Four shifts that could change workdays forever

Since the pandemic, where people do their jobs has changed but so, too, has when.   Now, workers who previously had five-day-a-week, nine-to-five jobs are in some cases finding themselves with new options for ordering their workdays and workweeks. Overall, these approaches aim to give workers the kind of flexibility that feeds into greater wellbeing, whether that’s more accommodations for personal commitments, or shorter time on the clock entirely.   Of course, not every employer is jumping on these emerging trends; plenty of sectors are strictly adhering to pre-pandemic structures. Still, an increasing number of companies are experimenting with shaking up things, especially in an era where worker attrition is a concern.   Here’s what we know about how workdays are changing, and what their continued evolution might look like.   Shorter workweeks could be on the table… Work has been exhausting for a while, but as workdays lengthened for many employees during the pandemic, their mental health and work-life balance suffered. One answer to the call for better wellbeing support has been the trial – and in some cases, implementation – of the four-day workweek.  This idea is not new to the pandemic era, yet it’s gained renewed traction amid Covid-19. High-profile trials began in 2021 across countries including Iceland and Spain. And now that the results are rolling in, some employers have been so pleased by the outcomes around productivity that they’re making the new set-up permanent. Particularly notable was the widescale four-day working week trial in the UK, in which 3,300 employees across 73 companies received one paid day off per week through the course of the trial. Halfway through the experiment, 86% of the companies surveyed said they’d keep the four-day policy going.  Along with enjoying happier workforces, many businesses have also been able to recruit and retain workers. At the same time, their employees are saving on expenses like commuting and childcare. (On a larger scale, four-day workweeks could be more sustainable, too, cutting carbon emissions.)  Amid all the positive developments, however, there’s still much to figure out about what a four-day workweek will look like in practice, at least at company level. Some firms are keeping 40-hour weeks, instead condensing the workload into four days, which is lengthening employees’ daily time on the clock. Other companies have decided to chop working hours to between 32 to 36. And although some data shows a third of businesses expect a four-day workweek reality in the next decade, not every company is keen on paying workers the same amount for fewer hours.