10 Reasons Why a 4-Day Work Week Could Be a Bad Idea

It’s no secret that the 4-day work week has become increasingly popular over the years. For employees, the system translates to longer weekends, while companies appreciate the increased productivity that results from less time spent at work. However, just like the 5-day work week, 4-day work week systems come with their own flaws, as explained below. 

A 4-day work week could be a bad idea because it may reduce overall customer satisfaction, especially if operations come to a halt. If not well implemented, the system can negatively affect company-wide communication, while unsynchronized working hours can end up stressing out the employees. 

In the rest of this article, I’ll discuss in more detail why a 4-day work week could be a bad idea. If you’re considering implementing this change in your company, or if your employer is considering a 4-day week, keep reading so you know what to expect. 

1. The Change May Result in Decreased Customer Satisfaction

A 4-day work week might sound great to employees, and it may even appeal to some employers looking to cut some costs and increase employee retention, but one group this schedule doesn’t favor much is the customer. 

Customers expect an almost immediate response when seeking services from a company, which is hard enough even with a normal schedule. 

If a company only has employees working four days a week, their customer service will likely decrease because they cannot support their customers whenever they need assistance. 

Customers prefer speaking to a live agent over a chatbot, but a company may have no choice but to rely on chatbot technology if they don’t have employees working as often. 

Decreased customer satisfaction is a surefire way to lose clientele as they’ll prefer buying from easily accessible companies with superior customer service. 

While reduced customer satisfaction may result in just a slight decrease in sales and performance, it could also have lasting negative impacts on a business’s success. For example, if a company’s sales and profit margins decrease significantly, it may have to start laying people off or decreasing salaries. 

Ultimately, one of a company’s primary goals is to make its customers happy and work towards getting more business. If a customer cannot reach someone within the company and chooses to go elsewhere, the company will almost certainly suffer. And if a company’s profitability margins reduce, everyone who works for the company will likely feel the heat as well.  

2. Companies Could Justify Inferior Working Conditions

A company might be compelled to implement a 4-day work week to increase employee retention. However, some companies might view the 4-day work week as the ultimate incentive and fail to work on other areas that can improve the work environment.  

For instance, a company that implements the 4-day work week might use the system to justify cutting back on other areas, such as decreasing salaries, reducing vacation time, and even limiting career growth opportunities. 

A poll in Britain revealed that 80% of workers wouldn’t favor fewer working hours if it meant a lower wage, but the companies considering this change are likely to cut salaries to make up for the cost of hiring part-time employees or the loss of work on the fifth day of the week.  

Furthermore, employers may be less apt to give sufficient vacation time or offer opportunities that workers value if they grant a shorter work week. 

Some companies may view a shorter work week as the ultimate “gift” to employees and therefore be less motivated to improve the work environment in other ways. Additionally, they may be less likely to be forgiving of absences and unexpected time off. 

In reality, a more flexible work week is just one of many ways that a company should support its employees, but some companies may not see it that way. This viewpoint could result in unfavorable working conditions for employees. 

3. The Change or Transition Might Not Be Smooth

Switching from a normal work schedule to a 4-day work week might not be straightforward for all employees. While some might relish the prospect of working 4 days a week, others might not be too open to adjusting their work schedules. 

As a result, companies must work together with all employees to ensure that everyone is on board and willing to adjust to the changes. 

The transition can take anywhere from weeks to even months, which besides being costly on the part of the company, can prove overwhelming for employees. 

If not well handled, the shift in work schedules can lead to increased stress levels and reduced performance. 

Moreover, even after a successful transition, staff members will still require a considerable amount of time to fully adjust and operate at peak levels. 

Therefore, companies must prepare their staff members adequately to ensure they develop a positive attitude towards the change and understand what is expected of them. 

4. Communication Might Be More Challenging

If all employees aren’t working the same schedule, it might become more complicated to get everyone in the same room at the same time for meetings and company updates. 

Therefore, some employees might miss some news, or they might get a different message than their coworkers. Disorganized communication can result in a lack of clarity regarding company goals and targets. 

However, this doesn’t have to be the case. Most companies that implement the 4-day work week give their employees the same day off, such as making every weekend a three-day weekend and giving employees every Friday off. 

In these circumstances, employees will still be on the same schedule, and meetings can occur any day other than Friday. 

Something else to consider is that the rest of the world won’t be following suit with the 4-day work week, at least not right away. Therefore, if you need to work with another company, it may be difficult to schedule time to meet with them and communicate with them if you’re following entirely different schedules.  

5. Employees Might End Up Working on the 5th Day Anyway

Adjusting to a new work schedule can be a challenge, and if employees aren’t getting their work done in the four days, they may feel pressured to work on the fifth day (their day “off”) to catch up. 

Working on this extra day eliminates the entire point of making the change in the first place and reduces any potential benefits. 

Additionally, some may view this schedule change as a “test” or a way to prove themselves to employers. Those who can use their extra day off to work or get ahead will, but others, such as those with families or other responsibilities they must tend to with their day off, will be disadvantaged. 

