Monday, 13th June 2022 | Management
A shortened workweek: fad or the future of work?
The idea of a four-day workweek is becoming mainstream, and there are a lot of pros and cons to consider. Could this strategy benefit your small business? Read on to find out if this concept is right for you.
No longer just the purview of progressive European companies, the concept of a four-day workweek has hit the mainstream in North America through think pieces, research, and the nightly news. While it’s undeniable that the face of work is changing, what’s less clear is whether a four-day workweek will be part of this future. For Canadian businesses, now is the time to acquaint yourself with the pros and cons of a shortened workweek.
A transforming workplace
The idea of a shortened workweek is not new. The concept—which has employees working a four-day week for the same pay, benefits, and to complete the same workload—has been under review in several countries, notably Iceland. The United Kingdom will be piloting a shortened workweek this year and Belgium has announced in 2022 it will begin offering this arrangement to employees who want it.
Better work-life balance, increased productivity, environmental concerns, and the wastefulness of maintaining in-person workspaces are all drivers for the four-day workweek. And according to current data, the scheme is effective in all areas.
Now, as employees are returning to the workplace after a pandemic hiatus, old complaints are resurfacing. Long commutes, a lack of control over personal time, expensive lunches, and the threat of communicable disease all make change attractive.
What's in it for Canadian small businesses?
Use this list of pros and cons to help you determine whether a shortened workweek is a strategy that could benefit your business.
The Pros
Here are the three main ways a four-day workweek could benefit you:
A great perk to attract top talent
Increasingly, attracting and retaining quality employees is a challenge for employers. The ability to condense the workweek into four days is a big bonus for job-seekers.
An incentive to retain staff instead of increasing pay
If increasing salaries is beyond your means, offering a four-day workweek can be a way to entice staff to stay in the long term.
Better work/life balance means a happier, more productive staff
When your employees are happy, the benefits are multifold. They’re more pleasant and motivated, more likely to remain with your company and recommend it to others, and they’re more effective and productive.
Additionally, a shortened workweek:
- Decreases office expenses
- Reduces commuting time and therefore individuals’ carbon footprint
- Fosters equity in the workplace as it’s a more accessible model, particularly for people who also have childcare responsibilities
Cons
The four-day workweek might not be appropriate for every type of business or every kind of employee. Here are some considerations:
It can be expensive
Paying employees for hours not worked can be a payroll puzzle. This is especially a concern in industries like factory work where the hours worked can quite literally translate into productivity.
Customer satisfaction and client relations could suffer
If your business relies on the continuity of customer-facing staff, you might have to get creative around scheduling to ensure customer satisfaction doesn’t wane.
A compressed workweek could mean longer workdays
When considering a shorter workweek, make the distinction between working four regular eight-hour days and working 40 hours in four days. This concept can take on many different forms depending on the type of business, however, longer workdays can nullify many of the benefits of a compressed workweek. The idea is to remove a portion of work hours from the week, not cram the same amount into a shorter timeframe.
As an increasing number of companies consider the four-day workweek, the idea is bound to mainstream. Now is the time to weigh the pros and cons of this kind of implementation for your business.
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