Who wouldn’t love another day off in the week?
A three-day weekend means more time to rest, attend to personal matters, and pursue hobbies—all of which may boost mental health and improve work-life balance.
Discussions about achieving this through a four-day workweek have been ongoing for years. We joined the conversation last year with our article on whether a four-day workweek is realistic or unreasonable.
But today, many organizations around the world are putting it to the test and finding great success.
And based on the data these tests are producing, it seems to us that a flexible workspace could be a key contributor to a successful four-day workweek.
The What and Why of a Four-Day Workweek
A four-day workweek is an update to the Monday to Friday, 9:00 to 5:00 model that has dominated the professional world for the last century.
Work has changed and many people believe our work schedules should change, too.
While a four-day workweek may suggest a shift from five eight-hour days to four ten-hour days (i.e., still a 40-hour week), we’re specifically looking at what’s known as the 100-80-100 model.
Championed by the non-profit organization 4 Day Week, the concept of the 100-80-100 model refers to a four-day workweek where employees experience:
- 100% pay
- 80% time
- 100% output
The goal, then, is for employees to remain at maximum productivity and receive their full pay, but work fewer hours in a week.
Supporters of this model say it can result in positive benefits for employers and employees alike:
- Increased productivity: Focusing on efficient solutions and eliminating low-productivity tasks allow employees to produce the same output in less time.
- Reduced stress and burnout: With more free time in the week, employees can achieve better work-life balance and reduce stress levels.
- Better employee attraction and retention: Companies that offer four-day workweeks may be more attractive to prospective employees while increasing satisfaction for current ones.
Four-Day Workweek Success Stories
The claims of a four-day workweek are ambitious—the same amount of output in less time while making everyone happier is a lofty goal.
However, data supports the implementation of a four-day workweek. Our previous article on a four-day workweek discussed studies from Iceland, New Zealand, Spain, and Japan, in which data showed increased productivity and employee happiness while reducing absenteeism and stress.
A 2022 trial by 4 Day Week corroborates these findings. In it, 33 companies and 903 employees participated in a four-day, 32-hour workweek and reported their results in a series of surveys.
The results from this trial are telling. On a scale from 0-10 (very negative to very good), the average rankings by employers were:
- 9.0 for the trial as a whole.
- 7.6 for how the overall company performance was affected.
- 7.7 for employee productivity.
Additionally, 18 employers will continue this schedule and 7 are still deciding (the rest didn’t respond).
The employee side responded as follows (same scale of 0-10):
- 9.1 for the trial as a whole.
- 7.83 for their current work performance (up from 7.17 at the beginning of the trial).
As for employees, 97% said they wanted to continue on a four-day workweek schedule.
Other notable findings from the study are that general well-being—including physical health—increased while anxiety and fatigue decreased.
How to Successfully Implement a Four-Day Workweek
The data from the four-day workweek trial is promising, and some employers or self-employed individuals may be ready to take the leap.
Before you do, it’s important to develop a strategy for success. Simply trying to do the same thing in less time will not work. Streamlined work and increased productivity are key to achieving the same level of output in just 80% of the time.
Today, many employees are working from home or on a hybrid schedule. Their workspace is full of distractions, they may not have the tools they need, or are struggling with isolation. On top of that, a lot of time is wasted on pointless meetings or technology and communication challenges.
The solution, then, to maximizing productivity is changing how we work. Two key factors in this are finding the ideal workspace and strategic work reorganization—let’s look at both.
Workspace
The environment you work in matters for productivity. Everything from your office decor (i.e., plants or colors) to the noise level to who you’re around can impact your focus levels.
For this reason, employers or self-employed individuals need to consider a workspace that boosts productivity. Despite the popularity of work-from-home (WFH), it isn’t always optimal for productivity. Many people are distracted by tasks around the home and communication with colleagues can take longer due to the distance.
That said, many people don’t want to go back to the office full-time—especially if you’re looking at a four-day workweek—and pay the hefty rent to keep an office space.
This is where flexible workspaces come in. They’re an excellent option to optimize productivity and focus for a few reasons:
- Flexibility: Coworking memberships are the ultimate flexibility for your remote and hybrid employees. They can choose to come and work at a hot desk to have a change of scenery and boost productivity.
- Privacy: A private office in a coworking space gives your team a dedicated place to connect and collaborate. It’s perfect for focused work, with the added benefit of accessing the coworking space amenities. A coworking space also does not have the same distractions as a home office. It’s built for productivity and you can focus on work instead of getting pulled away by a stack of dishes or other household chores.
- Amenities: Lack of access to tools, resources, and amenities can hamper your ability to work productively at home. A flexible workspace is set up with what you need for success—printers, scanners, high-speed Wi-Fi, virtual office services, coffee, and other amenities. You can learn more about what we offer here at The Post to create our renowned atmosphere.
- Collaboration: Isolation and loneliness go hand-in-hand with poor focus and productivity. A coworking space is a community of like-minded professionals—somewhere to find meaningful connections. Remote communication isn’t always effective, as you may have to wait for emails or go back and forth on Slack rather than a quick in-person chat. A dedicated workspace for your team can help mitigate this, as can access to bookable meeting rooms or flex spaces that allow you to bring everyone together for effective and productive collaboration.
At The Post, we see coworking as a movement that’s reinventing the way we work. It’s about having the freedom to choose where you want to work, the flexibility to try new things, and an environment that’s designed for productivity and focus.
Flexible office space is a perfect match for a four-day workweek—they’re both built on the premise of changing things up and getting the most out of your workday.
Work Reorganization
The lead researcher of the four-day workweek trial attributes increased productivity in four days to “work reorganization.” The key feature here is to cut out low or zero-value activities such as inefficient meetings or redundant administrative tasks.
Besides actively cutting out inefficient tasks, there are two additional ways a four-day week boosts productivity through work reorganization:
- Technology: Employees can save time by utilizing platforms like Slack instead of sending emails.
- Personal errands: With another day off, especially a weekday, employees can move doctors or other personal appointments to their off day. This frees up more time to get necessary core tasks done during the other four days.
To get serious about maximizing efficiency and focus, you may also need to look at some of the productivity-killing habits you need to break, too.
Both the right workspace and intentional work reorganization are keys to a successful four-day workweek. When done right, this new way to work has the potential to transform your business or your work for the better.
Looking to streamline your workflows and get the most out of every workday? Book a tour today. Our workspace is set up to maximize your productivity.