(This column originally appeared in Entrepreneur)
Over the past few years, I’ve researched, written and evaluated the pros and cons of the four-day workweek. And my conclusion: maybe it’s right for some companies, but not for most. And certainly not for mine. And now we have some studies — like one from IKEA — that are pointing out some downsides.
There are organizations like WorkFour and 4 Day Week Global that promote the benefits of a four-day workweek. These benefits include:
- Greater flexibility, especially for parents.
- Potential for better work-life balance.
- Less burnout for employees.
- Higher employee retention rates.
“The 4-day workweek is an extremely popular policy: two-thirds of Americans support it, and three-fifths believe Americans work too much,” WorkFour, whose mission “Is to make the 4-day, 32-hour workweek the standard for all in the U.S., with full pay and benefits,” according to its website.
Related: Why “Doing Less” Is The Key To Scaling Your Small Business These Next 6 Months
I get it. And I understand that in some professions — nursing, for example — the arrangement can work. I’m also aware of reports like this one from NC State University that provide examples of four-day workweek success stories. And maybe it can be a success in smaller countries like Iceland or for large corporations like Microsoft. But for most of the small businesses I see, it just doesn’t cut it. And for my company, which has about 10 people, it also doesn’t work. Here are a few reasons why the 4-day, 32-hour workweek has too many issues to make it a viable solution for small business owners:
It’s a tough financial sell
Working 32 hours and being paid for 40 hours is simply a non-starter and doesn’t make sense to business people — especially accountants like me — who manage finances. The whole premise of the four-day workweek is that workers can still get their jobs done in less time if given the ability to do so. That’s great, but the reality is that employers don’t think that way. If we’re paying someone a salary for 40 hours, we expect 40 hours to be worked. If fewer hours are worked, then we would expect to pay less.
Saying that jobs are all about delivering on objectives is fine, but if those objectives can be met in 32 hours, then most employers — myself included — would prefer to add more objectives that can be met in 40 hours. And if an employee says they can do their current job in just 32 hours, it raises the question of what they’ve been doing up to now.
It can create friction
A four-day workweek can be unfair if you are unable to promise it to every employee. Not all jobs can be done in just a four-day week. Some positions, particularly on construction sites or the factory floor, may require people to be there every day. Other customer-facing jobs may not be able to be done outside of their normal working hours. So it’s unfair to allow some employees to work four days while others can’t, just because of the nature of their jobs. Doing this can cause friction.
Related: I Made My Company 100% Virtual And It’s a Decision I Regret Everyday — Here’s Why.
It may not align with your customers
A four-day workweek doesn’t often match your customers’ needs. Sure, a nurse can work overnight or weekend shifts because patients don’t get a say when they need care. But if a business mostly caters to local customers, or is in retail or is a restaurant, there are only so many hours when customers need you or work needs to be done. You’re not going to have someone work extra hours in a day when there may not be anything to do.
Accuracy, safety and productivity are a concern
Depending on the schedule, a four-day workweek can create accuracy and productivity issues — and even safety issues. Some companies, in order to implement such a program, may increase employee shifts from eight to ten or even 12 hours per day. Working longer days can dull employees’ senses, particularly when the job is tedious or labor-intensive. They are more likely to make costly mistakes, miss things or forgo safety precautions. Think airline pilots, surgeons, specialized factory workers, financial auditors and legal compliance reviewers. The list goes on — do you want people in those professions operating at reduced capacity due to a longer shift?
Different generations, different attitudes
Another problem: generations aren’t always in alignment with this kind of schedule. For the first time in industrial history, companies now have five generations in the workplace: Boomers, GenX, Older Millennials, Younger Millennials (yes, there’s a difference) and Gen Z. The first three generations didn’t grow up with the four-day workweek concept and are accustomed to working the standard Monday to Friday hours. They can’t get their arms around how a company can operate on any other arrangement. The younger generations want the flexibility. Regardless of who’s right, the four-day workweek concept is a debate and oftentimes creates cultural challenges within an organization.
Administrative burdens
Scheduling also gets complicated with such a system. Figuring out people’s schedules now becomes harder as supervisors not only try to juggle new shifts that accommodate everyone’s needs but also ensure that management is around to keep watch on their workers.
Instead of just expecting everyone to be in at 9 a.m. and leave at 5 p.m., now you’re talking spreadsheets and HR apps to manage the changing hours. My clients who have tried giving their employees shift choices have complained of extra administrative work to accommodate and sometimes find themselves playing referee when one employee makes demands over and over. Does this employee deserve the “better” shift because he has young kids? Or does this one deserve it because she has a sick pet? Who is more important? This is not a debate you want to have.
Related: Baby Boomer Businesses Are Up for Grabs — Here’s How Entrepreneurs Can Benefit In 2025
Fear of missing out
There’s a big risk of FOMO. There is no question that when people aren’t around they get forgotten. I know employees who have received promotions or opportunities over their colleagues because they have closer, in-person relationships with their supervisors. The four-day workweek movement really got its momentum right after the pandemic and during the Great Resignation of employees shifting around. This was also at a time of tight labor and significant workforce disruption. Employers were on their heels — remember “bare minimum Mondays” and “quiet quitting”? You don’t hear much of that anymore. Things have changed. The economy has slowed. AI is already creepingly replacing jobs. Workers are no longer in the driver’s seat. Being out of the office for such a period of time isn’t a great idea for employees who don’t want to miss out on what’s going on. A four-day workweek might not be the best arrangement for the upwardly mobile worker who also wants job security.
No stress relief
Finally…guess what? A four-day workweek doesn’t reduce burnout when other workplace stresses aren’t being addressed. Surprise! I thought that was the whole point! But apparently, no. A recent study of IKEA employees found that employees who worked at companies that offer four-day workweeks suffered the same amount of burnout as employees working elsewhere. That throws the whole reduces burnout defense out the window.
“Working on a compressed schedule did not tackle the workplace demands and stressors facing employees and burnout was not alleviated,” the study’s authors reported. “Following this micro-vacation, people return to the usual work environment, where the same stressors, deadlines, and challenges await. Without changes to this work environment, some of the ongoing pressures contributing to burnout symptoms remain unaddressed.”
The bottom line is that at least for me and many of my clients, the four-day workweek isn’t a great option. If Microsoft’s trial (which was conducted in Japan) was such a success, why hasn’t it been expanded across the entire company? If a four-day workweek worked so great in Iceland, why isn’t it the norm?
That doesn’t mean it can’t work. Some organizations have implemented it successfully. And whether or not your business offers it, this shouldn’t preclude your consideration to offer more flexible work hours and paid-time-off plans. I get that people want to work less and get paid the same. It’s human nature. Maybe AI will allow us to do that someday soon. But in the meantime, please be here on time. Every day of the workweek. Thanks.
