Does the four-day working week make us happier?

What are the effects of the four-day working week on staff?

Recent research suggests that a four-day working week makes staff happier and healthier. However, it is difficult to make a generalisation, as there are various models of the four-day working week, for example, and their introduction often leads to further changes within companies.

Can we afford a four-day working week?

It depends. The four-day week may lead to shorter opening or operating hours, for example in the hospitality sector. Particularly for roles requiring on-site work, shorter working hours mean a higher staffing requirement. This leads to higher staff costs. However, these can be partially offset by lower sick leave rates resulting from the four-day week or by productivity gains from the use of new technologies.

Is the four-day working week a solution to the shortage of skilled workers and labour?

The four-day week is just one of many measures here. There are other models that allow staff members to organise their working hours flexibly. Furthermore, studies show that, in order for staff to be more committed and stay with a company for longer, factors such as management style, the nature of collaboration or human resources development may be more important than the four-day week. Introducing it alone will not be enough to solve the shortage of skilled workers and labour. However, when combined with other so-called ‘New Work’ measures, it can be helpful.

And what is the situation in the tourism industry?

The sector faces particular challenges. The catering and hospitality industries, in particular, have lost a significant number of staff members during the pandemic. For staff members, the high proportion of on-site work combined with low wages is often unattractive. When a tourism company offers a four-day working week, there is evidence that this leads to a higher number of applications and faster recruitment. In this way, the company can gain a competitive advantage. However, this effect may diminish if more businesses start offering the four-day week. My research shows, however, that other ‘New Work’ measures are even more effective and that, in the tourism sector too, the four-day week alone is not the solution.

What should companies bear in mind when introducing the four-day working week?

Staff members must be involved. The four-day week does not automatically suit every stage of life or all staff members. They may also want a different way of organising their working hours flexibly. Introducing the four-day week always requires comprehensive operational changes. For this to succeed, all staff members must be involved in shaping the process and be convinced of its merits. Managers, in particular, should actively support the process and the staff members. It is also important to involve customers if there are changes to opening or operating hours.

Will the four-day working week become the norm in five years’ time?

Today, greater emphasis is placed on the needs of employees than was the case 20 years ago. The idea that longer working hours do not automatically lead to greater productivity will also become more widely accepted. In five years’ time, the four-day week and other measures to make working hours more flexible will be seen in an increasing number of companies. However, I do not expect the four-day week to have become the norm across all sectors and occupations by then.