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 * Product
 * Use Cases
 * Productivity
 * Remote Work
 * Enterprise

 * Deutsch
 * English
 * Español
 * Français
 * Português
 * 日本語


Productivity


DOES A 4-DAY WORKWEEK ACTUALLY INCREASE PRODUCTIVITY?

By Suzanne Zuppello | Published on June 24, 2020 | 5 min read


Think about how you feel as a three-day weekend draws near. The joy of not
seeing your desk for a full 72 hours... it’s an all-consuming thought as the
clock nears quitting time. Now imagine you had a three-day weekend every.
single. week.

Say what?


THE 4-DAY WORKWEEK IS REAL


The idea of a 4-day workweek seems impossible, with long to-do lists and
increasing demands on performance. It’s an especially challenging notion for
millennials who now make up the largest population of the U.S. workforce. This
cohort is becoming known as the hardest working members of the labor force, with
nearly 73% of Millennials working over 40 hours per week and taking less
vacation time than previous generations.

The personal sacrifices made by this group (and many other Americans) are a
clear example of why the U.S. ranks quite low in work-life balance according to
the OECD Better Life Index.

The truth is with nearly 30% of workers globally preferring a 4-day workweek,
it’s time companies take it into consideration. Compressed workweeks are
available to employees at about one-third of US organizations, and there are
several reasons why they’re not reverting back to the traditional work schedule.


HOW COUNTRIES AND EMPLOYERS ARE ADJUSTING SCHEDULES

Some countries instituting the 4-day workweek are seeing its positive effect on
their citizens’ well-being.

In France, where only 8% of the labor force reports working very long hours and
the country reports exceedingly high work-life balance scores, a 35-hour
workweek is fairly common. With a shorter workweek in France comes more time for
citizens to spend on “leisure time”, which include better sleeping habits or
time spent with friends and family. Having the chance to take valuable (and
consistent) breaks, especially at lunchtime, helps the nation as a whole to be
more productive during the week, and in the future.

Given the evidence of such effects on productivity and work-life balance, many
U.S. companies are experimenting with their own version of reduced working
hours. Businesses, and even government departments, are reducing in-office hours
and days to increase employee engagement and happiness.



KPMG, one of the “big four” auditors, made waves in 2009 for its introduction of
a compressed workweek option to its U.S.-based employees. Barbara Wankoff,
KPMG's director of workplace solutions, commented on the decision, saying:

> "[Employee] satisfaction goes way up when they have control over their time.
> And it increases employee morale and productivity and retention."


More than a decade later—after surveying employees and testing out the shortened
workweek for themselves—companies like Buffer announced that for the remainder
of 2020 their workforce will be moving to a 4-day workweek model. In the first
few weeks of their shortened schedule experiment, Buffer noticed a marked
decrease in overall stress levels and an increase in employee
happiness/satisfaction.

What makes Buffer’s approach to a new work schedule so accessible is how they
actively surveyed and tested out this new model with their employees before
making a company-wide decision. Starting small is always a possibility if a
full-blown workweek shift doesn’t seem immediately feasible.




FACT: HAPPY PEOPLE ARE MORE PRODUCTIVE

Critics still question the positive effects of a shortened workweek for company
and employee productivity. Most commonly, leaders are worrying about increased
amounts of supervision or even higher costs.

Offering a 4-day workweek schedule has a clear effect on work-life balance, as
evidence from European countries and global companies like Buffer suggests.
Similarly, there are other instances which indicate that more hours spent
working do not lead to better results.



In fact, less can lead to more productivity, as is the case with Sweden’s 6-hour
workday. According to Swedish companies implementing the time cap, employees who
report high levels of happiness credit the balance between work and personal
lives, giving them more time with their families and friends and to spend on
other creative pursuits. For those seeking justification for a condensed
workweek, studies show a direct correlation between happiness and productivity.

In an op-ed for the New York Times, Basecamp founder Jason Fried acknowledges
that “better work gets done in four days than in five.” This is the
justification behind his company’s May to October 32-hour, 4-day workweek.


THE COMPRESSED WORKWEEK: DREAM VS. REALITY

A reduced workweek may have a positive effect on productivity, but there are
tradeoffs that must be acknowledged. Nate Reusser, founder of Reusser Design,
notes the difficulties a 4-day workweek poses on scheduling, especially if an
employee is out sick. Unforeseen absences of team members make reallocating work
within fewer days a challenge. Yet Reusser believes the challenge is worth it.

Similarly, a reduced workweek may make scheduling shifts more challenging.
Shifts may overlap thus increasing labor dollars, or coverage may not be
available for the five days the majority of U.S. businesses and consumers
operate.

The team at Buffer realized these scheduling issues in their 4-day workweek
experiment. It can be difficult to remember who is taking off which days so
teams need to forecast and plan for these on and off times.

In companies that simply reduce the number of days worked but not hours,
employees may be more likely to burn out as two additional hours are added to
their days. It may also conflict with childcare and impose new financial burdens
on working parents and caregivers.

There are also legitimate issues of financial burden and shift work, suggesting
that the 4-day workweek is really only applicable to certain types of careers,
and within certain (read: higher) income brackets.

In short, if you’re working at a business that needs to be open and available to
the public round the clock, or are not being paid a salary that compensates for
fewer hours worked, a shorter workweek may not be the move for your
organization.


SO ARE FOUR DAYS ARE BETTER THAN FIVE?

In a fireside chat with Google CEO Larry Page, he noted that anytime you ask a
group of workers if they’d like more time off, they will undoubtedly answer yes.



Jason Fried has readily acknowledged that Basecamp’s annual 4-day workweek
period, which aims to foster creativity by reducing burnout and fatigue, makes
them “an outlier.” And while Sweden is seeing a ton of benefits from their
6-hour workday program, companies like Buffer are seeing a marked difference in
morale and autonomy when shortening their weeks.

The theory is that teams are happier to work for a company that values their
time and are equally as happy and empowered to put in the extra effort while on
the clock. So, despite the initial shock at cutting down work time, a shortened
workweek might be something to consider if your company fits within the type of
work that can realize the benefits for employees and employers alike.

Editor's Note: This article was originally published in August 2016 and we've
added a whole heap of new research and nuggets of information to this post in
June 2020.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Good or bad, we'd love to hear your thoughts. Find us on Twitter (@trello)!


Next: How 10 Global Companies Are Approaching Remote Teamwork

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