Written by Rubie Barker
It sounds like a dream: one less day working and one day more to the weekend. For so many who work 9 to 5, Monday to Friday, we dream about what we would do with an extra day off work each week. With Iceland being one of the first countries to trial the 4-day working week back in 2015 and Belgium trialing it as part of their post-covid restrictions, the UK became one of the latest earlier this year to trial this new way of working. But does the dream live up to expectations? Or could it mean less pay and longer hours?
4 Day Week Global is a not-for-profit community who are encouraging governments and businesses worldwide to adopt a 4-day working week model, with bold claims that it will ÔÇ£improve business productivity, worker health outcomes, stronger families and communities, challenge the gender equality issue, and work towards a more sustainable work environment.ÔÇØ The idea is that with 3 days off each week employees are more productive and less likely to burn out, with the group claiming that 78% of employees with 4-day weeks are happier and less stressed.
With far more people opting for hybrid working or working full time from home in a post-pandemic world, the question of work and home life balance has been emphasised. Many workers no longer had a commute and could work around other commitments in their lives. As part of their post-covid plan, the Belgian government introduced a change in the law, allowing employees to work longer than the previous maximum of 8 hours so that they can have an extra day off, while working the same amount of hours weekly. For those who co-parent or those heading back to work after having children, this could allow far more flexibility and perhaps even help with gender inequality in some workplaces.
The results of BelgiumÔÇÖs trial still remain to be seen, and while they did not reduce the number of hours worked per week in their trial, Iceland did. Companies involved often reduced the working week from 40 hours to 36 or 35, while being paid the same, seeing increases in productivity. With Iceland currently ranked the 4th happiest nation in the world, maybe it is something the UK should be adopting permanently.
While trials worldwide are showing promising signs, there are concerns that improved morale and productivity could be a short-lived phenomenon. Simply working the same amount of hours in a week but over 4 days, does not guarantee improved productivity and could lead to more fatigue in the workforce. The idea also excludes a whole host of industries that already work seven days a week. From emergency services to hospitality and retail, while others benefit from another day off work, the busy weekend will only get longer.
In a world increasingly driven by productivity and profit, conversations about hours worked and workplace conditions are more important than ever. Perhaps it is too early to say whether the promise of increased productivity and a happier workforce can be fulfilled through a 4-day working week, but if these aims match reality, then they would certainly be welcomed in Wales.
