What industry insiders say about a 4-day week

Initiatives for a 4-day week have been hotly debated among employees and companies. Find out how this measure affects well-being, productivity and growth.

The 4-day week has sparked widespread debate about productivity among small and medium-sized businesses.

It was discussed how the shortening of the working week affects the growth of companies by: productivity and improves employee well-being.

In this blog post, RemoteScout will tell you everything you need to know about the 4-day week from the perspective of industry insiders.

What is a 4 day week?

A 4-day work week, also known as a compressed work schedule, is a 32-hour work week without sacrificing productivity, wages and welfare benefits.

According to Investopedia, with a 4-day week, all employees work Monday through Thursday and have Fridays off. Other Pursue also leave Monday or Wednesday free.

Although the 4-day week is a trend in HR departments and companies, few countries have introduced measures aimed at a compressed work schedule.

For example, Spain, Iceland, Scotland, Ireland, New Zealand, Japan, the United Arab Emirates and Belgium have adjusted the statutory working week to just 32 hours to help workers and companies.

Working less improves our mental and physical health: truth or fiction?

Work is associated with higher performance. Wanda Krause According to this, the countries with the highest performance have the shortest working days.

This partly explains why a 4-day week can be beneficial for mental and physical health. Additionally, a shorter working week can have a positive impact on the way companies build an outsourced, diverse and inclusive remote workforce.

However, experts also say that while working less increases productivity, it is still stressful for the body and mind.

Explained in an exciting blog post Mike Fishbein the psychology behind overwork. "Tim Ferris' suggestion of a 'four-hour week' is attractive to our rational brains, but in practice it's surprisingly difficult to work less," says Fishbein.

Instead, we work hard and long hours because this is a response to human evolution.

However, whether shorter working hours improve employee well-being depends on the perspective.

Effects of the 4-day week for companies

Are 4-day weeks good for companies? While workers are attracted to less work, entrepreneurs are afraid of the idea.

In Canada, for example, the introduction of 4-day weeks is being discussed. Toronto-based technology company Alida Inc. has this initiative introduced as part of its ambitious human resources strategy .

After Alida Inc. launched its Employees After listening to them for an entire year, they came to this decision and consulted with them on important issues such as burnout, health and safety.

After analyzing employee views, the IT company then implemented a change in business operations to maintain overall wages and benefits despite employees having Fridays off.

Alida's CEO and management believe that employees have the right to decide how and when they work, even with a shorter working week. This is how Alida Inc. decided to promote flexible careers.

In addition, thousands of workers are testing in the USA the 4-Day Workweek Project, which was developed at universities and in companies.

Recently the University of Oxford and 4 Day Week Global launched a global 4-day week program to help companies discover efficient ways of working that seriously consider human well-being.