There’s been a lot of talk in the news recently about the 4-day working week, and whether that would be beneficial to businesses and employees alike. It is fair to say that the scheme divides opinion, with traditionalists often shunning the idea, while younger employees open and receptive to a greater balance between work and life.

The opinion seems to be that, while this idea was a fringe productivity theory before the COVID pandemic, it is now heading towards the mainstream. No fewer than 30 businesses this year committing to trialing the shorter working week. But there’s a lot you need to know, and whether this could have an impact on your business.

Why is the 4-day working week popular now?

There are a number of reasons why this particular idea is getting traction. Two in particular seem to have pushed this to the forefront of people’s minds.

Firstly, the growing awareness of wellbeing and wellness amongst employees is pushing employers to take work/life balance more seriously. 30-odd years ago, mental health wasn’t remotely on par with physical health. Yet the increase in media – specifically social – mixed with increased workload has led people to talk more. Mental health, life balance and other issues are bringing it further into the mainstream.

The second reason is the pandemic. As we mentioned earlier, the COVID-19 crisis has influenced work/life balance and allowed people to re-evaluate how they approach their workplace. Working from home, and how easily that become ‘doable’ was a shift in people’s thinking. Now some employers are partaking in a fact-finding mission to find out the outcome of a shorter working week.

How may it affect my business?

Right now, the 4 day work week won’t really make much difference to your business. While these trials are taking place, there is absolutely no sign that this would become legally binding, regardless of how amazing the results of the trail end up.

The most likely outcome across the next decade is that some businesses take up this practice to retain and attract top talent. There is also a chance that results of the research are that productivity is reduced over a period of time. Like after initial excitement and productivity subsides.  

Who is taking part in the trial?

There are a number of businesses taking part in the 4 day work week trail. Some of the most recent companies to join from the UK, include YO Telecom (who employ 90 staff), Hutch (120 employees) and MBL Seminars (70 employees). With such a large sample size, you would hope that the results would be conclusive across a 6-month span.

For more details on business updates that may impact your company, keep an eye on the Direct365 blog.

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