January is a time when productivity for the year ahead is thrown into the spotlight.
So it couldn’t be more fitting that a pilot for a four-day working week has just launched in the UK.
The idea behind the trial is to see whether employees are more productive with longer weekends.
And with burnout, longer hours and work stress damaging both our physical and mental health, it’s safe to say that many would welcome a shorter work week.
In fact, research commissioned by Airtasker last year found 58% UK workers feel a four-day work week would increase their productivity, and 61% say it would motivate them more.
Despite losing a day, many experts have also stressed that the change could actually make us more productive in the workplace – in a variety of ways.
They’ve outlined why we could actually achieve more with a four-day week than we currently do below…
Time isn’t a measure of productivity
‘Anyone that has faced a pressing deadline will know that with greater focus and greater intensity we can achieve the same results in less time,’ says workplace psychologist Jeremy Snape.
This is something backed up by Alok Alstrom, founder of the Future of Work Institute, who believes there’s a big misunderstanding around work and productivity.
He tells Metro.co.uk: ‘Just because you feel like you’ve worked hard doesn’t actually mean that you’ve done anything productive.
‘You can commute to an office with dry air conditioning and sit under bright lights for eight hours, going from one meeting with unclear objectives to another, and feel like you’ve done a full day of work.
‘In reality, you might not have achieved anything.
‘If you reframe the idea of what “work” is then it’s easier to think outside of the Monday to Friday, 9 to 5 routine.’
Simply put, work should be based on results – not the amount of time we spend at our desks.
This is where the four-day week can thrive.
‘I think control, pressure and constraints are bad motivators, and if you free employees to have a greater work-life balance then their time spent “working” will be more focused as a result,’ adds Alok.
We’ve already shown we can adapt
The pandemic has shown us that working in a more flexible way is not only possible, but is actually more preferable for many businesses.
What’s more, people have shown they can do it – and do it well.
Charlotte Davies, career expert at LinkedIn, says: ‘The pandemic has proven that we’re adaptable as workers. Many of us became accustomed to flexible working, new roles have been created as a result and managing our work-life balance is now a top priority, but this doesn’t mean productivity has to suffer.
‘In a bid to juggle our time during the pandemic, we have proven we’re able to be more productive during the typical workday and it’s now becoming less about measuring how long we’re “at” work and instead, how productive we are in that time.
‘Attempting to squeeze as much, or more work, into fewer hours could prove stressful for some, but it’s all about finding some equilibrium.
‘After all, employees that are given more time to rest and recharge outside of work hours are far more likely to be happier and more productive when they are back in.’
Higher energy levels will enable productivity
Dr Elena Touroni, a consultant psychologist and co-founder of The Chelsea Psychology Clinic, explains that our ‘always-on’ culture has promoted over-working as an ideal.
‘Really, in order to be our most productive, we need the capacity to be able to be present and to give our full focus to what we’re doing,’ she tells Metro.co.uk.
‘This simply isn’t possible when we’re over-worked and over-stretched. When we give people the time and space to nourish themselves, their energy levels and mental capacity will naturally increase.
‘This is also when we start to see higher levels of productivity.
‘Dropping down to a four-day work week is one way of doing this.’
This also means that a four-day week may help tackle burnout.
Dr Miriam Marra, from Henley Business School, says: ‘A big advantage of the four-day working week business model is the possibility to take care of mental health issues by reducing the work burnout, with workers feeling more relaxed and hence more productive.’
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