{"id":6963,"date":"2019-09-25T09:14:31","date_gmt":"2019-09-25T08:14:31","guid":{"rendered":"\/gb\/en\/blog\/?p=6963"},"modified":"2023-01-16T16:47:05","modified_gmt":"2023-01-16T16:47:05","slug":"pros-and-cons-of-a-4-day-week","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"\/gb\/en\/blog\/pros-and-cons-of-a-4-day-week\/","title":{"rendered":"The Pros and Cons of a 4-Day Week for Employers & Employees"},"content":{"rendered":"

The modern workweek is a relatively recent innovation. In the 1890s industrial employees often had to work 100-hours in a week. Most worked six days a week.\u00a0<\/span>The shift towards an 8-hour day workweek was meant to improve the lives of employees. Indeed, the 40-hour working week is now standard for many businesses around the world. Its adoption is an attempt to prevent excessive working and reduce unfair employer demands.<\/span><\/p>\n

However, times are changing. A 4-day week is being tried by companies across a range of industries. In this guide, we’ll evaluate some of the pros and cons of a 4-day week. Before we go into that though, I’ll briefly look at the history of the 40-hour 9-5 working week most of us do.<\/p>\n

The breakthrough of the 40-hour week<\/span><\/h2>\n

The change in the working week, from 100-hours in a factory to the modern 40-hour week is in part the result of American industry and mechanisation. Ford Motor was one of the first <\/span>companies to change its workweek policy without changing employees\u2019 wages.<\/span><\/p>\n

\"The<\/p>\n

With a successful product and over 50.000 employees, Henry Ford decided to implement shorter workdays.<\/span><\/p>\n

As\u00a0<\/span>Henry Ford said in an interview in 1926<\/a><\/span>, \u201cLeisure is an indispensable ingredient in a growing consumer market because working people need to have enough free time to find uses for consumer products, including automobiles.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

The reason for Ford\u2019s change was both practical and economical. If his employees didn\u2019t have time to enjoy life, then they wouldn\u2019t enjoy and find a use for the cars they were producing.<\/span><\/p>\n

The move towards a 40-hour week gave his employees more personal time. As a result, their employees were happier, worked less but earned the same or better than other companies.<\/span><\/p>\n

This shift revolutionised the way companies operated. Other firms were forced to offer similar employment packages to compete with the Ford Motor Company.<\/span><\/p>\n

After Ford\u2019s 8-hour day policy, the 9-5 has become every employee\u2019s standard working time. So, is it time to revisit the standard working week?<\/span><\/p>\n

Technology has taken huge leaps since Henry Ford\u2019s time.<\/span><\/p>\n

Employees in specific fields are now more productive in the same number of hours. However, many are forced to work longer hours, sacrificing family time, and overworking themselves.<\/span><\/p>\n

Japan, for instance, has some of the<\/span>\u00a0longest working hours<\/a><\/span>. The long working hours has resulted in the rise of a new legal term called \u201ckaroshi\u201d, i.e., death by overwork.<\/span><\/p>\n

\"The<\/p>\n

However, alongside the move to longer work hours, there has been a concurrent push for a shorter four day work week. In the section below, we will take a look at some of the pros and cons of a four-day workweek<\/span><\/p>\n

What does the new 4-day week entail?<\/span><\/h2>\n

A four-day week centres around the idea that a workplace will have its employees attend work for four days a week instead of the customary five.<\/span><\/p>\n

As of yet, there is\u00a0<\/span>no standard model<\/span>\u00a0for the four-day workweek. Generally, companies are currently doing one of the following:<\/span><\/p>\n