Are Your Employees Already Working a 4-Day Week? 

Employers who’re sceptical concerning the four-day week will probably be shocked to study that their workers could possibly be secretly doing it already.

cash.co.uk, a monetary comparability web site, surveyed 2,000 UK workers to look at the totally different generational attitudes to work and burnout coping mechanisms. The outcomes present that 64% of workers are lowering their very own hours to fight stress.

In line with the findings, 63% of employees interact in ‘Naked Minimal Mondays’, (purposefully doing the least quantity of labor anticipated to ease themselves into the week). 65% admit to skipping out early on a Friday.

Startups not too long ago discovered that 78% of UK workers desire a four-day week. Of those that are strongly in favour, 59% view the coverage as a method to cut back stress and burnout.

Mixed with the cash.co.uk analysis, our findings point out that, as corporations hesitate on implementing a shorter work week, employees are chopping their very own hours to guard their psychological well being.

Is the will for a four-day week impacting productiveness?

The preferred anti-work pattern amongst employees is ‘Freedom Friday’, the place over two thirds (65%) of all employees tackle a lighter workload to complete the week earlier.

cash.co.uk’s information exhibits that Freedom Fridays, which has taken the social media app TikTok by storm, are hottest with millennials. Nearly three quarters (72%) say they’re usually ending up early on the finish of the week.

It could possibly be that the rising recognition across the success of a four-day week – 7 in 10 workers intend to ask their employer to embrace the perk – is what’s inflicting employees to down instruments.

Nevertheless, that workers are selecting to place much less effort in throughout their shifts doesn’t essentially imply they’re much less productive. The truth is, of the corporations with a four-day week in 2023, many have chosen to undertake the apply as a approach to enhance their effectivity.

Certainly, the outcomes of the UK’s largest four-day week trial, unveiled earlier this yr, present that 57% of the businesses which took half within the trial selected to supply their workers both Monday or Friday off work.

This means the coverage helped to make up for hours misplaced resulting from these days of the week which are historically much less productive.

‘Quiet quitting’ pattern rages on amongst UK workers

Final yr, ‘Quiet Quitting’ entered the mainstream as a piece time period. In response to the rising value of residing, and a fall in actual wages, the apply started to turn into common amongst stressed employees.

Versus outright quitting their job, the phrase refers to solely finishing one’s minimal work necessities – quitting going above and past or bringing work house after hours.

cash.co.uk’s information reveals that Quiet Quitting stays trendy amongst employees. On common, greater than half (54%) at the moment interact with the pattern.

Breaking the info down by age group, cash.co.uk discovered that youthful persons are most probably to confess to quiet quitting. Simply over 3 in 5 workers surveyed aged 25-34 mentioned they at the moment partake within the apply.

This aligns with the findings from our latest four-day week survey, accomplished in collaboration with YouGov. We discovered that the perk is most engaging to youthful workers, with 58% of Gen Zers saying they might search new employment for it.

However even amongst over 55’s, the group who’re least more likely to ‘quiet give up’, two in 5 (42%) admit to urgent pause on their profession ambitions.

Rise in employees burnout spells bother for small companies

Whereas the self-made four-day week mannequin doesn’t essentially result in a drop in output, it does increase a purple flag for companies by way of employees motivations for ‘slacking off’.

An organisational tradition the place employees are actively looking for methods to restrict their productiveness can solely be described as unfavourable. Fairly than laziness, it’s probably reflective of the rising psychological well being disaster that’s threatening worker wellbeing.

In a survey of over 1,000 UK workers and HR managers, Reward Gateway, an worker engagement platform, discovered that 4 in 5 employees say office burnout has had an affect on their well being and wellbeing.

Such anxieties will make employees extra more likely to keep away from ending duties as a approach to defend their psychological well being. The cash.co.uk analysis exhibits that 63% of workers expertise the ‘Sunday Scaries’; a sense of dread on the finish of the weekend.

This isn’t only a humanitarian concern. It additionally has actual ramifications for the enterprise. Authorities figures estimate that illness absence and misplaced productiveness by worklessness contribute in the direction of an estimated £100bn annual value to companies.

This determine is simply anticipated to extend as extra employees report feeling fatigued and overburdened by their workload.

Final month, official labour figures from the Workplace for Nationwide Statistics confirmed {that a} rise in stress and burnout has led to a file variety of workers out of labor resulting from poor well being.

maintain workers wholesome, blissful and motivated

Work environments that reward and recognise employees efforts – and guarantee workers are given a manageable weekly workload – will nurture a safer and happier workforce. This can enhance worker engagement and productiveness, in addition to crew morale and efficiency.

In line with analysis by Reward Gateway, 72% of UK employees imagine their office wellbeing would enhance in the event that they have been merely thanked for his or her arduous work.

James Andrews, cash.co.uk enterprise loans professional, mentioned: “Specializing in perks recognized to be useful to psychological well being, like train and consuming effectively, will be cost-effective for enterprise house owners to drive motivation and productiveness, similtaneously lowering absenteeism.

“As such, subsidised gymnasium courses and memberships, providing a free wholesome breakfast within the workplace and digital psychological well being counselling may find yourself boosting your backside line in addition to proving common with employees.”

Extra on this: our information to the high worker advantages and perks in 2023 has 50+ concepts for assist measures to cut back stress in your workforce.