Almost half of workers believe in four-day work week

Seventy-eight per cent of the workforce believe they can do their full-time job requirements in less than seven hours each day, according to research by workforce management firm Kronos Inc.

‘The Case for a 4-Day Workweek?’ survey by The Workforce Institute at Kronos Inc. and Future Workplace also reported that nearly half (45 per cent) of those surveyed believe their job should take less than five days per week.

However, Workforce Institute executive director Joyce Maroney doesn’t believe this is the main take away of the study.

“It’s clear that employees want to work and do well by their employers, and many roles require people to be present or on call during specific hours to get the job done,” Maroney said.

“Organisations must help their people eliminate distractions, inefficiencies, and administrative work to enable them to work at full capacity. This will create more time to innovate, collaborate, develop skills and relationships, and serve customers while opening the door to creative scheduling options, including the coveted four-day workweek.”

Future Workplace research director Dan Schawbel points out that employees are working harder than ever, sometimes at the cost of their personal lives, and that there is an opportunity to remove some unnecessary tasks in order to facilitate a more efficient workday.

“Employees need more flexibility with how, when, and where they work, and leaders should be supportive of an employee’s professional and personal life,” Schawbel said.

“When employees get time to rest, they become more productive, creative, and are healthier.”

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