During the pandemic, millions switched to remote or even hybrid working schedules. Commuting time was scrapped, meetings were more efficiently conducted, and many were able to delegate their time performing task in hand systematically. And then the question begs, would 4 days work week be better for everyone?
A four-day workweek is a work schedule in which employees or students work four days instead of the customary five. This approach can be utilized to conserve money and energy, although it may necessitate staff taking unpaid vacation.
Singapore discusses 4 days work week
A main contributing factor that encouraged such mentality was further elucidated as the Minister of State for Education, Gan Siow Huang mentioned. During the political discussion, Ms. Gan brought up the importance of adopting a flexible mindset towards a 4-day work week. Such a bold statement brought up contradictory responses as well. Hence, we will be diving deeper into the advantages and disadvantages of implementing such a working scheme.
Such a work scheme has been adopted across the world which sparked contrasting views towards business success as well as the mental health of employees. Employees would feel more motivated to work on such a schedule. On the other hand, employers could respond negatively. With working from home blurring the boundaries, many employees found that they could achieve a higher level of productivity without the needless commute time. There wouldn’t be much of an issue for employees to shift to such a working scheme.
1 in 5 Singaporeans report feeling unmotivated at work
Mercer’s 2022 Global Talent Trends Study claims that 1 in 5 Singaporeans, which is double the norm for Asia and 6% above the global average, report feeling uninspired at work.
In addition, 85% anticipate experiencing burnout, and almost half plan to terminate their positions within the next six to twelve months. Employees’ feelings of job load and uncertainty regarding organizational changes were the main causes identified.
Employees yearn for a better work-life balance as the pandemic blurred the boundaries of work and personal space. According to a study done by Indeed, approximately 88% of Singaporeans strongly encourages the practice of a 4-day work week with the same pay.
A 4-day work week actively promotes mental wellbeing. Which could potentially address issues such burnout and overloading of work. Consequentially this will bring about a healthier workspace and allow employees to maintain a better work life balance.
With productivity levels in question, it goes without saying that well-rested employees are more likely to be focused and productive during work hours. This is evident in Microsoft Japan who conducted a test on a 4-day work week and reported that not only operating costs drastically dipped and increasing productivity by 40%.
What about the service industry?
On the flip side, there are negative connotations of the 4-day work week as well. For instance, this working scheme could potentially be tougher to implement in different sectors. With the likelihood of this adaption, the service industry could come as a deficit as it requires manpower throughout the week to support their customers’ requests. This could inadvertently dampen customer satisfaction towards their service. Moreover, extra efforts would be needed to maintain the needs of the necessary logistics and human resources.
Moreover, the credit of excitement for a four-day workweek belongs to the ideology: When individuals are exposed to a new system, they perceive it to be favorable merely because the system is new. This can be referred to as the Hawthorne effect.
Employee morale will surely improve if an organization implements a four-day workweek schedule. The program will be deemed successful. However, instituting a four-day workweek would merely alleviate the symptoms of workplace problems and would not address the underlying reasons.
Working merely 4 days/week could sound enticing but the consequences might leave employees with a crammed day with more meetings. This indicates significantly more intensity, which entails stress and burnout. Employers will eventually demand more commitment during the four days. The main question is whether the advantages of a three-day weekend can compensate for this extra working stress.
Ultimately, if 4-day work week were to be implemented, it would be advisable to introduce it gradually in order to provide a better adaptation between the various organizations and industries. Such a serious subject may only be skimming the surface of issues related to occupational dissatisfaction and mental health. Therefore, it would be urged for the local authorities to assimilate and address these issues in accordingly.
With that being said, which would you prefer having a 4-day work week or the normal working schedule?
