4 Day Week Does It Work?

In this month’s article we are going to discuss a recent change we introduced to LSY Engineering Consultants Ltd with input from both Shirley Hung and Jade Griffin, who have both worked under the new working week since its inception.

The idea of a 4-day week has come into view more since the pandemic which has provided an amazing opportunity to rethink how we work.

Discussion of the 4-day week have long preceded the pandemic. However, recent events have provided an unexpected chance to rethink how we work. A lot of office environments are conditioned for a system of working with a rigid 9am-5pm structure. The way of working and expectations with email and smartphones for both employers and employees has made work a more constant presence in our lives.

After doing some research the concept of a weekend dates back to Victorian capitalists agreeing that overworking people in factories wasn’t the best for profits.

So, the question most people ask is “Does it work?” Below is some insight from some of the structural engineers working in the practice.

Shirley Hung:

“As most people would agree, instead of focusing on the amount of time you have spent on studying, studying efficiently is a much better way of learning. Same concept applies to the workplace, it is much more beneficial to both employer and employees if there is a better way to increase the work productivity. On the 4-day work week system, I personally found myself working more happily and willing to work longer for meeting the deadlines. With an extra day of weekend, I have enough time to do the housework, hang out with my friends and family, develop my hobbies, and be able to sleep properly. This system allows me to achieve a well-balanced work-life which largely improve my health both physically and mentally. I highly recommend the new working model, as large companies like Google and Amazon already have carried out.”

Jade Griffin:

“I believe the 4-day week works well within our company. There are numerous pros I have found from participating in it. I found that my productivity increased during the early stages of the day due to having less distractions with an early start, I was more willing to stay in later to meet a deadline because I knew I had a 3-day weekend or the next day off. The extra day per week makes a massive difference to your work life balance, I recently moved to London and with a 4-day work week I have been able to discover London more than I could have with the standard week. It is not all perfect with the 4-day working week as a workday is removed from the calendar and workload stays the same you have to adapt to working more efficiently, effectively and learn how to allocate time better. But I think that working harder during the week to gain a day off is a fair trade off and I enjoy the balance I have in life now.”

As an employer here are some pros and cons to a 4-day week:

Seán Young:

“Like all companies you need the right staff and personalities to make the 4-day week concept work. I feel as a concept all the internal systems needed to be completed in order to introduce this way of working into the company. Time is more on our side since with the 4-day working week. Life is short and we all have other ambitions and interests outside of work which the 4-day working week caters for. I didn’t see how we could fulfil those in a traditional 5-day working week. Items to note for people thinking of implementing this way of working. The idea of everyone off on Monday or Friday does not work. The days need to be staggered. Like every SME, it is very dependent on the personnel involved whether it is a success and effective”

Switching to a new 4-day work week model has increased employee moral and work rate, while the business has maintained the same levels of production. In conclusion the 4-day work week is definitely working for us and we will continue implementing as LSY engineering Consultants Ltd progresses in the coming years. Please feel free to get in touch at info@lsyconsultants.com to discuss if you would like to hear more about the 4-day week experience from us.