Exploring the Pros and Cons of the 4 Day Work Week

28 of April, 2023

Whether you’re an HR manager or business owner, you’re probably familiar with the concept of a 4 day work week. After all, it’s been the subject of countless news stories and debates. But what does it really entail?

In this article, we’ll break down the pros and cons of a 4 day work week so that you can decide if it’ right for your team. In addition to providing some tips on how to create a successful 4-day workweek, we’ll also give you an idea of what elements should make up a good 4-day workweek policy.

We will also see how Sesame’s HR software can help in this process with tools like People Analytics. So without further ado, let’s dive into the finer details about whether or not your team should adopt a 4 day work week.

Overview of the 4 Day Work Week

Are you ready to take your business to the next level? Then it’s time to consider a 4 day work week. It’s a great way to boost morale and productivity while also giving employees much-needed extra time off.

But before you jump on this trend, it’s important to weigh the pros and cons. A 4 day workweek can be beneficial in that it reduces absenteeism, increases productivity, and helps staff better manage their work-life balance.

On the other hand, there could be some drawbacks as well – such as reduced communication between colleagues or issues with meeting deadlines due to decreased contact time in office hours.

It’s important to take a close look at your organization’s specific needs and goals when considering this option. What kind of outcomes do you want? And does the 4 day work week make sense for them? Once you answer those questions, you can better evaluate whether this is a viable strategy for your business.

Advantages of the 4 Day Work Week

Ready to jump on board the 4 day work week train? It’s not an uncommon move. There are plenty of reasons to bring this work schedule into your office, and a few advantages worth considering before making the change.

Perhaps the most obvious advantage is that you’d get an extra day off every week! That’s great news for employees, who can use the extra hours to catch up on life outside of work. They’ll also have more time and energy to focus on their job while they’re at work, and could potentially be more productive than if they were working five days a week.

Another advantage worth noting is that it could cut down on operating costs for your business. Instead of paying for five days of labor each week, you would only need to pay for four days. What’s more, with fewer hours worked, you can reduce the amount of electricity used or materials consumed in production.

Finally, it could also improve employee satisfaction levels overall. Studies have shown that shorter working hours leads to increased job satisfaction and lower stress levels—which means employees are likely to stay loyal to your organization in the long run and be happier with their work overall.

Disadvantages of the 4 Day Work Week

As with most things in life, the 4 day work week isn’t all sunshine and rainbows. To make sure you’re making the right decision for your business and employees, it’s important to understand the cons associated with the 4 day work week.

Longer Work Hours

One disadvantage of a 4 day work week is that each work day gets longer, since you’re fitting 5 days’ worth of work into 4. That means that on Friday, you might expect shorter hours — which might sound great in theory, but if you’re not careful, it can lead to more stress than before when trying to keep up with deadlines and tasks.

Cost Increase

Having employees work longer hours, even if they are condensed into fewer days, still increases labor costs. This can put a strain on the budget or add extra expenses that weren’t planned for initially. You’ll need to plan carefully in order to ensure costs align with expectations.

Misalignment with Client Expectations

The 4 day work week model isn’t as popular yet as other options (like the traditional 5 day schedule) so it may not align with customers’ or clients’ expectations of when your business is open and available. It’s important to assess customer support demands to ensure that any schedule changes make sense for clients as well as employees.

Balancing Employee Satisfaction With Productivity

A 4-day work week can be a great way to boost employee morale and satisfaction. After all, who doesn’t love the idea of having three days off during the week? Studies show that employees have a higher satisfaction level when they have an extra day off and many report feeling more motivated to do their best when they know they have an extra day of rest in their future.

But there’s also something to be said for productivity. A 4 day work week could lead to a decrease in productivity for some staff members who may use the extra day off to go on vacation, or engage in activities that could be distracting or disruptive.

To reap the rewards of a 4-day workweek without sacrificing productivity, it’s important to implement a strict attendance policy and use HR software like Sesame to keep track of employee hours worked. With the right tools, your business can ensure that employees are utilizing their time efficiently, while still taking advantage of the added benefits of a 4-day workweek.

How Sesame HR Can Help With a 4 Day Work Week

If you’re considering a 4 day work week, you might be wondering how to make it work. That’s where Sesame comes in. Our HR software helps to simplify employee time tracking, quickening the time it takes to compute payroll and create reports, giving you peace of mind that the transition to a 4 day work week will be seamless.

The time tracking feature makes sure that employees are clocking in and out during the right times, which is super important when you don’t have those five days of the week to make sure all is running smoothly. Furthermore, since Sesame is cloud-based, your staff can clock-in from anywhere—no matter if they’re working from home or from the office.

Sesame also has an automated shift scheduling feature which makes sure that all employees are efficiently scheduled and paid for their hours worked—and this system works great for businesses that want to adopt the 4 day work week model.

As an HR manager or business owner, Sesame’s reporting system gives you great insight into workforce trends, so it’s easy for you to spot any signs of difficulty in scheduling and budgeting before it becomes a problem down the line.

That way, you have everything under control and can enjoy all the benefits that come with introducing a flexible 4-day-work-week model.