The four-day work week is back in the news and, as always, opinions are split. Critics argue it will reduce productivity, while supporters highlight the benefits of a better work-life balance. The reality? There are pros
and cons on both sides.
A Brief History of the Work Week
We didn’t always have weekends. Before the Industrial Revolution, most
people worked seven days a week, with time off for religious or cultural reasons. In the late 18th and early 19th centuries, factory workers were given Saturday afternoons off. By the mid-20th century, the two-day weekend became the standard, and today, most of us take it for granted.
Of course, not everyone works Monday to Friday, 9-5. Industries like healthcare, hospitality, manufacturing, and emergency services rely on shift work - 12-hour shifts, rotating shifts, split shifts, or four days on, four days off.
Businesses have always adapted their work structures to balance productivity with operational and service needs for customers and clients, whether it's 24/7 or 5 days a week. The four day week isn't right for every industry or business but it's a possibility for many.
The Rise of Flexible Work
But we’ve already adapted the way we work with flexible working in many forms - from compressed hours, reduced hours, to remote and hybrid work. The pandemic accelerated this shift almost overnight, showing that
different working patterns are not only possible but often beneficial.
One of my first clients had been considering a four-day week “some day". By reviewing when and how
they worked, they made the transition much more quickly and easily than expected.
Even in my own business, I sometimes work split shifts. Work in the morning, a long midday break
(especially in the Summer), then work in the evening to accommodate personal, social or family commitments and to enable me to work across different time zones, without extending my working day to 12+ hours.
Could A Four Day Week Work For You?
More and more small businesses are adopting the four-day week. Could it be the future of how you work?
Do you work at 100% productivity every week? Probably not.
With interruptions, distractions, and constant demands on your time, you’re already losing around two hours a day.
That’s 10 hours a week. A full day of work, each week.
Now, imagine cutting out those time wasters and adapting your week.
- Be more organised and work more efficiently to achieve the same amount in four days instead of five.
- When time is limited, you naturally prioritise better, stay more focused, and waste less time.
- What would you need to change to make it happen - improve your systems and processes,
resources, automation?
- How could you adapt your working structure - for yourself, your business, or your team to make a four day week a reality?
The result? You’re more productive, not because you’re working longer, but because you’re working smarter.
The possibilities are there, it’s just a matter of exploring what works
best to fit you, your workflow and your style of working.
If you want it to happen, you need to actively make it happen, not just hope for the best or ... "one day, some day". Start by setting the intention
and making a commitment to working fewer hours each and every week.
