Introducing a Four Day Working Week

Many employers are considering introducing a four-day working week. Many members of staff would like the contractual week to be four days per week.

Four Day Working Week Work Patterns

The four-day workweek promises exactly that: employees’ contracted time working is limited to just four days a week every week. There are different forms such as the compressed form, where workers still work a total 40 hours in just four days; the efficient form, where workers work 8 hours days for a total of 32 hours in a week; and the staggered form, where the office is still occupied throughout the week, and days off are spread throughout the team.

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Benefits of a Four Day Working Pattern

Four day work weeks have proven very popular with employees, but what are the benefits for employers? A 2022 study, looking at 61 companies in the UK, with almost 3000 workers, investigated exactly this. Over a six month period, the study found the following:

1. Better employee health. 71% of the study participants reported feeling less burnt out. Additionally, 65% fewer sick days were taken during this period, and especially fathers reported spending more time with their children.

2. Better staff retention and recruitment. With over 90% of study participants saying they want to keep the change, employers can use this to stand out. In fact, during the trial the number of staff resignations fell by 57%. Additionally, a separate study by Atom Bank found applications increased by 500% after implementing the four day work week.

3. Boosted productivity. In the study, 50% of participants said that the productivity in their organisation improved. Strikingly, when Microsoft Japan implemented the change in 2019, they reported an incredible 40% increase in productivity.

Shift patterns and a Four Day Working Week

So are four day work weeks the way of the future? Possibly. Whilst a four day work week is very compatible with office work, shift work risks being short staffed by such measures. Additionally, there are some concerns about reduced worker output. For example, the UK government issued a directive to local councils banning four-day work weeks, as it ‘does not offer good value to taxpayers’. Nonetheless, of the 61 companies that trialled the change, 57 chose to continue trialling or permanently implement the change. If the trend catches on everywhere, is still to be seen.

Is your organisation contemplating changes to its work structure but unsure of HR and the legal implications? HR First can guide your business through these contractual changes, ensuring a smooth transition while you work to improve your business.

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