THE idea of a four-day work week has been around for quite some time. However, it has gained prominence recently with news of the world’s biggest trial in the concept conducted among 60 companies in the UK from June to December 2022.
With most of the participating employers stating that they saw productivity levels maintained – and improvements in staff retention and well-being – it’s perhaps not surprising that more than 90% of participating businesses opted to continue with the four-day work week with 18 of them adopting it permanently.
While some hail the four-day work week as a boon for productivity, critics argue that this model is impractical in certain sectors.
In the post-pandemic world where shifting priorities are seeing louder calls for more flexibility in the way we work, companies are faced with the challenge of determining what this flexibility looks like.
Aside from the four-day work week, we’re familiar with the concepts of remote work, hybrid work, flexitime, job sharing, and gig working, to name a few. Some extol the benefits of compressed workdays – notably from 10am to 4pm.
It’s a veritable smorgasbord in the way that this can be done. There is no one-size-fits-all solution here as organisations have their own business goals, challenges and staffing needs.
What is certain, though, is that organisations will have to offer employees at least some flexibility in how they work to remain competitive as various studies have indicated that flexible work models are favoured by employees in the post-pandemic period.
Flexibility makes sense for several reasons: by offering flexible work arrangements, employers attract and retain top talent; increase productivity by allowing employees to work in a way that suits them best; and encourage work-life balance by allowing employees to schedule their work around personal commitments which in turn reduces stress and increases job satisfaction.
Matter of choices
So, the main question organisations would have to ask is what type of flexible work model would work for them? Let’s have a closer look at some of the ways this can be done:
Remote work: Also known as telecommuting or working from home (WFH), remote work has become increasingly popular, especially during the pandemic when nations around the world went into lockdowns.
This arrangement allows employees to work from any location outside of the traditional office environment and has many benefits such as increased productivity, reduced stress from commuting, and greater flexibility in scheduling.
Some challenges that can arise from this, though, is employee disengagement unless there is a robust system in place to enable teams to remain well-connected across locales.
Hybrid work: Post-pandemic, this has become increasingly popular among businesses as it combines the benefits of remote and in-person work by allowing employees to work both from home and the office.
This allows for greater flexibility in scheduling and work location while still maintaining some in-person collaboration and communication.
Four-day work week: A four-day work week or a compressed work week involves working longer hours for fewer days – typically working four 10-hour days as opposed to five 8-hour days. This arrangement allows for longer weekends and greater work-life balance.
It may not suit all sectors, though, and its adoption remains limited and varies by country and industry.
Flexitime: A system of working in which people work a particular number of hours within a fixed period of time but can change the time they start or finish work.
This allows employees to schedule their work around personal commitments such as family obligations, doctor’s appointments or other personal activities.
Job sharing: This involves splitting one full-time position between two part-time employees, which allows for greater flexibility in scheduling and work-life balance.
Freelancing or gig work: Freelancing involves working independently for multiple clients on a project-by-project basis.
With shifting attitudes to work, gig work has become increasingly popular among individuals who want to have better work-life balance and better mental well-being. Gig work, however, but may require greater self-discipline and self-motivation.
Summing It Up
Flexible work arrangements in the post-pandemic world of work are here to stay as they just make sense. There are various ways for employers to offer this which would bring benefits to not only employees but organisations and there is no single “correct” way of going about it.
Ultimately, it comes down to individual organisations catering to the specific needs of their workforce and business. – May 15, 2023
Melissa Norman is the founder & managing director of the Aisling Group.
The views expressed are solely of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of Focus Malaysia.
Main pic credit: Scoro
