The latest buzz around the workplace and almost every place of business has been the 4-day work week. As farfetched as this idea might sound, several countries like New Zealand, Sweden, Iceland and most recently, the United Kingdom have slowly grown warm to the concept of the 3-day long weekend.
Now, any working individual, who pulls through the long haul of dealing with excel sheets and customer satisfaction might wonder, how such a favourable situation is even possible? Why would your uncompromising bosses allow their employees to work only 4 days a week? Won't the company lose money as a result?
Well, believe it or not, thanks to the post-pandemic era, there has been a huge global tectonic shift in the workforce. It proved that a lot could be done in fewer working hours and your home's comfortability. Productivity can be increased substantially with the help of state-of-the-art team connectivity, workflow and dashboard apps.

Thanks to our robot co-workers, AI technology has and will significantly change and disrupt every aspect of every industry in every country, including how and when we work. With the near future knocking at our doors, there will be an inevitable increase in remote and more flexible work schedules like the 4-day work week, thanks to the benefits of new technology. 

Not only does a 4-day work week increase employee satisfaction, loyalty towards the company and teamwork, but it also decompresses a stressed-out employee. Studies have shown that reducing employees' work schedules to a 4-day work week barely changes their productivity or company output.

Photo: Collected

A typical job holder, who commutes to and from his home to work, losing hours in the process, has a lot to gain from a 4-day workweek programme.

Reduced Costs

A four-day week can cut costs both for the employee and the employer. Employees would be able to curb the commute expenditure to a minimum, and expenses like lunch and tea during the day would no longer seem necessary. Additionally, the cost of keeping an office open one less day in the week would cause a significant drop in the running cost.

Happier Employees

Not many people will complain after having access to a three-day weekend. It leaves employees with more free time with an opportunity to improve their work-life balance. Having more free time to do things one loves or teach oneself a new skill will increase overall happiness and can help to increase loyalty to a company — it's a win-win.

Increase in Productivity Levels

The general theory behind a shorter week is that the outcome of happier, more fulfilled, and content employees are a more focused workforce. A New Zealand firm called Perpetual Guardian carried out a trial with the 4-day work week programme. The results found that 78 percent of employees could more effectively balance their work and home life. This was compared to 54 percent prior to the experiment.

A Smaller Carbon Footprint

The environmental benefits that come with a 4-day work week are as clear as day. Shorter working hours will result in a smaller carbon footprint. Fewer commuters mean fewer private cars and autorickshaws burning fuel on the road. Hence reducing our work week from 5 to 4 days could have an environmental benefit too.