The notion of a four-day workweek has gained some traction in certain industries and professions, though implementation is in its infancy and would not work for many employers. Still, the majority of workers like the idea.
A survey by Resume Builder found eight in 10 would like the change, citing improved work-life balance and physical and mental health. And 21% of those surveyed would even be willing to take a pay cut for the four-day workweek trade off.
The trade off may not be the panacea it sounds like, especially if four days a week means 10 hours a day.
“You add a commute to that, depending on how long you commute to work, and that could be some very long days. Maybe you either don’t see the sun, or you don’t see your family,” said Resume Builder career strategist Julia Toothacre. A clear risk of increased burnout, she said.
Eighty-three percent of those surveyed said they would prefer a 40-hour, four-day workweek over a traditional five-day workweek, despite the fact that nearly all said they could get their weekly workflow done in 32 hours, if it weren’t for unnecessary meetings and distractions.
Many assume a four-day workweek would mean regenerative three-day weekends, but employers, not employees, would be in charge of scheduling.
“People assume that a four-day workweek is Monday to Thursday, or Tuesday to Friday. It might not be that. What if you get Wednesday off? Is that the same? Does that carry the same weight for you?” Toothacre said.
There would be obvious benefits, including lower commuting costs, a reduction in personal time off for appointments, and a compelling recruiting and retention benefits for employers.
It could also reduce payroll costs. While 79% of those surveyed would not be willing to take a reduction in pay for a four-day workweek, of the one-in-five who said they would, 23% would be willing to take a pay cut of 10% and, surprisingly, 19% said they would be willing to reduce their pay by 20% or more.
Check out Resume Builder’s full survey results, commentary and methodology online.
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