The workweek used to consist of six days, until it was reduced for the first time ever to five days in 1908 to support the religion of workers at a New England cotton mill. In 1926, Henry Ford introduced a five day workweek at his company, which disrupted the job industry in its entirety. The objective in mind then, is the same as it is now, to increase productivity, and encourage people to pursue their own endeavors.

A four day work week has been recently piloted in several countries, including countries in Asia, the Middle East, Europe, and North America. According to a CNN report in late 2022, “after six months, most of the 33 companies and 903 workers trialing the schedule, with no reduction in pay, are unlikely ever to go back to a standard working week, according to the organizers of the global pilot program.”

This program is led by a non-profit organization, Day Week Global, consisting of business leaders around the world to assist organizations in trialing a four day work week. “The results are now in: The trials have been a resounding success on virtually every dimension” as per Day Week Global’s report for the US and Ireland. The report indicated that of the 33 participating companies with a cumulative sum of 969 employees, “revenue among the participating companies rose 8.14%, and when compared to the same period last year, revenue jumped 37.55%... 67% of employees reported being less burned-out”.

Cyprus has also recently tested the impact of a 4 day work week with similar results. Although it was tested in only one market sector, it made a great first impression.

In the summer of 2022, PwC piloted a four day work week internally to measure the impact of this change on its employees and organizational leaders. Their goal was to observe if a four-day workweek contributed to employee’s well-being, and its contribution to greater work-life balance.

Anna Loizou, Partner and Head of HR at PwC Cyprus, found that “the results of this pioneering practice were especially satisfactory, both for the employees themselves, as well as for the organization’s leadership team.”

PwC Cyprus’ survey’s key findings indicate that 77% of employees were able to keep their Fridays free, completing their required tasks and correspondence, and that 95% of employees believe that a four-day workweek had a positive impact. Surprisingly, 65% shared that they realized an increase in productivity, and 37% believe that client service has improved as well.

Another important statistic to note is that 91% of team leaders and heads of departments “reported that the morale and well-being of their people were positively affected.”

In a discussion with Anna Loizou, she expressed that: 

“The four-day-week movement has been gaining momentum on the back of the Great Resignation and the push from employees to rethink the way we work. In Cyprus, there are only a few companies, PwC Cyprus amongst them, that have implemented the four-day workweek, realizing that it enhances the well-being of the employees. In addition, such benefits help to attract and retain human talent. 

The results of the survey we ran a few months ago confirm the fact that this perk is very much needed and that people really appreciate the flexibility in the modern workplace. I believe that in time, more companies will implement the four-day workweek. After all, the benefits of a flexible work model are what people need for a better working environment that leads to a better quality of life. 

It is unlikely that the shift to a four-day week will happen overnight, but as long as the companies are willing to make the change we are on a good track. At PwC Cyprus, appreciating the benefits arising from a four-day workweek for our people, we are adopting it again for this summer.”

As previously mentioned in this article, pilots of a four-day workweek took place globally. The World Economic Forum compiled the impact of this much desired, and highly requested change to the work week, in an article late in 2022. Microsoft tested this concept in Japan, showing that “the company claimed productivity went up by just under 40%”. They also realized a reduction in electricity (23%) and printing costs (60%). These findings indicate that the four-day workweek could potentially contribute to achieving milestones such as the EU’s Green Deal. 

In Iceland, the four-day workweek was trialed much earlier, taking place between 2015 and 2019. Their findings showcase that “2,500 workers took part in the trial with the results revealing that worker well-being increased in areas such as stress and burnout, and work-life balance.” In conjunction with PwC Cyprus’ findings, it is evident that one less day of work per week contributes to greater mental health.

Unilever in New Zealand also participated in their trials of a four-day workweek. There, they measured performance, focusing on defining the future of work.

BreatheHR, a renowned HR company that focuses on offering HR solutions to SMEs, observed the core benefits of a four-day workweek. Among them are: employers enjoy reduced costs as offices are closed for an extra day, employees were happier given a greater work-life balance, increase in productivity, and improved talent sourcing and retention. 

However, these benefits do not come without ‘downsides’. A four-day workweek may not apply to every sector, and must be thoroughly considered and tested before being implemented. Although a four-day workweek seems appealing, it may incur longer hours at the office, considering that people will work for a day less with no change to their salaries. 

It is safe to surmise that, since the pandemic, we have seen several changes take place at the office, with the purpose of improving work-life balance, reducing burnout, and retaining and attracting talent. It isn’t that we want less work, but rather, we want more opportunities to live our lives before we retire.

What are your beliefs on a four-day workweek? Will it improve or harm work performance?