Who doesn't love the idea of a three day weekend? The debate on a four day work week has returned this month, after a business in New Zealand gave it a go and decided to keep the four day week after the experiment was over. But surely losing an entire day of work, and paying your employees for an extra day off is going to negatively affect your business? We've been investigating whether the four day work week is awesome, or just plain awful.
How a company in New Zealand is embracing the four day work week
Perpetual Guardian is a trust and will company, and over the course of March and April every one of it's 240 employees worked a four day week, whilst still being paid for five. Andrew Barnes, the company founder and CEO, said 'We want people to be the best they can be while they’re in the office, but also at home. It’s the natural solution.'
The reports from the experiment have labelled it, 'an unmitigated success'. Employees reported that their work-life balance had improved, moving from 54% to 78% over the course of March and April. Staff stress levels also decreased by 7%, and there were no negative impacts to productivity. As such, the company are keen to implement the shorter week in the future.
What do we mean by the work-life balance?
The phrase, 'Work-life balance' is bounced around a lot, but what does it actually mean? In short, it's about finding that sweet spot between work and play; working the number of hours you need to whilst spending time on social pursuits, family and friends the rest of the time. It sounds simple enough, but many of us struggle to leave work in the office.
Checking your work emails after you've finished for the day, responding to a client when you're opening hours have long passed, or even just jotting down notes for a future meeting are a few sneaky little ways our work lives seep into our social lives. It's these kinds of pitfalls that can start to interrupt your work-life balance, because you're devoting a fair bit of mental energy to tasks that should stay in the office.
Obviously productivity is important, as is staying on top of your workload, but so is making the most of your time away from the desk. Putting down your work phone at the end of the day is good for your mental health and well-being, and your job - you're a lot less likely to burn out.
What are the benefits to a four day week?
The benefits to employees are numerous, as Perpetual Guardian found out. According to the Guardian, 'stimulation, commitment and a sense of empowerment at work all improved significantly, with overall life satisfaction increasing by 5 percentage points.'
A four day week is a great way to reduce stress and burnout. It encourages employees to work more efficiently to get the job done - which also means there's far less time to check Facebook, Twitter or reply to personal emails. This could easily lead to an increase in productivity, if your team is working hard and making better use of their time.
Fine, but what about the drawbacks?
This isn't to say the four day week would work for every company. If customers rely on your business all through the week, shutting up shop a day early may cause considerable disruption.
The Perpetual Guardian claims that,'Employees designed a number of innovations and initiatives to work in a more productive and efficient manner, from automating manual processes to reducing or eliminating non-work-related internet usage'.
Whilst it may be possible to automate some manual tasks, this isn't going to be an option for every business. If a large part of your job is fielding phone calls from clients, or meeting your customers outside the workplace, the four day week may not be a practical option.
Is it worth giving it a go?
Whilst the experiment worked for the Perpetual Guardian, the research into the four day week is still in its infancy. If you are looking to improve the mental health of your workforce, or just create a happier atmosphere, there are some smaller changes you could try implementing first.
When thinking about implementing a four day week, it's important to consider the impact this would have on your employees and your customers, as well as your business as a whole. Make sure to talk it through with your staff and your clients, trial it for a month and find a way to measure the impact it has on your business. The results may surprise you.
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