THE 4-DAY WORK WEEK

What if your boss tells you to take Friday off without any pay cuts? This would seem to pitch itself on a planet that is far away from reality, right? Yet, this dream may soon become a fact as Belgium becomes the latest country to introduce the 4 day work week after the UAE.

Employees will now be able to opt for a 4 day work week unrestrictively; however, they are still expected to work the same hours. Prime Minister Alexander de Croo hopes to see this bring forth a more dynamic economy with citizens being able to have a better work-life balance. Nevertheless, countries like Iceland have introduced the 4 day work week without requiring to compensate for lost working hours. 

Several studies suggest that productivity increases as the number of working hours drops. It also means more time for an individual to spend on personal things such as relationships, travel, education jobs, personality development, household management, etc. With employees having more time to themselves, employers get to see more consistency in productivity, fewer cases of burnouts, lower office operating costs, and larger applicant pools for open positions.

It was 1926 when Henry Ford had introduced the 5 day work week and it has come a long way ever since. In recent years, The 4 day work week seems to be gaining traction globally and we will get to learn more as countries apply different laws and strategies to make it work for their economy.

The 4 day work week does have its own set of cons as well. As the concept is still novel, not every firm shares the same spirit. Some would require their team members to increase their working hours, while others would trim employee salaries/wages for the lost time. Although workers would get more free time for social activities, many would prefer the social office atmosphere. Some might argue that a 4-day work week would put more pressure on employees to perform better.

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