You wake up in the morning, and the first thought that penetrates the fog in your mind is, “Yes, it’s Friday!” Then, as the haze lifts a bit, the truth breaks through. “Dang. It’s actually Thursday.” So you drag yourself out of bed and get ready for the day, realizing that your slog through the workweek is only 60 percent complete. But what if Thursday became your Friday? Many companies have experimented with the flexibility offered by a four-day workweek, and they’re finding that the arrangement offers advantages in recruiting, work-life balance for employees, productivity, and the corporate bottom line. It can improve business.
As an Inc. article makes clear, four-day workweeks won’t fit every business or every worker’s situation. For example, if customer service is key to your success, you don’t want to leave your phones unanswered each Friday.
However, a shortened week can offer several benefits to companies that are willing to give it a try.
Here are five ways a four-day workweek could improve business:
1. A stronger competitive position in recruiting.
Companies are constantly trying to come up with new perks to offer in their efforts to attract the best, most talented workers. While free snacks and nap pods may seem like the way to go, better work-life balance is much more meaningful.
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“A 2016 Jobvite study found that 41 percent of talent see work-life balance as one of the most valuable things they look for in a job,” the Inc. article says. “Furthermore, a 2015 FlexJobs survey found that 30 percent of employees would take a 10-20 percent pay cut if it meant having a more flexible work schedule. Switching to a four-day workweek will give you a competitive advantage in recruiting that talent.”
2. Healthier employees.
The workweek of many Americans is not only five days long, but is also five long days. Instead of 40 hours, many people work 45, 50, or more every week. The problem is, more time in the office doesn’t necessarily translate into more work getting done.
Those long hours are taking their toll on workers’ physical and mental health, leading to high stress levels, sleep problems, and lower productivity. “By moving to a four-day workweek, everybody has the chance to rest, decompress, and come back into the office ready to go,” the Inc. article notes. “You might be surprised how much better employees perform in less time.”
3. Rested workers.
Speaking of rest, have you ever noticed how much your productivity increases when your attentiveness is due to a good night’s sleep and not based on your chosen caffeine delivery system?
People need sleep, and many Americans who toil in the five-day, 50-plus-hour grind of the regular workweek aren’t getting enough. A Business Insider article says studies show that workers who get more rest have clearer thinking and higher productivity. “Indeed, a 2011 study found that when members of the Stanford University basketball team added 90 minutes of sleep to their routine for more than five weeks, they were able to sprint faster and shoot more accurately.”
4. Increased profitability.
It may seem counterintuitive to say that a company can earn more money by having its workers spend less time in the office, but several businesses have found that to be the case. That’s because their employees tend to make better use of the hours they do spend at work, ramping up productivity and boosting the bottom line.
At the same time, closing the office every Friday could save on utilities and other infrastructure expenses. And when your employees are more relaxed, they won’t have the stress that leads to “higher employee healthcare cost, lost clients due to poor customer service, and expensive employee turnover,” the Inc. article says.
5. Flexibility in scheduling.
Instituting a four-day workweek doesn’t have to mean giving your employees every Friday off. Just as a shorter week offers more flexibility for workers, it can also enhance flexibility for companies.
For example, if you shift to four, 10-hour days, you could also alter your schedule, asking people to start work early on each of the days that they are on the clock. Or, the Inc. article says, you can give employees bi-weekly days off, asking that they work one full week, followed by a short week. Managing such flexibility requires some effort, but it could actually help you cover more hours on any given day, and it may improve workers’ ability to really dig into and complete big projects.
Again, a four-day workweek won’t be the answer for every business. But if it will allow you to improve your employees’ mental and physical health, help them build better work-life balance, give you a recruiting edge, and enhance your company’s bottom line, it might be worth giving a shorter week a try.
Check out more benefits of allowing employees a flexible schedule.
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