Support for a four day work week must be coupled with remote work say most workers. 75% of workers say they would only be interested in a shorter work week if remote work is allowed all or nearly all of the time. Only 51% of workers agree to a shorter work week if there is no possibility of remote work at all.
The MorningConsult survey defines a four day workweek as working four days plus 10 hours a day.
Some 93% of millennials and 88% of Gen Xers lead the way in being interested in a shorter workweek. The survey also shows that 4 out of 5 millennials say that are often too tired after work to enjoy their personal lives.
Gen Z are not as interested in changing workplace norms and baby boomers even less so.
Morning consult brand analyst, Ellyn Briggs says, “Still, no demographic group reported interest and confidence levels below 70% again pointing to the practice’s widespread popularity.”
Over half the workers still want remote work in some way or other whether it’s a hybrid form or full-time. The reason for this is to improve their commute, work-life balance and to avoid discomfort while working in the office.
Benefits of a four day work week
Studies show that a four day work week allows people to
Increase their productivity
Reduce employee burnout
Improve employee retention
Increase sales
Lower operating costs
Better workplace culture
Having a flexible working schedule is a great incentive that helps keep employees motivated and engaged every single day of their career.
According to a LinkedIn poll by Randstad, some 72% of people said they prefer to work four days a week even if their hours were a little longer.
However the disadvantage of that is that is causes employees to fast-track their deliverables as they now only have four days to finish their work. This creates a risk of burnout.
In 2019, Microsoft Japan experimented with a project which gave its 2,300-strong workforce five consecutive Fridays off without decreased pay. The shortened weeks led to more efficient meetings, happier workers and higher productivity. This despite Japan being a country known for long working hours and strong work ethics.
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