Ya'll Down For The Four Day Work Week?? - Wednesday!
Good morning, it’s Wednesday! How’s everyone doing? I saw something that four-day work weeks might be just around the corner. We just had a four-day work week because of Family Day, President’s Day, and whatever holiday you might have had where you are. I think we can all agree that four days is pretty doable. Burnout is pretty low.
Researchers from Boston did a study of companies in London, with a huge number of participants—like 100 companies. They all implemented a four-day work week, and the overall findings, drum roll please… it didn’t hurt productivity! Efficiencies actually went up, and the companies were a little bit more profitable. Of course, a bunch of other things play into that, but they found that employees were happier and more efficient.
It wasn’t so much that employees were cramming more work into those four days, but that they were more efficient during those four days. Knowing they have that fifth day off, they aren’t zoning out as quickly or as easily. I can’t wait; I think the writing’s on the wall. We’re going to get to four-day work weeks, it’s just a matter of time. There was once upon a time when people used to work seven-day work weeks, then we came down to five, and now we’re talking about four. I don’t think it’s that big of a leap.
I know the corporate types, my friends who are lawyers or run their own companies, or are in construction, are thinking, “What are you talking about?” As if we aren’t ‘lazy’ enough out there. Chill, please! Four-day work weeks can’t come soon enough, man. And here’s the thing: if we had a four-day work week, you know what else they found? Japan started this whole four-day work week thing, too, because they found that it raised fertility. So, companies with dwindling populations found that the four-day work week encouraged people to have kids because now they can spend time with them. They aren’t always at work; they don’t always have to be on the grind.
It’s going to come to North America because we have dwindling birth rates here. Obviously, you need to fix up housing and make it more affordable, too. Another thing with the four-day work week was people weren’t getting paid less to work four days. So, it’s not like you’re working four days at the cost of making less. Obviously, if you work four days, you have an extra two or three days that you could do a side hustle or a side gig and maybe make a little bit more. Not a bad thing if that’s what you’re into. Me personally, I would use the third holiday to just chill and get my mind right.
Yeah, man, I’m a big fan of this four-day work week phenomenon. I really hope we see it. If my company starts piloting it, I’m jumping on it! Why don’t they do these research studies in Canada? Like, do it here, man! Give us the four-day work week! But then, how do stat holidays work on four-day work weeks? Do you get that extra stat day, or is it like, well, you have the fourth day off already? Ah, I’m sure they’ll figure that one out. Anyways, till the next one, yo. Take it easy, peace!
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