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The pros and cons of

the four-day week

We all love a 3-day weekend; bank holidays are

always a cause for excitement. But what if you
scrapped the traditional 5-day week and made this
the norm? Would your business soar? Or would

productivity take a hit? So, what’s the case for a

four-day week?

There is an argument to be made that modern Recent trials of a four-day working week in
technology has significantly sped up the way Iceland have been reportedly successful.
we work, and that the five-day week is no
longer necessary. Microsoft’s Japan offices also trialled it and
saw a whopping 40% increase in productivity.
For example, cloud HR software means that It’s also proved successful in countries like
long-winded spreadsheets are no longer New Zealand and Sweden.
needed and faffing around with paperwork is a
thing of the past. Closer to home, many British businesses have
also trialled the four-day week concept, with
Whilst the five-day week used to be a great hopes to get the same level of output in fewer
model that got the most out of its workers, it hours of work.
was born in an era where factory work was the
norm. In a 19th century factory, a 5-day week Advantages of a four-day
was ideal. People would get up, go to work, working week
do their jobs and go home. That was all there
was to it. So, how do you know if a four-day week is
right for your business? To help you decide,
However, with the evolution of technology here are some key pros and cons.
and the increase in office jobs, the rule that
longer hours equals more productivity doesn’t Reduced costs
necessarily ring true. A four-day week can cut costs for everyone.

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