4 vs. 5 Day Workweek: Which Is Actually Better?
The concept of a 4-day workweek is rising in popularity. While it definitely has its critics, they are few and far apart compared to the overwhelming majority who think it is a great idea. If this is news to you, you may wonder how a 4-day workweek could benefit both workers and the companies they work for.
A 4-day workweek consists of 32 work hours instead of the typical 40 work hours per week of the 5-day workweek model. The 4-day workweek is better as it enhances work-life balance, leading to increased productivity and lower worker burnout. However, it may not be suitable for all industries.
In this article, both 4-day and 5-day workweeks will be explored and compared to reach a conclusion about which workweek schedule is a win-win for both employer and employee. If this is a topic you might be interested in, keep reading to learn more.
What Is a 4-Day Workweek?
The 4-day workweek consists of 4 days of 8-hour shifts, bringing the number of working hours per week up to – or should I say, down to 32 hours. The workweek model typically used across most industries is the 5-day workweek consisting of 5 days of 8-hour shifts.
However, the COVID pandemic changed the way we work for both better and worse. We learned that many types of work spanning different industries could be done remotely from home and that one does not need to be physically in an office to be productive.
This observation unlocked new learning and working models to keep the world moving while COVID wreaked havoc on economies around the globe. It was only a matter of time before people realized that the same results could be achieved with fewer hours at the office.
How a 4-Day Workweek Works
The idea of the 4-day workweek is to bring the number of hours worked per week down to 32 hours without a loss in productivity or business – and most importantly, without a loss to the worker’s pay or benefits provided the work is done. Work days would be Mondays to Thursdays, with Fridays off.
Consequently, shifting the emphasis from hours logged to results bolsters productivity. After all, why get the job done in 40 hours when you can do it in 32 hours? However, it remains to be seen if calls to standardize the 4-day workweek from both public and private sectors will be welcomed by companies.
Pros of a 4-Day Workweek
The benefits of a 4-day workweek are undeniable. They are hard to argue against, even by the most determined critics. It is not only individuals who can benefit from this workweek model, but society and even the environment have much to gain from it.
Here are the pros of a 4-day workweek:
It improves work-life balance.
It is cost-efficient.
It is better for the environment.
It decongests commuter traffic.
It is good for mental health.
It increases productivity and sales.
It fosters good relationships between employers and employees.
Let’s explore these pros in detail below:
It Improves Work-Life Balance
Work-life balance seems to be the stuff of legends for many hardworking employees out there. Having to work five days a week can leave you too tired to do anything recreational on your days off. The list of things to do around the house and other pressing personal matters take precedence over rest and enjoyment.
Before you know it, it’s Monday again, and you don’t feel rested or recharged for another week of corporate toil. As time passes, work stress can spill over into your personal life and affect your mood at home, relationships, and even your health. However, work-life balance can be restored, or at least steps can be taken towards it with a 4-day workweek.
It Is More Cost-Efficient
A 4-day workweek decreases the cost to travel to and from work daily. Whether you take the public commute or drive a car, money is spent on your daily trips to work. Therefore, reducing the work days in a week is cost-cutting.
It may not seem like a compelling enough reason for companies to rewrite work policies, but when you sum up the costs saved from one day’s expense for the work commute, you’ll be surprised that quite a big chunk comes out of your total monthly expenses for traveling to work.
It Is Better for the Environment
The COVID-19 pandemic forced public life to slow down drastically, and its impact was seen on different ecosystems. For instance, while tourist activity reached a standstill in tropical destinations worldwide, marine life flourished.
Likewise, fewer work days could mean fewer people on the daily commute, which can decrease the volume of commuter traffic, reducing pollution and carbon footprint. As you can see, the environment benefits from policies that decrease the volume of human activity at a given time.
It Is Good for Mental Health
As mentioned earlier, work-life balance is not the rule; it is the exception. Those who enjoy it are few and far apart, and this needs to change. The alarming trends of declining mental health merit a deeper study of the culture, societal expectations, and what can be done to address the looming mental health crisis.
Work often becomes the primary stressor for people suffering from anxiety and depression. And even those who have no history of these mental health conditions can develop them when they are consumed by work. Therefore, a shortened work week provides another day of respite from the stressful and often toxic workplace.
It Increases Productivity and Sales
Chronic stress resulting from a lack of rest and recreation affects mood and creativity. These, in turn, affect one’s productivity and ability to collaborate with other working team members.
Furthermore, burnout leads to a high turnover rate which impacts the company’s operations. On the other hand, well-rested employees come back to work recharged and motivated. This improves the mood and increases creativity, thereby enhancing productivity, which benefits the company.
It Fosters Good Relationships Between Employers and Employees
A 4-day workweek shows that a company cares about the well-being of its employees. And
employees who feel cared for by their employers tend to perform better. Furthermore, mutual trust and respect between employer and employee reduce workplace tension.
Together, all these reasons make a compelling case for the 4-day workweek. The world could always do with healthier, happier people. The environment also reaps the benefits of a 4-day workweek. It’s not a cure-all solution, but it’s definitely a good start.
