Four Day Work Week
THE FOUR DAY WORK WEEK: Just how effective is it?
DOES THE FOUR DAY WORK WEEK LEAD TO INCREASED PRODUCTIVITY?
Yasin Mohammed
UMUC AMBA 600 Research Paper
Abstract
The 4 day work week is not a new idea. It is one that has had its share of controversies over the years. Introduced in the 1970’s the idea of the 4 days work week has been making a comeback as of lately. There are several issues to look at here. One of the main statements in regards to it is that productivity will decrease because of fatigue. A 10 hour work day is too long. On the flipside, another of the main issues pointed out by proponents is that productivity will increase because you will have a workforce with higher morale. In this paper, we will discuss these two issues among others in relation to the effectiveness of the 4 day work week.
JUST HOW EFFECTIVE IS THE FOUR DAY WORK WEEK
Proponents of the four day work week usually state the benefit of work/family balance as one of the main reasons that it should be implemented. They estimate that this balance will lead to happier employees which will lead to increased productivity. Most of the detractors state the long ten hour work days as the main reason why employees will be too tired and fatigued to perform. How can two such different viewpoints arise from the same set of circumstances?
It is essential to point out that both of these positions are made with assumptions of a homogenous workforce that requires the same work/life balance as everyone else. The four day work week is not an idea that was indigenous to the 1970’s; it is an idea that has been circulated for many years dating back the early 1930’s. In fact, some believed that the work week would dwindle to a mere 15 hour work week by the turn of the century. The belief was that with the onset of technology, workers would be needed to actually work less and less hours.
What we have seen is that the idea of the four day work week has come and gone several times.
DOES THE FOUR DAY WORK WEEK LEAD TO INCREASED PRODUCTIVITY?
Yasin Mohammed
UMUC AMBA 600 Research Paper
Abstract
The 4 day work week is not a new idea. It is one that has had its share of controversies over the years. Introduced in the 1970’s the idea of the 4 days work week has been making a comeback as of lately. There are several issues to look at here. One of the main statements in regards to it is that productivity will decrease because of fatigue. A 10 hour work day is too long. On the flipside, another of the main issues pointed out by proponents is that productivity will increase because you will have a workforce with higher morale. In this paper, we will discuss these two issues among others in relation to the effectiveness of the 4 day work week.
JUST HOW EFFECTIVE IS THE FOUR DAY WORK WEEK
Proponents of the four day work week usually state the benefit of work/family balance as one of the main reasons that it should be implemented. They estimate that this balance will lead to happier employees which will lead to increased productivity. Most of the detractors state the long ten hour work days as the main reason why employees will be too tired and fatigued to perform. How can two such different viewpoints arise from the same set of circumstances?
It is essential to point out that both of these positions are made with assumptions of a homogenous workforce that requires the same work/life balance as everyone else. The four day work week is not an idea that was indigenous to the 1970’s; it is an idea that has been circulated for many years dating back the early 1930’s. In fact, some believed that the work week would dwindle to a mere 15 hour work week by the turn of the century. The belief was that with the onset of technology, workers would be needed to actually work less and less hours.
What we have seen is that the idea of the four day work week has come and gone several times.
References: Allen, Robert & Hawes, Douglass. Attitudes Toward Work, Leisure and the Four Day Work Week. Human Resource Management p.5-10, 1979. Gannon, Martin. Four Days, Forty Hours: A Case Study. California Management Review, p.74-80, 1974. Hartman, Richard & Weaver, Mark. Four Factors Influencing Conversion to a Four Day Work Week. Human Resource Management, p.24-27, 1977 Silbaugh, Katherine. Sprawl, Family Rhythms and the Four-Day Work Week. Connecticut Law Review, p.1267-1283, 2010 Travis, Michelle, What a Difference a Day Makes, or Does it? Work/Family Balance and the Four-Day Work Week, Connecticut Law Review, p.1223-1266, 2010 Caitlin, Charles, Four Day Work Week Improves Environment, Journal of Environmental Health, Vol. 59, Issue 7, 1997