; they support their employees’ work-life balance with remote and hybrid work options and flexible scheduling.
The Great Quit is revolutionizing the workforce and forcing companies to analyze what employees want and need to be fulfilled.
Like the Industrial Revolution 100 years ago, the groundwork is being laid to change the way we do things forever.
Companies can use this opportunity to evaluate ways to introduce flexibility into their work environments and transform the traditional way of doing things.
Dozens of UK companies will maintain the 4-day workweek after the end of a pilot program
The following contribution is from NPR, an independent, nonprofit media organization founded with the mission of creating a more informed public. Every day, NPR connects with millions of Americans live, online, and in person to explore news, ideas, and what it means to be human. Through its network of member stations, NPR makes local news national, national news local, and global news personal. The author is Joe Hernandez, a member of the Joe Hernandez team.
Is it finally time to implement the four-day workweek?
Results from a new pilot program at dozens of UK companies showed significant health and productivity benefits for workers by reducing their hours, and the vast majority of companies plan to maintain the reduced schedule.
Proponents say the results help validate the idea that it is possible for companies to reduce the workweek to 32 hours without reducing pay while maintaining previous levels of worker productivity.
More and more companies are testing the 4-day workweek. But it might not be for everyone
Business
More and more companies are testing the 4-day workweek. But it might not be for everyone
«We were very encouraged by the results, which showed the multiple ways in which companies were turning the four-day workweek from a dream into a realistic policy, with multiple benefits,» said David Frayne, a research associate at the University of Cambridge who participated in the trial.
«We think there are many elements here that should motivate other companies and industries to give it a try,» Frayne added.
The pilot program was a collaboration between the nonprofit 4 Day Week Global, the UK 4 Day Week Campaign, and the think tank Autonomy.
It included approximately 2,900 workers from 61 companies—ranging from nonprofits, manufacturers, and financial institutions to a fish and chip restaurant—and ran from June to December of last year.
Both workers and companies reported improvements.
While more than half of the companies reported switching all their employees to a four-day workweek, employers were only required to offer their staff a significant reduction in hours, which could also include five-day weeks with shorter workdays or schedules that varied in length from week to week, but with an average of 32 hours per week over the course of a year.
Largely, the workers themselves approved.
Employees reported less job stress, lower burnout rates, and higher job satisfaction.
Most employees reported working at a faster pace.
National
How the 40-Hour Workweek Became the Norm
There were benefits to physical and mental health: 46% of employees reported feeling less fatigued, and three in five respondents said it was easier to juggle work with caregiving responsibilities at home.
«The results remain stable across workplaces of different sizes, showing that this is an innovation that works for many types of organizations,» said Juliet Schor, a Boston College professor and principal investigator on the project.
Researchers found that how employees used their free time varied depending on the type of work they did.
Those working in nonprofits and professional services organizations spent the most time exercising, while those in construction and manufacturing reported the greatest decreases in burnout and sleep problems, Schor said.
Sponsor’s Message
The results were also positive from a corporate perspective.
Economy
The United Kingdom is undergoing the largest-ever trial of a four-day workweek, and less is more.
Revenue increased an average of 1.4% during the study period, according to data from 23 organizations that provided it.
Absenteeism decreased, and people were less likely to quit during the trial, despite it taking place during what has been dubbed the Great Quit, the authors noted.
Of the 61 companies that participated in the trial, 56 said they would continue offering the four-day workweek for now.
Eighteen indicated they planned to permanently shorten it.
Among them is Tyler Grange, an environmental consultancy based in England.
Its CEO, Simon Ursell, told NPR that the company invested in technology and stopped performing routine administrative tasks to reduce the required weekly workload to four days instead of five.
«If you give people an incentive to do something—like a cool incentive, and it’s an incentive that money can’t buy, like giving them a whole day a week for the same pay to do what they want—that really helps them focus,» he said.
Ursell agreed that a strict four-day workweek might not fit the needs of all companies, but urged managers to rethink what’s necessary to get the job done.
«I think the real question is: Why five days? I haven’t heard anyone give me a reason why we work five days, other than tradition,» he said.
