This week, we asked the Invstr Community what their opinion is on a 4-day work week. The winner, with over half of the votes, was the 59 percent of Invstrs who are not only in favor of a 4-day work week, but also believe they would be far more productive. Several professional workers across the globe believe that a reduction of one workday would be able to increase their efficacy, with greater focus and decreased stress levels. Recently, a global study found that a 4-day work week increased revenues by 8% across 33 participating companies. Since then, several notable companies who have prescribed to 4-day work weeks are Shopify, Toshiba, Panasonic, and more.
In second place, we have the 22% of Invstrs who believe that a 4-day work week would help them not feel as burned out from work. In the same study mentioned before, 67% of the employees from the participating companies mentioned being less burned out. What was found was increases in exercise and sleep that aided their overall health, leading them to spend their working and personal lives with energy and effectiveness.
In third place, we have the 12% of Invstrs who are not in favor of the change, claiming 5 days helps them stay on top of deadlines and their workload. One of the biggest criticisms against a reduction in a workday is deadlines, which is what almost all work revolves around. If one day is taken away, the amount of time needed to complete work decreases, and deadlines get much harder to meet. For those who do not feel they would be more productive in the change, remaining at 5 days is best to reduce their workloads.
To close out the podium, we have the 7% of Invstrs who believe this will reduce sick days taken. According to ONS data there were more sick days taken in 2021 than at any time in the last 10 years. It has been reported that introducing a 4-day week has reduced sick days taken by 65% as people can rest and recuperate on that extra day off.
Would you like to see any substantial changes to work hours, or the culture itself? Have fun, and see you next time with more poll results!
- The Invstr Team 🙂