Is a four-day work week the future?

The possibility of a ‘four-day work week’ is a hot topic in HR at the moment. While many employees welcome the idea of an extended weekend break, some employers remain sceptical. Here we explore the future of the four-day working week, and identify some key benefits of the practice.  

Benefits of a four-day work week

Like any flexible working initiative, the prospect of a four-day work week brings with it a number of benefits for both workers and their employers. Here are a few reasons why a shorter working week might just be a good idea…

1- Reducing the risk of burnout

Employee burnout has become an enormous issue for HR over the past few years. This occurs when workers become fatigued from long and intense working hours – negatively impacting their productivity. 

One benefit of a four-day work week is its potential to reduce employee burnout. By giving workers a longer weekend break, and reducing the number of working hours in a week, you reduce the risk of them becoming fatigued. 

This may be especially effective for more senior employees, who have a greater share of responsibilities. Shortening the working week gives workers more time to focus on mindfulness and personal development – supporting their wellbeing.

2- Creating a talent-winning Employee Value Proposition (EVP)

Flexible working has become a desirable workplace benefit in recent years. This is important to consider when devising your Employee Value Proposition (EVP) strategy.

Supporting a four-day work week makes your employer brand more attractive to new talent. This helps you to engage more valuable candidates when recruiting, and boost retention amongst existing employees.

3- Reducing your company’s carbon footprint

A four-day work week could be a valuable addition to your company’s eco-pledge. Fewer working days means less time spent commuting, as well as less electricity usage on your premises. 

More and more companies are making a commitment to reduce their carbon footprint. This may be a key cultural factor in the future, helping you to attract like-minded talent to your team.

What is the future of work?

The workplace of the future will likely look much different to the one we’re used to nowadays. Here are a few changes we could see in the near future of work:

Remote/hybrid working?

Remote and hybrid working models have become increasingly popular in recent years. Allowing employees to work partly or completely from home has been shown to bring numerous benefits for productivity, wellbeing, and morale. 

This trend is likely to continue into the future, with companies relying less on the physical office environment. The workplace of the future is almost certainly one that embraces remote working.

Culture-matched job searching?

Cultural compatibility is often overlooked as a key factor in talent acquisition. In fact, your company’s unique values may be one of the main reasons why employees choose to work for you. 

Culture-matched job searching is an exciting way to match your company with candidates whose values closely resemble your own. Candidates fill out questionnaires relating to which values and incentives matter most to them in an employer. This helps you to attract more like-minded talent to your business – increasing employee engagement and retention. 

Gamified employee experience?

Gamified business tools are changing the way companies approach various vital processes. For employee engagement, these tools enable employers to stay up-to-date with the wants, needs, and expectations of their workforce.

Employees answer gamified surveys to give their employers feedback on management strategies, company benefits, and cultural values. This helps to identify key engagement challenges before they impact your colleagues – promoting retention, and protecting the integrity of your workforce.

Introducing…

Talos Engage: Build a better workplace

Want an easier way to retain your employees? Talos Engage is 360’s gamified employee engagement platform – allowing you to assess and fulfil the wants, needs, and expectations of your workforce.

Goodbye boring surveys; hello gamified analysis!

Employees simply play the Talos Engage swipe-card game to identify which benefits, incentives, and cultural values matter most/least to them. This enables you to build an Employee Value Proposition (EVP) that truly resonates with your workforce – boosting engagement and retention.

Discover a better way to motivate and retain your top employees: