Can you ask for a 4 day week?

Your employer may very well be one of the many that still has not wound four-day workweeks into their policy. Know that you have the power to ask for it — and negotiate when possible. Often, it only takes a handful of people to drive this kind of change.


Can I ask for a four day work week?

Recent research has shown working four days per week improves employee satisfaction, productivity, and work-life balance. Businesses have also noticed it's a cost-cutting measure. When negotiating a 4-day workweek, emphasize how the arrangement will help the company, such as better quality of work.

How do I convince my boss to give me a 4 day work week?

Here's what you should know before you approach your employer about the shortened workweek, according to Pang.
  1. Address real issues. Don't just make an appeal based on your desire to work fewer days. ...
  2. Do your homework. ...
  3. Establish benchmarks. ...
  4. Ask questions. ...
  5. Cast the leader as the protagonist.


How do I schedule a 4 day work week?

The compressed form of a four-day work week indicates that employees work ten hours per day for four-days in a week, instead of eight hours per day, five days per week. The second form is a shorter working duration, where, rather than 40 hours a week, employees work 32 hours a week.

Is a 4 day/week realistic?

Increase in productivity levels

Perpetual Guardian, a New Zealand firm trialled a four day week. The results found that 78% of employees could more effectively balance their work and home life. This was compared to 54% prior to the experiment.


The Case for a 4-Day Work Week | Juliet Schor | TED



Which country works 4 days a week?

Iceland: One of the leaders in the four-day working week

Between 2015 to 2019, Iceland conducted the world's largest pilot of a 35 to 36-hour workweek (cut down from the traditional 40 hours) without any calls for a commensurate cut in pay. Some 2,500 people took part in the test phase.

Which countries have 4 day work week?

How each country is testing or implememtning the four-day workweek
  • Australia. Australia conducted a pilot four-day-week project from August 2022 to January 2023. ...
  • Belgium. ...
  • Canada. ...
  • Denmark. ...
  • Finland. ...
  • Germany. ...
  • Iceland. ...
  • Ireland.


Why a 4 day work week is a good idea?

The four-day workweek is becoming increasingly popular as companies strive to find unique ways to support their employees' mental health and happiness. Some of the main benefits of a shorter workweek include increased productivity, decreased business expenses, and a smaller carbon footprint.


Is a 4 day work week still 40 hours?

The four-day workweek shortens both the days that employees work and the total hours. In a four-day workweek, workers log 32 hours per week rather than 40 hours per week. Benefits and pay, however, remain the same.

How successful is a 4 day work week?

A new global study found a four-day work week was a "resounding success" in a pilot program. It found revenue increased over 8% over the six-month trial period for 33 participating companies. On the employee side, respondents reported less burnout, less fatigue, and an increase in physical health.

What are the disadvantages of a 4 day work week?

7 Cons of a 4 day work week
  • 1) Assumed benefits of a four-day week may be more fantasy than reality. ...
  • 2) Morale boosted from a 4-day workweek may be short-lived. ...
  • 3) Disadvantages of a four-day week may come with a price. ...
  • 4) Optimism towards a 4-day workweek may flee after a trial period.


Is a 4-day workweek the answer to employee burnout?

According to the International Monetary Fund, the answer is yes. Four-day arrangements are especially good options for the 100 million workers globally who cannot perform their jobs remotely.

Is working 4 days a week too much?

Indeed, based on the results of a poll conducted in March 2020, Gallup concluded that while individuals working four-day weeks reported lower levels of burnout and higher levels of well-being compared to people working five- or six-day weeks, the percentage of actively disengaged workers was lowest among those who ...

Why the work week should not be 4 days?

Cons of a four-day week

--Negative health impacts may occur with longer work days, including an increased risk of stroke. --Ensuring you have customer and client coverage can require scheduling employees over different work days, or else customers may wait days for a call back.


Is 4 days 8 hours full-time?

The standard full-time workweek for Americans is eight hours per day, five days a week. When you switch to a four-day workweek, you still work 40 hours, but you work 10 hours per day for four days.

Are 4 10 hour days better?

Increased Employee Productivity: Of companies who have tried a four-day workweek, many noticed that the productivity and performance of their employees increased. Even though they're working the same number of hours, that extra day off each week gives them more time to rest and recharge.

Is it legal to work 48 hours in 4 days?

Legally, your employer can't make you work more than 48 hours a week, including overtime. If they want you to work more than that, your employer has to ask you to opt out of the 48-hour limit. Find out more about the maximum weekly working time limit.


Are people who work 4 days a week happier?

Results showed: Better work-life balance. After the company switched to a four-day workweek, the number of employees who felt they were managing both work and personal roles rose from 54 to 78%. Lower stress.

Is it better to work 3 or 4 days?

Happier employees and fewer absences

Four-day work weeks leave employees more time to focus on personal development or spend time with loved ones. This will not only increase employees' happiness, but can contribute to fewer burnouts, leaving them to be more focused and happier in their role.

Is working 4 days a week better than 5?

Advocates have long suggested that having employees work four days instead of five increases productivity, and the supporting evidence is indeed overwhelmingly positive. For example, last year in Iceland, researchers found that a four-day workweek without a pay cut improved workers' well-being and productivity.


What country only works 32 hours a week?

Spain. Spain had announced that it would run a trial four-day workweek. The Spanish government agreed to a 32-hour workweek over three years without cutting workers' compensation.

Which country has only 3 working days?

Belgium. Belgium is the latest country to not only introduce a 4-day workweek, but also gives employees the right to ignore work-related messages and turn off work devices after work hours.

What country has the shortest work week?

According to the OECD, the country with the shortest working week is the Netherlands, with a reported 29.5 weekly working hours. Broken down by day, that translates to a four-day workweek with just 7.37-hour days. Denmark follows with 32.5 working hours a week, and then Norway, with 33.6.


What is the hardest working country?

What Country Has the Hardest Workers? Mexico has the world's hardest workers, clocking in at 2,127.8 hours per year on average. That means that the average Mexican worker works for 40.9 hours a week, about 5.7% more than the average worker in the United States.

Who invented the 40 hour work week?

1926: Henry Ford popularized the 40-hour work week after he discovered through his research that working more yielded only a small increase in productivity that lasted a short period of time.
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