«What I think the trial has shown is that working in the way most applicable to the organization to achieve the sweet spot of productivity, the best productivity at that moment, is what, I think, we’re looking for.»
4 Day Week previously conducted similar trials in the US and Ireland and says it will also publish the results of pilot projects in Australia and New Zealand, South Africa, Brazil, North America, and other parts of Europe.
The Climate Benefits of a Four-Day Workweek
The following contribution is from the BBC and was written by Giada Ferraglioni and Sergio Colombo, feature correspondents.
There is promising evidence that a three-day weekend could help reduce greenhouse gas emissions.
There is growing interest in the benefits of a four-day workweek for employee productivity and well-being, but the picture is more complex when it comes to climate change.
In 2011, Simon Ursell and the three other co-founders of the newly founded environmental consultancy Tyler Grange, based in Gloucestershire, UK, decided to give all their employees one day off a month to volunteer.
They discovered that many of their new employees were already spending their free time volunteering with wildlife organizations. «Our environmentalists have always loved being environmentalists,» says Ursell. But last year, Tyler Grange took what some would consider a much more radical step toward worker well-being by attempting to give all employees a fifth of their working week off.
The company joined the largest-ever trial of the four-day workweek, which took place in the UK from June to December 2022.
The pilot aimed to assess whether companies could maintain productivity with reduced hours and, crucially, without losing pay for employees.
Are four-day workweeks really viable?
During the 2022 trial in the UK, involving 70 companies, 56 stated that they planned to maintain the four-day workweek after the pilot ended.
They cited benefits such as increased productivity and significant cost savings for employees on transportation and childcare.
Unsurprisingly, employees seem particularly interested in seeing shorter workweeks become the norm.
While a four-day workweek may seem promising in some jobs, such as the tech industry, some question its viability for more traditional sectors.
Tyler Grange managers and employees enthusiastically celebrated the breakthrough, and their results showed a 22% increase in daily productivity.
Ursell also wanted to measure another outcome: the impact of the shorter workweek on the company’s carbon footprint. And the four-day workweek proved surprisingly beneficial for this as well, she says.
«On average, we saw a 21% reduction in car miles traveled,» she notes with a cheerful smile. Tyler Grange eliminated unnecessary meetings and travel. Many employees took advantage of their additional days off to become even more involved in climate volunteering.
The four-day workweek debate is gaining momentum around the world
The nonprofit organization that coordinated the UK trial, 4 Day Week Global, had previously conducted pilot projects in the United States and Ireland, while the public sector in Iceland and companies in Spain, Sweden, Belgium, Japan, and New Zealand have tested the impact of a shorter workweek.
But the UK trial was the largest to date, with more than 60 companies and organizations participating.
The final results were published on February 21, and some of the companies are making stronger claims that support what previous studies suggested: a shorter workweek could benefit the planet.
Juliet Schor, an economist and sociologist at Boston College and a principal investigator for 4 Day Week Global, who worked on the UK and US pilot projects, argues that a shorter workweek is key to achieving the carbon emissions reductions the world needs. “While climate benefits are the hardest to measure, we have a wealth of research showing that over time, as countries reduce working hours, their carbon emissions decline,” he says. A 10% reduction in hours worked is associated with an 8.6% drop in carbon footprint, according to a study co-authored by Schor in 2012.
Companies participating in the UK trial saw a 10% reduction in commuting time, while the US trial saw an even larger reduction of 27%.
One of the most significant factors contributing to the climate benefits of the four-day workweek is the reduction in commuting.
Data from the UK trial, shared with Future Planet, shows a 10% reduction during the pilot period, from 3.5 hours to 3.15 hours per week, for companies that tracked commuting time. While this is a significant reduction, the savings could reach 15-20%, according to Schor. In the 2022 US study, the decrease was even larger, from 3.56 to 2.59 hours per week (a 27% decrease).
When people work less, they have more free time for sustainable activities that typically require more time – Stefanie Gerold
Both the UK and US studies also found that many people used the time saved by not commuting or working for low-carbon activities, such as hiking or hobbies that involve teleworking.
