VISION & STRATEGY www.ceotodaymagazine.com 44 These are just a handful of questions that 2022’s imminent four-day working week trial—coordinated by think tanks, campaigners and world-leading universities—seeks to analyse. But while the study has stolen headlines, and excited employees pray for its success, some of us suspect the researchers are actually misplacing their focus. For sceptics like me, a four-day working week doesn’t go far enough. While it seems more flexible, it can be just as restrictive as the five-day week, if not more so. What works for person A may not work for person B, and a one-size-fits-all approach to flexibility would be irrational. If businesses want to be more receptive, why not offer total flexible working and let employees choose when they work? Out with the old In 2022, the average UK employee works between 36 to 37 hours per week. This sounds like a lot on paper and can feel even longer in realtime, but it’s a cakewalk compared to previous working patterns. In fact, until the concept of the weekend was introduced to the US workforce in the 1920s and 1930s, many people toiled for up to 16 hours, six days a week, without any paid holidays. The capped five-day week was partly introduced to counter employment turmoil resulting from the Great Depression, and we’re seeing a similar revolution today. After two years in and out of lockdown, Britons are now yearning for fulfilment and freedom. The worldwide ‘Great Resignation’ is rumbling on with almost a third of British workers ready to swap jobs in 2022, while UK businesses are posting higher numbers of job vacancies than there are unemployed people for the first time in history. It’s no surprise, then, that 97% of organisations are planning to implement hybrid working policies in a bid to retain their workforces and attract new talent. The rise of the four-day week is another offshoot of this—but it may not offer the autonomy that workers truly crave. The future of work Instead, giving workforces more freedom is often the best way to boost productivity and satisfaction. After all, each employee is different—some work better in the early mornings, while others can only concentrate later in the day. Even before the pandemic, more UK employees preferred working between 7 am to 3 pm than a standard 9-5 shift. By offering staff the flexibility to adapt their hours and hone their output, employers can unlock their workforce’s maximum potential. Here’s where the four-day proposal may fall flat: While it ostensibly offers extra freedoms, a shortened week still anchors workers to a restrictive working pattern. If employers want to provide “What works for person Amay not work for person B, and a onesize-fits-all approach to flexibility would be irrational.”
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