Higher productivity and motivated staff have been associated with a cut in working hours, therefore, companies across the globe are considering to switch to 4 day work week.
It has been observed that companies that have reduced the number of the working week have witnessed high productivity, less burnout and more motivated staff.
Fall in stress and rise in staff engagement has been reported by a company in New Zealand called perpetual Guardians. They have switched to 32 hour week this year.
Also in Japan, companies are encouraged by the government to give Mondays mornings off.
In the UK, Trade Union Congress (TUC) is running a campaign to switch to 4 day work week for the whole country. Labor party in opposition is also supporting TUC campaign.
TUC argues that a shorter week allows workers to share in the wealth generated by new technologies like machine learning and robotics, just like when they won the right to have the weekend off during the industrial revolution.
TUC economic head Kate Bell said it would reduce the stress of juggling work and family life and could improve gender equality. Companies that have tried it say it’s better for productivity and staff wellbeing.
A recent survey of 3,000 employees in eight countries including the United States, Britain and Germany found that nearly half thought they could easily finish their tasks in five hours a day if they did not have interruptions, but many are exceeding 40 hours a week anyway – with the United States leading the way, where 49 percent said they worked overtime.
“There has been work creep. Because you always have the technology, you are always working, so people are getting burned out,” said Dan Schawbel, director of executive development firm Future Workplace, which conducted the survey.
