The Journey to the 4 Day Work Week

The Journey to the 4-day work week is just getting started. This trend is at full capacity and has brought the attention to multiple countries, thousands of employers, and millions of people. So far, there have been reports from multiple countries and employers running 4-day work week trials, and the results have been positive. As of recent, almost every firm that took part in the UK pilot have opted to keep the reduced hours. As of the result to the success of the UK’s pilot, other countries are opting into implementing a pilot program of their own. Spain, for example, is willing to pay companies who experiment the 4-day work week. The U.S. is reintroducing a bill that would implement a 4-day work as the new standard. The global race to a 4-day work week is in full force.

What these pilots and research are trying to prove is that cutting a day off the work week will positively impact people and businesses as a whole, almost like a win-win scenario. The UK pilot found that workers were less stressed, more motivated, and happier. Which also resulted in increased productivity, efficiency, and even increased revenue for participating companies. The 4-day work model is not perfect right now, but with more research, collaboration, and efforts, the 4-day work model can be the improved standard to the global work force. So that we can improve workers’ mental health, work life balance, while still maintaining financial stability. Employers and employees can both benefit from an improved labor standard.

James Gillion – Intern