3 Benefits of the Four-Day Workweek
Having a four-day workweek sounds amazing to an office worker like myself. I currently work Monday through Friday from 8:30 am to 5 pm, with a 30-minute lunch break. Like many, my job can be stressful. It can be a challenge balancing a professional and personal life. Having an extra day would allow me the time to take care of personal matters, while also having time to breathe from the workweek.
A four-day workweek has 3 benefits:
1. An extra day to make appointments. It drives me crazy to ask my manager for a few minutes to make an appointment for my doctor or hairstylist. What’s funny is that a simple appointment call, which should take 5 minutes, takes 10 minutes or longer. It would be nice to have a business day to make these appointments. Most doctor’s offices are closed during the weekends. This means all appointments are made during the workweek. Many businesses are transitioning online to make the appointment process easier, but some are not quite there yet.
2. Having an extra two hours a day for work would be more productive. For some reason, 8 hours is not enough time to take care of all work tasks. Working past the clock many times, I have found that when I work 10-hour days, for some reason, I get more done. The extra time allows me to address each file and take care of miscellaneous tasks, like returning calls, sending emails, and follow-ups. I am also able to “shut my desk down.” Meaning I can plan the next day, gather the files to work on, and organize my desk. Of course, 10-hour workdays are a lot, that is why an extra day to decompress would be great for employees.
3. Time to breathe. Weekends are usually completely booked. Saturday is for errands and family activities. All the grocery shopping, little league games, and yard work must get done. Sunday, the supposed day of rest, is for all the miscellaneous stuff that didn’t get done on Saturday. Plus, getting ready for the workweek. That does not account for church or the Sunday Blues. At what point do you really take time for yourself? We try to squeeze 10 minutes here and 15 minutes there for meditation or journaling. An extra day to relax would be ideal. I would spend more time with family and friends or just be by myself. The extra day during the weekend would allow for a more relaxing break before returning to the hustle and bustle of the 9 to 5.
Having a four-day workweek would allow employees to compartmentalize work duties and have time to unwind. I always get excited for three-day weekends. I know I have more time to get things done and I have to relax before returning to work. Business leaders and activists will continue to argue for the four-day workweek, but I am already sold for the reasons above.