Improved Pro-Environmental Behaviors
The UK data also showed that the shift to a shorter workweek led to an increase in pro-environmental behaviors: study participants spent more time volunteering for environmental causes and were more careful about recycling and purchasing eco-friendly products.
«When people work less, they have more free time for sustainable activities that typically require more time,» says Stefanie Gerold, a researcher at Brandenburg University of Technology in Germany, who was not involved in the UK or US studies and has developed several work-time reduction models implemented in Austrian companies.
Volunteering increased among employees at Waterwise, a UK nonprofit that participated in the UK trial, and at the crowdfunding platform Kickstarter, which also participated in the US trial. Jon Leland, Kickstarter’s vice president and director of sustainability, says he observed that the company’s workers became more socially and civically engaged. And sometimes surprises arise. One unexpected effect caught Tyler Grange’s attention during the UK trial: carbon emissions related to data transmission and storage were significantly reduced. Large data storage centers can each consume the same amount of electricity as 50,000 homes, which was another significant achievement.
Emissions Impact
«The lack of business [online] traffic on Fridays could have a substantial impact on emissions, possibly even more important than the reduction in commuting,» says Ursell.
Although the company didn’t track exact data usage, it suspects the decrease was due to the team «avoiding unnecessary internal communications.»
Improving efficiency by avoiding overwork is the goal of the four-day workweek. And efficiency also relates to energy.
More days off could result in more energy-efficient employees, says Laura White, project and research manager at Waterwise.
«People are more conscious when they’re at home, because in the end, they’re the ones who pay the bill.»
In almost all of the companies participating in the UK trial, the verdict was positive: the shorter workweek is a boon for business, and the same goes for the environment. Are more days off in the future great for the planet? Not so fast!
Consulting firm Tyler Grange saw a decrease in carbon emissions related to storing and sending data during its trial of a four-day workweek (Credit: 10,000 Hours/Getty Images)
Some experts note that a reduction in working hours could pose other risks to the environment.
Predicting how everyone will use that extra day is tricky.
They might take a highly polluting international flight to celebrate their Friday off with pay.
“A three-day weekend could lead to increased consumption of high-carbon goods and services,” says Anupam Nanda, professor of urban economics and real estate at the University of Manchester, UK.
“If we end up taking a plane or driving 100 miles for leisure activities, we can hardly help combat the climate crisis.”
Neither the UK nor US trials measured the full carbon impact of the additional activities people might have undertaken because of their extra day off.
However, while Philipp Frey, a researcher at the Institute for Technology Assessment and Systems Analysis in Karlsruhe, Germany, and author of “The Ecological Limits of Work,” says he understands the concern about potential additional emissions from leisure activities, he notes that, for now, it does not appear to be validated.
Carbon Footprint Impact
He points out that a study showed that people in North America and Europe have a lower carbon footprint on weekends (weekend emissions did not decrease in East Asia).
Overall, Sunday emissions in North America and Europe were 40% lower than average, while weekday emissions were nearly 20% higher.
The four-day workweek also has an advantage over many other climate solutions: it is not perceived as a sacrifice.
Data from the U.S. Energy Information Administration also shows that Americans consume nearly 10% less fossil fuels on weekends than on weekdays.
Therefore, Leland believes that changing Friday from a weekday to a weekend day could represent a significant improvement in fossil fuel emissions.
«These numbers demonstrate that the four-day workweek can have a substantial impact,» Leland says.
Some data from the trials also appear relatively encouraging.
The number of domestic leisure trips taken by workers participating in the UK pilot project fell by 5.5% over four weeks, while the number of international leisure flights remained virtually unchanged.
On the other hand, the US study found no change in domestic leisure trips, but international leisure trips more than doubled, albeit from a low level.
Tyler Grange, Waterwise, and Kickstarter say they haven’t noticed any increase in long-haul travel.
However, it’s worth noting that all three companies consider themselves climate-oriented. «Environmental benefits were the initial reason I approached the 4 Day Week campaign,» says Kickstarter’s Leland. Employees at other companies might be less environmentally conscious when deciding how to spend their days off.
