The four day work week trend
The covid-pandemic created a need for a change in how we work. This led to many businesses allocating more resources towards employee wellness programs, which gave rebirth to the four-day work week.
The four-day work week has been in circulation since the early nineteen hundreds, with various adaptions in the breakdown of days on and off. The previous generation referred to a ‘compressed work week’ consisting of a forty-hour week across four days. The latest variation set out by 4 Day Work Week Global, launched in New Zealand in 2018 follows the 100-80-100 principle, the model that is used focuses on 100% of the pay, for 80% of the time, in exchange for 100% of the productivity. The model suggests a thirty-two-hour work week, across four days.
Regardless of the model, the same ideology applies; a shorter week will lead to happier, healthier employees. South Africa, led by 4 Day Week SA, started its first pilot program in March 2023 and the second is soon to follow in June. Twenty-nine (relatively small) knowledge-based companies are taking part in the first trial, with their results expected in September.
The fundamental exchange that the four-day work week suggests is an increase in productivity if employees receive an additional day off a week, they will have more leisure time which will leave them more relaxed and less stressed. Employees can complete their work in a shorter time span, because they are more invigorated to work. A critical look presents a flurry of constraints, employers that run businesses that require manual labor to produce or assemble products know that less isn’t always more. It is important to consider how productivity is being measured for us to understand why even though, employees are working harder, they are not producing the same results. A true measure of productivity is output over input. The bottom-line is a sharp reminder that it is not always possible to accomplish more in less time.
Businesses have limited resources to achieve objectives. Serious consideration must be given to how these resources will be spent in order to realize these objectives. Executives and business owners are therefore urged to do a thorough root-cause analysis of what they are trying to solve before investing in a pilot implementation project. It takes significant time and effort to plan and implement a pilot and it also carries significant risk. Stakeholders expect management to act on their behalf and in their best interest, with good governance. It is critical that sufficient research and analysis be done to ensure when action is taken, it is done with a clear understanding of possible repercussions.
Please see the webinar hosted by SARA which discusses some of the key points surrounding the four day work week.