The future of the short week

The debate over the short week is more alive than ever, although historically it is hardly a new thing. By 1926, in fact, Ford had already standardized its work pattern from Monday to Friday. This was an absolute novelty at a time when a six-day work week, with only Sundays off, was common practice. Ford’s theory was that working five days for the same pay would increase worker productivity because employees would work harder during the week, which would benefit everyone’s well-being (
Financial Times
).

Changes The theory proved accurate, and so in the following decades the five-day week became the new normal. As early as the 1940s, unions began calling for the four-day week, but the demand went unheeded for the next several decades until the present day. In March 2020, according to a report by the U.S. consulting firm Gallup, out of more than 10 thousand full-time employees, only 5 percent worked a shorter week. Then came the pandemic and things changed again, bringing a total rethinking of organization in the office by managers. Presented by many experts as the panacea for all ills against burnout and stress, many companies have begun to consider introducing the short week for their employees. Right now, many companies are looking for new ways to attract and retain top talent. In the United States, it is estimated that out of 4 thousand workers, 83% want more flexibility, but the shorter week may not necessarily mean less work (
NBC News.
).

Pros and cons While some employees may be able to withstand a busier work week, with longer working hours and fewer breaks during the day, for others this may result in a less manageable load, writes the
Bbc
. In fact, for some experts, the short work week risks turning out to be just a way to increase pressure on staff while neglecting the need to do more careful and important thinking about how to make modern-day work more sustainable.

• The future of work is a 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. agenda (
  The New York Times
  ).