The idea of a four-day workweek is intriguing to employees. It can be troubling for employers.
A bill offered earlier this year in the California Assembly called for regular pay for 32 hours of labour each week, with overtime beginning beyond that. Due to a lack of widespread support, the legislation stopped in committee but could come back in 2023.
The idea of a four-day workweek is intriguing to employees. It can be troubling for employers.
A bill offered earlier this year in the California Assembly called for regular pay for 32 hours of labour each week, with overtime beginning beyond that.
Due to a lack of widespread support, the legislation stopped in committee but could come back in 2023. In the meanwhile, a four-day workweek is being tested for six months by 4 Day Week Global, an Oxford University-affiliated nonprofit foundation, “with no loss of income for employees.
” The project is being conducted by more than 30 enterprises in the United States and Canada, with 150 organisations and 7,000 employees involved globally. In the meanwhile, a four-day workweek is being tested for six months by 4 Day Week Global, an Oxford University-affiliated nonprofit foundation, “with no loss of income for employees
.” The project is being conducted by more than 30 enterprises in the United States and Canada, with 150 organisations and 7,000 employees involved globally.
In a January survey of more than 1,000 US adult employees, research company Qualtrics found that 92% of respondents said they would support their employer switching to a four-day workweek; 79 % of respondents said it would improve their mental health, and 82 % said it would increase their productivity.
“I have always been interested in burnout. It really has an impact on individuals who ought to be prospering, says Lisa Belanger, CEO of Alberta’s ConsciousWorks in Canmore.
She offers advice to companies on promoting workplace wellness. To discover “how work is meant to be,” “She made the decision to test a four-day workweek for herself.
She says that the results have been, at best, mixed.
“I believe that my personal experiment has so far failed, “Says Belanger. Her Day Five off was often ruined by work-related obligations or travel plans. The fact that other people are working on the fifth day, so you receive email and are pulled in, is one of the reasons, according to Belanger, why it’s so difficult for him and most others to maintain a four-day workweek.
modifying consumer expectations and behaviour
“While this might be a fascinating or exciting idea, there are certainly some trade-offs, people are beginning to realise.”
“, claims Benjamin Granger, director of Qualtrics’ employee experience advice services. According to him, company research raises worries about customer annoyance if workforce changes affect response times.
Critical mass, when businesses believe they must embrace a reduced workweek to compete in the labour market, would need to be reached before widespread adoption could occur, he continues.
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