The 4-day working week – a sudden global movement

In recent months there has been an increasing awareness of the perks and benefits of a 4-day working week as companies and countries take steps to implement innovative policies as part of post-pandemic workplace restructures. Belgium is the latest of a list of countries such as Spain, Scotland, Japan and Iceland to make a move towards a 4-day working week through trials and pilot schemes.

The Belgian government has agreed to a reform package which allows employees to request a 6-month trial and choose a preference at the end in order to “set a beacon”[1] for a more innovative, sustainable and digital economy. Besides the above-mentioned countries, a 32-hour week bill has been put before the US Congress and the Australian government are considering a 4-day working week as part of their inquiries into the future of work in the nation.

So why is this highly progressive movement happening now and why is it happening globally? Some thoughts and factors may include:

1. Making productivity and innovation a focal point instead of ‘time spent’ at work – numerous studies from 4-day working week pilot schemes have shown that such a work schedule has a positive impact on productivity as well as other factors which keep employees engaged and motivated, such as job satisfaction and work/life balance. In short, there now seems to be a wider recognition that more hours worked don’t necessarily translate into greater output. This concept is further validated when looking globally – Nordic countries such as Norway, Denmark and Germany typically work on average 27 hours a week and are known for their highly productive economies, whereas Japan, where people literally die from overwork, ranks mid-table when it comes to productivity levels in developed economies. It is therefore interesting and perhaps telling that Japan is now one of the growing list of countries testing the 4-day working week.
2. Pandemic outcomes – another plausible explanation as to why the 4-day working week movement has taken hold around the world is as a direct result of the Coronavirus Pandemic and its wide-reaching social impact. Companies around the world are still juggling the redefinition of work, which has been a direct and very wide-reaching outcome of pandemic-era working. As we emerge from this period of great upheaval, it is fair to assume that companies and their employees are taking stock of how they want to operate, work and live in the future and it seems that a 4-day working week is now high on the reform agenda for many.
3. Employee well-being increasingly becoming a measure of success – Well-being at work has been named one of the Top HR Trends of 2022 by Forbes magazine.[2] It is clear that companies are now paying more attention to the mental and emotional welfare of the workforce than ever before, so it is therefore realistic to expect some companies will shift to a 4-day working week to help produce happy, driven and engaged colleagues.

Transitioning into the 4-day working week

Whether a temporary phase or a serious transition to a new style of working, it will important for companies and employees to come together to establish the best practices as 4-day working weeks are trialled and piloted worldwide.

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[1] https://7news.com.au/business/workplace-matters/belgium-joins-a-growing-list-of-nations-moving-to-a-four-day-work-week-but-is-it-possible-in-australia-c-5717925

[2] https://www.forbes.com/sites/jeannemeister/2022/01/05/top-ten-hr-trends-for-the-2022-workplace/?sh=262413a23006