The article in the url below extolls the demonstrated value of the 4-day workweek – conclusions that have been derived after extensive study:
"In 2022, [the author] signed on as lead researcher at 4DWG, an international NGO that aims to make a four-day workweek the new standard. Since then, we have studied 245 businesses and nonprofits as they adopted four-day-week pilot programs for more than 8,700 workers, in countries including the U.S., U.K., Brazil, Portugal, Germany and South Africa."
First, for individual employees, who work 20% less but receive no reduction in pay:
"69% experience reduced burnout, 42% have better mental health, and 37% see improvements in physical health. Thirteen percent of participants say they wouldn't go back to a five-day schedule for any amount of money."
But, also, for the hiring organization:
"[The researchers asked participating companies] to rate the success of the trials, and they give consistently high scores—an average of 8.2 out of 10. After a year, only 20 companies, less than 10% of the total, decided to discontinue their four-day week. We also saw excellent results in performance metrics such as revenue, absenteeism and resignations."
The prime example for the potential in a 4-day workweek is apparently Microsoft, Japan (see also Strategic CSR – Microsoft):
"In 2019, it instituted a temporary four-day week, closing the office for five consecutive Fridays in August. To make it work, the company mandated that no meetings could go longer than 30 minutes. It also told managers to avoid unnecessary meetings and use face-to-face chats instead. Its widely reported results were striking: Productivity increased by 40% over the trial period, while time off fell by 25%."
Although for different reasons, the results are apparently replicated across all kinds of companies (see Strategic CSR – Unilever) and situations (see Strategic CSR – Productivity):
"Most of the companies in our trials are white-collar organizations, where eliminating meetings and other distractions goes a long way toward making a four-day week feasible. In industries such as manufacturing and construction, time savings are more likely to be found by making the flow of work more efficient through process engineering."
Personally, I do not have any desire to work less, but I do like the sound of enforced 30-minute meetings. Perhaps I'll give that a try, especially on Zoom.
Take care
David
David Chandler
Strategic Corporate Social Responsibility: Sustainable Value Creation (6e)
© Sage Publications, 2023
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Of Course Workers Want a Four-Day Week. Companies Should Too.
By Juliet B. Schor
May 31 – June 1, 2025
The Wall Street Journal
Late Edition – Final
C3