Some employers may view those who don’t use their day off to work as lazy or not worthy of career advancement, which puts some at a distinct disadvantage. 

6. 4-Day Work Weeks Do Not Guarantee Increased Productivity

While the whole idea of working 4-days a week is to improve work-life balance and overall productivity, no work schedule or system can be 100% successful. 

As such, a company must put the necessary measures in place to ensure the work environment is conducive for all employees. 

Transitioning to a 4-day work week requires patience, especially when getting started. The institution must invest in either training or providing additional resources to employees to ensure they understand expectations and how to achieve set work targets.

Failure to implement a 4-day work week well enough increases the chances of disharmony at work. And even worse, it can lead to reduced productivity if staff members are not onboarded accordingly and given time to adjust.

7. A 4-Day Work Week Decreases Synchronized Non-Work Hours

There will always be some people who work during “non-work” hours, such as bartenders, cooks, bus drivers, and many others who work a graveyard shift or anything other than a traditional 9-5. 

However, currently, most people have similar working hours, which establishes a synchronized non-work time amongst a community.

Having more people on a similar schedule allows communities to spend more time together. For example, event planning is a lot easier when someone knows when most people will likely be at work, or arranging playdates for children is simpler when the parents’ work schedules align.   

8. Employers Might Have Unfair Expectations

Reducing the number of days an employee works per week can increase productivity because employees will have more time to rest and get other things done, so they’re less distracted during workdays. However, they are still humans who can only do so much in a day!

Companies may expect their employees to get the same amount of work done in fewer hours if they switch to a 4-day work week. This expectation is stressful for the employees and may only set their employers up for disappointment. 

Additionally, employers might have bloated expectations because they’re expecting the 4-day work week to fail, so they might be more prone to search for faults or mistakes to prove a lack of productivity due to the change. Therefore, employees might need to step up their game, especially the first couple of months after the change, as employers are evaluating if this is a positive change or not. 

9. This Change Could Cause Tension 

If employers cannot offer a 4-day work week to all their employees, this is a recipe for tension and frustration amongst coworkers, which can bring down the overall morale in the workplace. 

For example, if someone wants a 4-day work week after seeing how much other employees enjoy the schedule, and the employer cannot grant them this flexibility, they may develop negative attitudes and feel less inclined to work as hard for their employer. 

Another possible result of tension is that coworkers may view anyone working a 4-day work week as lazy or incompetent, which could lead to disagreements and arguments. Just as employers might have higher expectations for those working one fewer day a week, coworkers might have the same idea, contributing to increased feelings of stress. 

Ultimately, everyone works best in a workplace that is as positive and equal as possible, and different work weeks don’t lend themselves to creating this kind of successful environment. Even if employers can grant everyone a 4-day work week, some employees may be happier with the change than others, leading to disagreement and disgruntled feelings. 

10. Employees May Experience More Stress

If employees are expected to get the same amount of work done in fewer days, they may become extremely stressed, especially if their employers have unrealistically high expectations. Stress has extremely negative effects on someone’s health and productivity. 

As a result, companies must work hard to ensure that the transition to a 4-day work week is smooth. This means preparing employees for the anticipated shift in work schedules.  

Additionally, senior management must also avoid overburdening staff members with unrealistic expectations, which can further increase overall stress levels. 

Human bodies are meant to respond to stress to keep us alert, but when someone is constantly exposed to stress without relief (such as increasingly stressful work weeks), their health suffers. Here is what stress can do to the body: 

• Increased heartburn 

• Shortened breaths 

• Increased risk of heart attack 

• Difficulty conceiving, for both men and women 

• Erectile dysfunction 

• Irregular menstrual cycle

• Increased anxiety and depression 

• Difficulty sleeping 

• Weakened immune system 

• Higher risk for type-2 diabetes 

• Increased blood pressure 

• Increased stomach aches 

• Difficulty digesting 

• Lower sex drive

• Lower sperm production and maturation 

• Breakouts on the skin

• Hair loss 

In addition to being negative for a person’s health, stress causes many employees to be less productive, which negatively affects their work output and the overall company’s success. 

Stress also weighs on the body and drains one’s energy, which makes it impossible to get everything done in just four days. Ultimately, employees working under this schedule may become emotionally and physically drained, eventually reducing their overall productivity.  

Employers and employees should be working together to reduce stress, not make it worse. If implemented correctly and with fair expectations, a 4-day work week might alleviate some stress, but if it isn’t implemented with fair expectations, it may only cause more stress. 

Sources 

• Small Business Trends: 82% of Consumers Expect Immediate Response on Sales or Marketing Questions 

• Connecticut Law Review: Sprawl, Family Rhythms, and the Four-Day Work Week 

• Journal of Business and Management: Employee Retention: A Review of Literature 

• The Guardian: Four-Day Week? Not If It Means a Pay Cut, Say British Workers  

• International Journal of Accounting Research: Effects of Stress on Employee Productivity