Has there ever been a Monday when you wish you didn’t have to work? You may be closer to your dream than you realise. Reduced working hours are becoming more popular around the world as governments and businesses recognise how negative lengthy hours are for both employers and employees.
This way of looking at things is encouraging people to reevaluate and cut back on work hours to adopt healthier lifestyle habits. For example, the introduction of hybrid work patterns following the lockdown aided in the realisation that a positive work-life balance increases employee satisfaction and productivity. There are various approaches to accomplish shorter workweeks.
- A four-day week – You get a day off on Monday or Friday in addition to the weekend.
- Fewer working hours every day – Your daily working hours are reduced, but you are still required to work a five-day workweek.
- Half-days off – You get two afternoons off during a five-day workweek,
What advantages do shorter workweeks offer?
Trials investigating the effectiveness of reduced workweeks have been conducted in several countries, including the UK, Spain, Germany, Sweden, and the US. The results have shown the following advantages:
Enhanced productivity at work
A shorter workweek may motivate you to complete your tasks more quickly and with fewer interruptions. The American startup Buffer began four-day work weeks in 2020. Buffer permanently switched to a four-day workweek in 2021 after discovering that 34% of their employees were more productive as a consequence of their rigorous trial.
The fewer hours also foster efficiency and encourage you to use your time creatively. Microsoft Japan Limited instituted collaborative online communication and shortened meetings to thirty minutes in their 2019 four-day workweek effort. In addition to being happier, the workers’ productivity increased by 40%.
Increased contentment with life
One’s opinion of their life circumstances tends to improve with shorter work days and more spare time. A Swedish study about reduced working hours and work-life balance looked at the consequences of keeping nurses’ pay while cutting back on work hours and eliminating lunch breaks. Higher energy levels and increased life satisfaction were reported by the subjects. “A life is given to you. That much I can say. You really do understand—it’s amazing how much of a difference these two hours make,” one participant said.
Improved work-life balance
A healthy balance between work and leisure activities can be promoted by shorter workweeks. According to a study about reduced working hours and a balance between work and personal life, work-life balance was improved when people worked fewer hours while still receiving their full compensation. Before work, they felt happier, worried less about their jobs, and had better connections with their partners, coworkers, and kids.
At first glance, shorter work days could seem like a revolutionary concept, but in practice, things might be more complicated than that. This leads us to:
What possible drawbacks could reduced working hours have?
Here’s why doing away with the tried-and-true five-day workweek requires some serious thought:
Financial problems
Some employers provide reduced work weeks that include pay deductions. Workers may also have problems with overtime compensation and wage rules. These may hurt their savings and way of living. According to a 2022 survey, 33% of people reported that it was more difficult to make ends meet while working fewer hours, and 45% of them expressed concern about having insufficient retirement income in the future.
Decreased camaraderie among employees
The pressure to finish duties faster can make it difficult to perform social parts of the job. Additionally, some businesses cut their lunch breaks short to make up for lost time. Under such circumstances, workers miss out on social connections and rarely get to interact with their coworkers.
Increased strain at work
When work schedule reductions are introduced without careful planning, employee strain may worsen. In the UK, a four-day workweek experiment revealed that 36% of workers felt that their work was more demanding. Additionally, 45% of workers said that their productivity has either fallen or stayed the same.
Impacts in the short-term
The long-term efficacy of reduced working hours has not been proven by extensive research. According to a Gallup poll conducted in 2022, the high levels of well-being that were previously linked to four-day workweeks flattened out to match those of five-day workweeks. Moreover, burnout was higher during four-day workweeks than during five-day workweeks.
You have good reason to want a reduced workweek. It does, however, take careful planning and consideration to bring up shorter work hours with your staff. To create a healthy consensus and, eventually, a smooth transition to a work environment that allows varied work styles, you must have an open discourse, addressing concerns and outlining potential benefits.
(Tashia Bernardus)