CHARLOTTE, N.C. – Some companies are figuring out whether a four-day workweek is realistic in the US, as new research shows it could benefit both employees and employers alike.
The nation is still seeing low unemployment numbers, and many businesses say it remains difficult to find people to hire. Therefore, they’re being forced to develop new ways to attract and retain people.
“It’s nice to actually feel like we do have off time, and that we are protective of that time,” said Nate Jones, an experienced analyst and head of research at CX Pilots, a business consulting company that’s trying out a four-day, ten-hour schedule.
Jones says his weekends now feel a little more like a weekend because he tries to make the most of that extra free day.
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“I’m meal prepping, I’m doing laundry, catching up with family,” he said.
“The pandemic made me think more about what I care about,” said CX Pilots founder Steven Keith. He says the new schedule is working well, and the company has not seen a change in workplace productivity.
Research from Robert Half, an employment agency, shows a large majority of US Managers (93%) support a four-day workweek for their team. The data shows 64% expect their company to transition to one within the next five years.
“We’re seeing morale increase because folks feel like their employer listened and heard them,” said Cathi Canfield, vice president of Enterprise Transformation EmplyBridge, another employment agency.
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Experts say the four-day work week is still pretty rare in the US. It’s a challenge for many companies to retool their workflow.
“Some staff members, for example, work Monday through Thursday one week, and others work Tuesday through Friday, to make sure there’s coverage five days a week. So there’s certainly logistics,” said Brett Good, senior district president at Robert Half.
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EmployBridge believes the schedule will only become more popular in the coming years, so companies need to be ready for it.
“They’ll be forced to if they want the best. The best are asking for this kind of flexibility,” Canfield said.
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This week, state lawmakers in Maryland proposed a bill that would offer tax incentives to businesses that try the four-day workweek. If passed, it would be the first program of its kind in the US.