The Pros and Cons of a 4-10 Work Schedule Explained
More businesses and companies are rethinking the standard five-day work week and implementing alternative schedules, such as the 4-10 schedule. While this schedule has a lot of benefits, it isn't the perfect solution for everyone.
The 4-10 work schedule promotes a better work-life balance and improves employees' productivity and overall happiness. However, this schedule could also cause problems like schedule incompatibility, conflict, confusion, and tension.
Let's take a closer look at this schedule and its advantages and disadvantages. By the end of this article, you'll have a better understanding of what this compressed schedule could do for a company and its employees, for better or worse. I'll also provide tips on implementing this schedule if you want to try it at your company.
The Pros of a 4-10 Work Schedule
The 4-10 work schedule may be a little scary at first as it’s a deviation from the norm, but there are many reasons why a business or company might benefit from this compressed schedule. Let's take a look at some of the advantages of a 4-10 schedule:
A Compressed Schedule May Be More Appealing to Top Talent
The job market can be competitive for employees and employers. Employees are always seeking opportunities that will help them grow and allow them to live a comfortable life and support their loved ones. Employers always look for reliable and skilled workers to improve their company or product.
One of the best ways an employer can attract new and promising talent to their company is to offer flexible scheduling, including the 4-10 schedule. A four-day work week is appealing to almost all US-based workers; a whopping 92% of employees said they wanted a four-day work week in a study by Qualtrics.
Therefore, if your company isn't able to offer an elite candidate higher pay or more paid time off, something you can put on the table to give yourself some leverage in the labor market is a flexible schedule.
Flexible scheduling isn't just a way to attract new talent–it's also a great way to keep the talent you have. Employee turnover is costly, time-consuming, and hinders productivity, so it is far better for a company to focus on keeping its employees happy than always searching for new candidates.
As much as 80% of employees are more likely to be loyal to their current company if more flexible work options were available, according to research by FlexJobs. Some would even take a pay cut if that meant more flexible schedule options: more than 25% of those surveyed said they'd agree to a 20% pay cut for a four-day work week.
Of course, offering a 4-10 work schedule isn't the only way to retain employees. You'll also need to offer competitive pay, adequate time off, and benefits packages. However, if working at your company gives someone more freedom to spend their time how they'd like and develop a more well-rounded lifestyle, they're more likely to stay at your company and work hard.
The Extra Day Off Promotes a Better Work-Life Balance
With the 4-10 schedule, employees get a whole extra day off every week to do as they'd please. This opens up a realm of possibilities, including the opportunity to go on more weekend trips, develop a hobby, work on a side hustle, or simply spend more time with loved ones instead of being stuck in the office.
Employees are not just employees–they're people who have limited time in a day to work and carry out other activities that suit their responsibilities and interests. If someone cannot meet their work and personal commitments and expectations, they're more likely to become unhappy and therefore become less productive at work.
Three days off instead of just two allows employees to relax and perform the other tasks expected of them or that they desire to do. If someone doesn't have a good work-life balance and spends more time working than doing other activities, they're likely to feel tired and anxious. This can hinder their professional development and prevent them from becoming the best possible employee (or the best possible person).
In addition to a lack of productivity at work, a work-life imbalance can lead to the following complications:
Damage to overall well-being.
Drug or alcohol abuse.
Low family satisfaction.
Decrease in family involvement and closeness.
Sacrificing work hours to accomplish other tasks.
Overall, it is best for everyone if a company encourages work-life balance, and a great way to do that is by giving employees three days off a week instead of just two. In New Zealand, a company called Perpetual Guardian implemented the four-day workweek and noticed a 45% increase in work-life balance.
Employees Are Less Likely To Miss Work
If an employee has a long to-do list and not everything gets accomplished over the weekend, they might choose to miss work to tend to those tasks. However, more time off means more time to run errands, go to appointments, care for children or other family members, and do any of the other various tasks that an employee may be responsible for.
As a result, a flexible schedule will likely lead to decreased absences from employees at work, which helps the company's overall productivity and function.
This Schedule Is Better for Commuters
If someone works one day less a week than before, they'll need to come to the office one day less a week. This can save a lot of time and money, depending on how long someone's commute is. It can also help reduce their carbon footprint and your company's environmental impact as a whole.
The time saved on the commute can further improve an employee's work-life balance.
Four-Day Workweeks Can Be Good for the Environment
If you can offer all your employees the 4-10 schedule, you can close down your office for one extra day a week. Not only will this save your company money on energy and electricity bills, but it's also better for the environment! Imagine just how much power you’ll save by not opening your office for one full day.
When Microsoft Japan allowed their employees to work four days a week during the summer, they noticed a 23% decrease in electricity costs and 60% fewer printed pages.