Cons of a 4-Day Workweek
Naturally, the 4-day workweek has its cons. Under certain circumstances, a 4-day workweek just isn’t sustainable. For some industries like the health sector, the closest they can ever come to a 4-day workweek is a compressed workweek which entails 4-days of 12-hour shifts. Evidently, the 4-day workweek isn’t possible for the healthcare sector.
Here are the cons of the 4-day workweek:
It can cause staff scheduling problems.
It isn’t doable for companies with a staff shortage.
The shortened work hours per week can increase pressure to meet deadlines.
Let’s explore these cons in detail below:
It Can Cause Staff Scheduling Problems
A shortened workweek means operations only run from Monday to Thursday. For some industries, this isn’t doable. However, there is a workaround for this that merits further observation. Having flexible off days for different employees ensures that operations can continue on Fridays.
It Isn’t Doable for Companies With a Staff Shortage
Short-staffed companies cannot pull off a 4-day workweek. As mentioned in the previous section, flexible off days ensure that staff is available to cover the Friday shifts; however, it is harder to rotate staff when the company doesn’t have enough of them.
The Shortened Work Hours Per Week Can Increase Pressure To Meet Deadlines
Not all employees can be efficient under pressure, and the pressure of a shorter deadline can become a source of stress. For this reason, some employees do not mind the 5-day workweek and even prefer it because it eases the pressure of meeting quotas in fewer days.
While the pros certainly outnumber the cons, there is still much hesitation to adopt a 4-day workweek model. Perhaps with more time, the 4-day workweek model can be improved to eliminate its challenges.
What Is a 5-Day Workweek, and How Does It Work?
The 5-day workweek needs no introduction. It is the most commonly used workweek model. It consists of 5 working days with 8-hour shifts. These days, it is less preferred by most than the 4-day workweek. However, there was a time when the 5-day workweek was the golden workweek model that progressive companies aspired to.
The idea of getting work done in less time began in 1926 when Ford Motor Co. began an experiment to step away from a 6-day workweek to adopt a 5-day workweek. By July of that year, the experiment was implemented as company policy, and companies across all industries followed suit.
Pros of a 5-Day Workweek
Compared to the 6-day workweek, the 5-day workweek is an improvement. But even compared to the 4-day workweek, it still has its merits. Because of the challenges presented by the 4-day workweek, the 5-day workweek is still the preferred model of many companies.
Here are some pros of the 5-Day workweek:
It is the best workweek model for enterprises that operate on weekdays.
It reduces the pressure of complying with quotas or deadlines in a shorter amount of time.
It ensures the continuity of operations of the service sector.
It is the best model for collaborative work.
Let’s explore these pros in detail below:
It Is the Best Workweek Model for Enterprises That Operate on Weekdays
A 5-day workweek model best serves enterprises that operate on weekdays and take weekends off. This ensures that shifts are covered from Monday until Friday. This makes staffing schedules as efficient as possible.
On the other hand, a 4-day workweek model would require that some employees have flexible days off to ensure that the Friday shift is covered. This can be inconvenient and not always sustainable.
It Reduces the Pressure of Complying With Quotas or Deadlines in a Shorter Amount of Time
The 4-day workweek may not be as popular in industries with jobs that have weekly quotas or deadlines because of the pressure to finish the same amount of work in less time. This can be highly stressful. However, a 5-day workweek eases the pressure to meet deadlines and reduces the stress related to it.
It Ensures the Continuity of Operations of the Service Sector
The service sector operates every day of the week. This means staffing is done to ensure that all posts are manned at all operational times of the day. Therefore, a 4-day workweek would be unsustainable because it can only work if the employees are in excess, which goes against the company’s interests.
Increasing the number of workers to accommodate a 4-day workweek means the company will have more people on its payroll. And not only would they be paying the basic rate for hours served, but they would also have to pay benefits. Essentially, they would be paying more people for work achievable by fewer people.
It Is the Best Model for Collaborative Work
The 5-day workweek is the best model for collaborative work in enterprises that operate on weekdays. It usually means that work is done in teams. On the other hand, in a 4-day workweek model, the staff would have to be split into shifts to ensure that the other group covers the days off of one group.
Cons of the 5-Day Workweek
The 5-day workweek was considered the progressive model at the time of its conception, but lately, it has developed a “bad” rep. Perhaps this is because times have changed since 1926. The complexity of work in modern society has increased work-related stress to such an extent that 5-days of work a week are work days too many.
All the cons of the 5-day workweek have already been discussed in more detail under the pros of the 4-day workweek, so I will only mention them briefly here. They are:
Impaired work-life balance. The stresses of work can spill over into one’s personal life when the time given to rest does not meet the employee’s needs.
Higher cost of commuting. More time and money are spent on five days of commuting compared to 4 days.
Increased rate of work absences. Overworked employees can become sick, and this will lead to workplace absences.
It can lead to burnout. Excessive workplace stress and working too much can lead to burnout.
It can breed poor workplace relations. Chronic states of stress can affect moods and temperaments. This can lead to workplace tension between colleagues.
Conclusion
All things considered, the 4-day workweek is better than the 5-day workweek – although it’s not without its challenges. It would be a welcome change if the problems that come with the 4-day workweek model can be overcome.