Therefore, underestimating the risk of increased leisure-related emissions is not a good idea, says Gerold of Brandenburg University.
«There isn’t a lot of empirical evidence; we don’t really know how people would use their free time.»
This means additional policies are needed to manage people’s free time, says Gerold.
Nanda agrees. «We should invest in green infrastructure,» he says.
«Green facilities and green spaces should also be created in urban neighborhoods to encourage people to enjoy their free time sustainably.»
Three-day weekends could lead to more carbon-intensive leisure activities, such as flying. But they could also be used for activities with a lower environmental impact.
Still, despite the growing number of trials, there is still too little data to fully understand the climate impact of switching to a four-day work week.
It may be difficult to accurately measure some of the climate benefits due to other influencing factors.
In 2022, for example, energy prices soared, making it difficult to analyze the impact of the four-day workweek on observed reductions in companies’ energy consumption. «A six-month trial period might not be sufficient in these cases,» says Schor.
In any case, environmental concerns are not the primary motivation for many of the companies that participated in the trials. Therefore, climate impact did not feature prominently in the monitoring, compared to social and economic effects, such as work-life balance and productivity.
Sometimes, companies are simply unaware of the potential climate benefits.
«I met very few companies that actually considered the four-day workweek as something that would have a positive impact on the environment,» says Ursell.
Other employers simply have other priorities. «The climate benefits are there, but for most companies, they’re not that tangible,» says KT McBratney, founder of OwnTrail, a tech startup that participated in the US trial. «It feels like a drop in the ocean.»
More pilot projects are needed to obtain accurate data, she says. «Companies have a duty to join these initiatives to drive research.»
Carbon Counting
The emissions from the travel required to report this news story were 0 kg of CO2.
The digital emissions for this story are estimated to be between 1.2 g and 3.6 g of CO2 per pageview. Find out more about how we calculated this figure here.
But is the four-day workweek something all companies can afford?
«In practice, there are no downsides and it’s generally feasible,» says Leland, but «it takes courage to do it.»
Sometimes employers just need a little push, and that’s where government action comes in.
«Political action is needed to drive such a big change. National governments must lead the way,» says Frey.
The Spanish government recently confirmed it will pay up to €150,000 ($159,000/£133,000) to small and medium-sized businesses that test a four-day workweek.
Government support could also come in other forms, says Frey, such as by legally reducing the maximum working hour limit or acting as a first mover.
«The public sector is one of the largest employers in all European countries,» he says. «If it offers a four-day workweek, private companies will have to stay competitive to attract employees.»
Still, the more companies that venture into this arena, the more pressure governments will face to act.
«These pilot programs are really important for advancing the political agenda, especially when it comes to climate benefits,» says Gerold.
The four-day workweek also has an advantage over many other climate solutions: it’s not perceived as a sacrifice. «A shorter workweek without loss of pay is a joy,» says Leland. «It’s something we all want.»
The Four-Day Workweek: An Idea Whose Time Has Come
The following contribution is from Josh Bersin, who founded Bersin & Associates in 2001, which became the leading research and advisory firm in corporate training, talent management, and HR. In 2012, he sold the firm to Deloitte, renaming it Bersin by Deloitte. As a partner at Deloitte, Bersin was involved in numerous HR and training initiatives and was one of the lead authors of Deloitte’s annual Human Capital Trends Report. He retired from Deloitte in 2018.
In 2019, Josh founded the Josh Bersin Academy, a professional development academy for HR and training professionals. The Academy offers cohort-based courses covering the fundamentals of topics ranging from people analytics to HR technology and talent acquisition. In 2020, he built a team of analysts and advisors who now work with him to support and guide HR organizations around the world under the umbrella of The Josh Bersin Company. Recently published research covers topics such as hybrid and deskless work, HR technology market trends, employee experience, and diversity, equity, and inclusion.
The author is Josh Bersin.
We just completed an extensive study on the four-day workweek, and the results are clear.
Under the right conditions, it really works. And the results are very positive: improvements in employee health and well-being, increases in productivity, and an overall improvement in revenue, profits, and customer service.
