Four-Day Work Week Just Makes Sense

““Don’t wish it were easier. Wish you were better.”

Jim Rohn

The article made by Andrea Yu, “The evidence is there: A four-day workweek just makes sense.” gave me lots of realization, it broaden my knowledge about other ways to resolve laborers’ concerns and inspired me to write a blog post about it. In the article, Andrea shared a story that happened in June 2021 when Katherine Regnier, CEO of the Saskatoon-based tech company Coconut Software saw her staff feeling the stress of the pandemic and wanted to encourage them to take more time off and considered offering unlimited vacation or compressed workweeks, but landed on piloting a four-day workweek after seeing organizations in New Zealand and Iceland try it. Katherine said that following this practice helps her employees not to feel stressed, and have a better work-life balance.

In addition, Lisa Cohen, an associate professor of organizational behavior at McGill’s Desautels Faculty of Management, and other decision-makers also gave their insights about a four-day workweek in this article. Cohen said, herself, that she sees the benefit of a four-day workweek and believes that success stories in other countries can translate to companies here in Canada. 

With all of the benefits presented, Cohen also thinks that a four-day workweek can work in any industry, but that there can be a cost to some business owners in implementing it. For example, in industries like customer service or manufacturing, workers are often needed all week. “There are costs to employing more people to get the same work done,” she says. Transitioning to a four-day workweek also costs time and effort in coordinating and executing a new schedule. There are workplace-culture considerations, too. A four-day workweek posed communication challenges when it came to sharing handover details after a shift, and less time at work may also affect employee engagement, as more people can feel disconnected from their boss or job. And, as Cohen says, some staff may simply prefer having a five-day workweek. 

These articles gave me so many ideas and reflections. I know most of us employees prefer less than five days working and some want to have a five days work week. Well, it depends on what we want at the end of the day. If I were to run a business or be part of the Human Resource Management Team, I would opt in providing the best for my employees. I want them to experience an environment where they will feel valued, where they will be productive at the same time, and experience a work-life balance. For me, employees are the backbone of every business, without them, our business will never survive. So, I guess, I will offer my employees to work at the best time that they think will work for them. As Regnier said, “We believe if you take care of your employees, they, in turn, can take better care of themselves, and in turn, they will take better care of the customer.”

Knowing the effectiveness and benefits of a four-day workweek, I think this will help those businesses that have lots of demands and workloads. For me, most employees feel overworked, stressed, and want to give up their job if there are lots of demands. So, I think it is best if they will have more free time to manage personal tasks, have more time with families and feel the perks of a Friday off. What’s more, additional time off, in theory, helps employees do better work. “With a three-day weekend, you’re fresher,” Cohen explains. “I also believe that on people’s days off, they don’t stop generating ideas or thinking about things. There may be a benefit that things get to percolate more.”

Moreover, in light of these considerations, I think companies interested in implementing a four-day workweek should be flexible. There might be a hybrid approach—accountants would work five days during tax season but four days during slower periods. Or employees that prefer a relaxed pace of work might choose to spread work over five days instead of four. “It doesn’t have to be all-or-nothing,” as what Cohen said.

References

The evidence is there: A four-day workweek just makes sense – CB. Canadian Business – How to Do Business Better. (2022, January 5). Retrieved March 4, 2022, from https://www.canadianbusiness.com/ideas/four-day-work-week-canada/

Jotform. (n.d.). Working from Home: The ultimate guide. Jotform. Retrieved April 3, 2022, from https://www.jotform.com/work-from-home-guide/