According to research from Flexa, 48% of people looking for jobs want a four-day working week. I am not surprised by this, and expect the figure will be far higher in another 12 months or so.
We have been operating within the constraints of a five-day working week since the 1900s, and now we are heading into 2025, something needs to change. People, in their public and private lives, are under more pressure than ever and mental health issues are increasing. Why wouldn’t people want a better work-life balance?
Change is already being discussed at the highest levels of the UK workforce. The Deputy Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, Angela Rayner, recently hit the headlines after suggesting that four-day working weeks could improve productivity in local government. It will not be long before this form of flexible working dominates the discussion around recruitment and retention; businesses, and the HR teams within them, need to be prepared.
Productivity Boost With Less Stress
To be clear, when referencing a four-day working week, I am not referring to a week in which employees painfully compress their hours across four days so that they can have a fifth free. Instead, I am talking about a ‘true’ four-day working week, with no additional hours or reduction in pay. The former simply does not bring the same benefits to staff or businesses.
The individual employee benefits of a true four-day working week, which I have witnessed first-hand in my company, include a boost in productivity, reduced stress and increased engagement. Businesses will benefit too. It is worth noting that workplace sickness levels in the UK are at the highest and most disruptive they have ever been, and employers desperately need a solution.
It should come as no surprise that employees who have an extra day off show lower levels of stress, burnout and sickness which can all lead to short and long-term illness. Organisations committed to being a ‘business for good’ or gaining B Corp certification will also be pleased to know that a four-day working week can help reduce commuting employees’ carbon footprints and wider gas and electric use.
Finally, when listing job vacancies referencing a four-day working week as a benefit, the quality and quantity of candidates applying increases tenfold. I believe these results would be replicated across all businesses no matter the industry or sector.
Four-Day Week: a Long-Overdue Discussion
I understand that switching staff to a four-day format can be a daunting step. But, if managed properly, it can be a worthwhile one. There are an abundance of resources online about how best to transition, and my own tips would include easing staff into the mindset of a four-day working week, believing in the idea and giving it time to flourish, and perhaps most importantly, ensuring you plan and communicate the changes effectively.
If organisations choose to ignore this and the ever-growing amount of research that highlights the benefits of a four-day working week, it is reasonable to say that they will be losing out on recruiting a huge proportion of potential talent – 48 percent to be precise. Secondly, to add insult to injury, they run the risk of reduced retention rates, with employees moving to more progressive businesses with a shorter week as the movement becomes more mainstream.
If we want our employees to be healthier and happier, and in return, boost our businesses and take pride in working for us, we need to start treating them like the adults they are and trusting them to get on and do their jobs.
Overlooking this long-overdue and heavily in-demand discussion will not make the idea go away, and will only serve to negatively impact both your recruitment and retention efforts.
Alex Voakes is the CEO of Peak PEO, the people-led Employer of Record, consistently providing a friendly, expert, and personalised service to support businesses around the globe.
The company has over 25 years of experience in the sector and its people-led approach has been finely tuned to guide its clients through the intricacies of global workforce management and expansion. Peak isn’t just about good business – it is 100% committed to being a force for good in the world.
By teaming up with B1G1, The Better Business Act and 4DayWeek, the company is committing to being a great place to work whilst also giving back to society and the planet.