The Pros
Increased Productivity
Normally, 20% less work means the same amount of work produced, but in Japan in 2019 they found that a four-day work week increased productivity. It was so productive that the program saw a 40% increase in their productivity. They also reduced the cost of their buildings by reducing electricity and the amount of paper used.
Cost Savings
A study was done to show the cost savings compared to a normal 5-day work week. It concluded that 51% of business leaders reported saving. These savings come from less money being spent on utilities like water and electricity, as well as lower facilities costs.
Motivation
A study was done to show the cost savings compared to a normal 5-day work week. It concluded that 51% of business leaders reported saving. These savings come from less money being spent on utilities like water and electricity, as well as lower facilities costs.
Less Down Time
When moving to a 4-day work week, studies show that employees are taking fewer sick days. The reason for this is that employees are able to take more time for themselves. They can go to doctors' appointments and other personal business on their extra day off.
Autonomy
Every person in a management role wants their employees to take responsibility for their work. When you move to a 4-day work week, you give your employees autonomy. You need to trust them to get their work done, and they will hopefully put that power and turn it into ownership and participation.
Environmental Benefits
Every person in a management role wants their employees to take responsibility for their work. When you move to a 4-day work week, you give your employees autonomy. You need to trust them to get their work done, and they will hopefully put that power and turn it into ownership and participation.
The Cons
Scheduling
It'll be difficult to get customers to realize your new hours, as well as your staff. Normal meetings and other events can still happen in the week but sudden changes to the schedule or other business may have to be put on hold. You might have trouble finding a situation in which someone needs to be contacted but can't be. If there are too many problems, then we don't know that a 4-day work week is right for you.
Reduced Hours May Mean Reduced Work
To see a productive increase in work done is more of a coin flip. It all depends on the dedication of your team and if they are willing to stay on task. A way to solve this is still be able to entertain the fact of a 5-day week. It's hard to tell what path to go down, but you'll have to determine by how responsible your staff is. You may have to change how each employee is. You may find that your employees find this way better and like to be trusted with results.
Hourly Workers
People who work on salaries should be expected to do the same amount of work in the reduced hours. Hourly wages won't care as much on a project and might be forced to work overtime. This can cause prices to go up based on what kind of overtime your state requires. When getting paid overtime, there are two ways of getting it. The first being to work over 40 hours in a week, and to work over 8 hours in a day. You need to be aware of what your state requires when making this decision. This is where the idea of paying for progress and hours worked comes into play. This is why you need reliable employees to make sure they get their work done on time.
Added Stress
Businesses usually build a schedule around the fact that you'll have Friday or Monday off. This gives an extra day off for the employees to relax, but you still need to make up for this day. You do this by putting more stress on the days that they are working. If you are able to increase the time you get off by more than the stress they take on during the week, then it's a win for you. Otherwise, it's counterproductive.
Might Not Work For Every Employee
Some areas in a business may work better than others. It will be better for workers in office jobs and non-emergency positions to get an extra day when line workers and quickly changing jobs might have to stay for a day. This might affect the morale of the rest of the employees and cause resentment of you. Make sure you keep everything fair to all employees in your building, so this doesn't happen.