EDITOR ’ S QUESTION

have concerns about the introduction of the four-day work week , due to the unintended negative impact it might have on employees . A shorter work week could inadvertently lead to increased stress due to a greater workload and more pressure to ‘ get things done ’ in a shorter time frame . Employers need to be aware of the toll this could take on employees , particularly on their mental health , and have in place support if needed .

The idea of working fewer hours is enticing , but if companies want to reduce the working time down to four days a week ( a reduction of 20 %), an active conversation needs to happen around how this impacts business targets . Are performance goals or employee expectations also going to lower by 20 % to accommodate the changing working hours or is it clear to the employee that what they ’ re signing up for is the same output in a smaller time frame ?

Given the current state of the economy and the expense of living , the workforce is unlikely to

welcome a pay decrease , even if it comes with a day off . Management should be ready for backlash from their workforce if they decide to offer reduced salaries to cater to the reduced output caused by the four-day work week .

Although some businesses are choosing to go ahead with this idea , I just don ’ t see this as a viable option in the current economic climate due to the potential cost implications . A lot of questions need to be answered around increased productivity vs decreased wages , employee wellbeing and overall business impact .

As a result , I don ’ t expect that the four-day work week will have an overall positive impact on employees in the long-term and may prove difficult for many to implement . x

A LOT OF QUESTIONS NEED TO BE ANSWERED AROUND INCREASED PRODUCTIVITY VS DECREASED WAGES , EMPLOYEE WELLBEING AND OVERALL BUSINESS IMPACT . www . intelligentcxo . com

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