Employees Are Likely To Be More Productive and Happier
With this schedule, employees get more time off, can accomplish a better work-life balance, and spend less time commuting to and from work. Therefore, they're likely to be happier, as well!
In New Zealand, the company Perpetual Guardian noticed a 20% increase in productivity after starting the four-day work week and a 27% decrease in stress levels. The best companies are supported by productive and happy employees, so the four-day work week might just be what your company needs!
The Cons of a 4-10 Work Schedule
Now that you know the benefits of a compressed schedule, it is important to make yourself aware of the downsides as well. Here are some things to keep in mind:
Employers Might Have an Issue With the Payroll Schedule
More flexible scheduling may lead to confusion with the payroll schedule, especially if some employees are still working 5-8. Additionally, a schedule change could impact whether your company complies with overtime pay rules.
Employee Schedules Might Be Incompatible
If only some of your employees can take on the four-day work week and the rest are still on the traditional 5-8 schedule, you might encounter communication problems when someone needs to consult a fellow employee who has the day off.
Furthermore, you cannot control what schedule other companies choose to follow. If you need to contact someone outside the company during working hours, or if someone needs to contact someone on your team, you could also run into incompatibility issues there.
There’s a Possibility of Tension Amongst Coworkers
If you cannot offer everyone the opportunity to work the 4-10 schedule instead of a traditional 5-8, the disparity may cause tension or frustration amongst coworkers. Any negative feelings can bring down the overall morale of a company and make people less happy about showing up to work.
Furthermore, it can be difficult to schedule meetings or deliver information to everyone simultaneously if people have different work schedules. This can result in miscommunication, which may lead to further negative feelings within the company.
Not Everyone Benefits From a 4-10 Schedule
While most employees claim they would prefer a four-day work week over a five-day work week, not everyone would benefit from this change. Some people are used to the schedule the way it is now, and an abrupt change could hinder their productivity and comfortability in the job.
Furthermore, families that rely on daycare may not be able to adjust to the new hours that a 4-10 schedule demands. Some people may simply prefer working five days a week instead of just four and might have difficulty adjusting to the change.
Additionally, customers may suffer or be inconvenienced if companies shift to a 4-10 work week. For example, if a customer needs assistance on a Friday (typically the day that those on 4-10 work weeks get off), they're out of luck for the entire weekend.
Tips for Implementing a 4-10 Work Schedule
If, after reading through the pros and cons of a 4-10 work schedule, you think this is the right schedule for your company and your employees, that's great! However, you might need some help and guidance implementing this change.
Here are some tips:
Ask your employees to determine their interests. Maybe you think the 4-10 schedule is a great idea, but your employees might disagree. Before you make the change, ask for feedback to garner interest. You may find that many of your employees would be unhappy with this kind of schedule, which takes away from the benefits mentioned above.
Use employee scheduling software. This kind of software can help manage and track employee schedules and payroll to create the best possible schedules that work for as many people as possible. It can also help you arrange company-wide meetings that most employees can attend.
Check local labor laws. The schedule change can trigger violations of overtime laws. For example, if someone works a shift longer than ten hours in California, they must be compensated extra for overtime. It is important to be aware of these laws so your employees are getting paid fairly and you aren't violating any laws.
Establish office hours that require everyone to be present. You may find it helpful to determine a specific day or set of hours during the week for everyone to be in the office, just in case you need to call a company-wide meeting or make announcements. This way, you'll decrease the possibility of miscommunication and confusion.
Be patient. It may take some employees some time to adjust to the new schedule, so don't expect perfection and massive productivity increases immediately. Instead, be patient and give your employees some time to adjust. If employees are still uncomfortable after six months or you haven’t noticed a change in morale or productivity, then you should start to question why this may be.
Continue to ask for feedback. Sometimes a 4-10 schedule simply doesn't work, no matter how much the employers and employees want it to. You should continue to talk to your employees and listen to their thoughts and concerns throughout this change. If any of your employees are expressing concern or discontent with the new schedule, maybe you should reevaluate your decision.
If you follow the above tips and listen to your employees, you can determine and implement the best schedule for your company and your workers.
Final Thoughts
Most employees claim they'd prefer a 4-10 schedule over the traditional 5-8, and it's not difficult to see why. There are many benefits to this schedule, including increased productivity and happiness, better work-life balance, and less time and money spent on a commute.
However, this schedule is not the perfect solution. There are also disadvantages, including incompatible schedules, possible tension amongst workers, and the difficulties of change.
Sources
Business News Daily: How to Manage and Improve Employee Retention
Qualtrics: Most U.S. Employees Want a Four-Day Work Week Even if it Means Working Longer Hours
NPR: 4-Day Workweek Boosted Workers' Productivity by 40%, Microsoft Japan Says
Cision: Big Idea for the New Decade: 4 Day Week Phenomenon Told in New Book