More and more employers are instituting a four-day workweek, after a new study found it helped businesses reduce staff turnover, improve recruitment, and increase productivity.
However, the benefits of new working models continue to fall on deaf ears. Companies across the board have been pushing for a five-day return-to-office policies, with the tech giants – notably Amazon and Dell — leading the pack.
Now the Trump administration has also issued its own RTO mandate for government executives, even in the face of the ever-growing body of statistics that suggest otherwise.
Proven Benefits of the 4-Day Workweek
The study — which was tracked by academics at the University of Cambridge, Boston College and the Autonomy Institute — saw a four-day week or nine-day fortnight trialed by 17 employers. It found categorically that productivity went up and staff turnover went down in this time; but also that the companies involved became a more attractive proposition for new recruits.
This November trial was the second run by a campaign group called the 4 Day Week Foundation. The first was carried out in in 2022 and 18 months after its completion, more than half of those involved were still working a four-day week.
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The sectors most represented among the 200 companies were marketing, advertising and PR, but the charity, NGO and social care sectors came a close second. Of the total, twenty-four companies were in technology, IT and software.
The majority of the companies who have now committed to a shorter working week were based in London.
Time for a Change
Joe Ryle, the foundation’s campaign director, said that these latest results are evidence that a change is needed.
“The 9-5, five-day working week was invented 100 years ago and is no longer fit for purpose. We are long overdue an update.” – Joe Ryle, 4 Day Week Foundation campaign chair
Key to the trial has been that employees’ pay was not changed at all despite the shorter working week. However, there is rising evidence that flexibility and a better work-life balance are now among the top wants that employees have for their career. This is perhaps even over financial considerations with a survey 18 months ago revealing that 76% of employees would actively seek a new job if their current employer got rid of flexible work options.
Does the Evidence Matter?
However positive this news from the study, the RTO mandates keep coming. CEOs are pushing the line that it is important for company culture and sticking to it.
Andy Jassy, CEO of Amazon, told employees in a memo that the incoming five-day a week RTO would mean that employees were “better set up to invent, collaborate, and be connected enough to each other and our culture to deliver the absolute best for customers and the business.” The company has already faced walkouts over the hybrid working roll-backs; but pushed ahead nevertheless.
Jassy fervently denied accusations that the RTO mandate was a way of slimming down the workforce by pushing staff towards voluntary redundancies. But a survey in June revealed a quarter of CEOs were hoping for just this.
Some have been openly vocal in saying that if employees don’t want to come in five days a week, they can look elsewhere for a job. In a recent news conference, President Trump stated bluntly: “If people don’t come back to work… they’re going to be dismissed.”
With the President taking such a hard line on hybrid working, those companies who are honoring flexible practices are becoming the minority despite evidence of the benefits.