Wait a minute. Are you really saying that true «shortened working time» (SWT), without reducing pay, actually helps companies make more money?
And the answer is yes. When implemented correctly, reduced working time (in its various forms: 6-hour days, half-day Fridays, 9-day fortnights) drives businesses to become more efficient, offers people more flexible and fulfilling lives, and forces them to focus.
In June 2022, 61 UK companies participated in a pilot program to study the four-day workweek.
By February 2023, when the initial results were published, 92% said they were still testing the concept, while 29% declared the policy a permanent change.
Average organizational revenue increased by 1.4%; pilot companies also reported a 57% decrease in the likelihood of an employee quitting, in addition to a 65% reduction in the number of paid sick days.
Since then, as our research shows, the impact has grown much more.
History points to this trend.
How did we get to the 5-day workweek?
If we look at the history of work, we had seven-day workweeks in the 19th century, followed by the five-day workweek (pioneered by Henry Ford) in the 1920s, the Fair Labor Standards Act, which established a maximum of 44 hours per week in 1938, and numerous experiments since then.
Hybrid work, which we’ve all become familiar with since the pandemic, has accelerated this trend.
In recent years, NASA, Microsoft Japan, Unilever, Shake Shack, Panasonic, and many other organizations have been experimenting.
And according to our research, when these organizations focus on reducing time wasted in meetings, improving work productivity, and clarifying responsibilities and schedules, the results can be very positive.
Employee engagement increases, and both revenue and profitability increase.
What could explain this effect? As our research points out, the «five-day workweek» is an artificial construct we’ve lived with for 100 years.
Now that we have remote work, flexible working, and AI-based scheduling systems, we no longer have to operate with this traditional «workweek» model.
Younger workers are demanding flexibility.
And younger workers, many of whom had difficult work experiences during the pandemic, are voting based on their preferences.
Just look at popular memes like «act your paycheck,» «lazy girl jobs,» «quiet resignation,» or «workplace boredom.»
These aren’t just social media memes: they’re the voices of millions of workers telling their employers that they simply don’t and won’t comply with traditional work norms.
Let’s face it. Even baby boomers like me remember days in the office when I was bored, tired, or just wasting time.
Meetings dragged on to fill the empty space, followed by long coffee breaks and times to go out to lunch.
Yes, of course, these were always valuable ways to meet people and collaborate, but in the end, I always felt like I was wasting a lot of valuable time.
And there were days when I was so tired I even took a nap on the floor.
Instead of «fitting work to time,» it seems we «fit time to work.»
In other words, the «five-day week» simply guarantees that we’ll be in the office or at our desks until Friday at 5:00 p.m.
It says nothing about what we’ll do, how we’ll spend our time, or how efficient our time will be.
And, of course, there’s the issue of scheduling, customer service, patient care, and other schedules.
Once we know the scheduled hours for clients, passengers, or other needs, we can simply adjust our schedules to fit the needs of the business.
Let me read you an excellent quote from this important research:
If compressing 5 workdays into 4 is a concern for leadership, one factor to consider is Parkinson’s Law, which states: «Work expands to fill the time allotted for its completion.»
In other words, employees will fill the available time to complete tasks. If we reduce the available time, we’ll be surprised at how much we can complete. And eliminating excessive time spent on administrative or unproductive tasks frees up tangible hours to reinvest in productive, quality work.
Job Redesign: The Next Big Thing
One more point. Although I know most of you are bothered by this topic, I want to remind you that AI and automation will require us to redesign nearly every job in business.
And as our Dynamic Organization research points out, job redesign focuses on helping people work to the best of their ability by clearly assigning responsibilities and relentlessly focusing on the outcome or responsibility at hand.
No Organizational Design principle requires people to arrive at 8 a.m. on Monday and leave work at 5 p.m. on Friday.
We’ll be hosting a series of webinars on this topic, and our researchers will be able to delve deeper into the study and learn more.
To fully understand this topic, join our Organizational Design Superclass at Josh Bersin Academy or join our corporate membership, and we’ll show you what it’s all about. Click here to download the study and learn more. It includes a special Action Guide.