The four-day workweek has become a hot topic recently after the Union government has decided to offer companies the flexibility to choose a four-day workweek, although with longer shifts.

Labour Secretary Apurva Chandra while talking to mediapersons recently stated that the weekly 48-hour work limit will stay but employers will be able to arrange people on four, 12-hour workdays per week or five. There is another option of around 10-hour days or six, eight-hour days. The provision will be part of the labour code, and once the new rules are applied, employers will no longer be required to ask for government consent to shift to a four- or a five-day working week if their employees support the arrangement.

Chandra further made clear that there would be flexibility for employers to give a four, five or six-day week. There has to be an agreement between employers and employees over a four-day week, it cannot be a push on employees. Many employees are likely to be excited about the possibility of spending extra time on freedom activities and recuperate effectively from their weekly burdens.

The COVID-19 crisis has steered in a host of important changes, manipulating every area of life, including how we work. It’s time to look at what we know so far to check the pros and cons of the four-day workweek

PROS

• Productivity during work hours may increase to recompense for the lost day. According to one study, overall productivity climbs at 25-30 hours per week for people over the age of 40.

• Employee satisfaction plays a vital role here. With less stress and a better work-life balance, happy workers reportedly occupy better with their work, along with increased enthusiasm and creativity.

• Team building can be considered as one of the advantages here. The stress on efficiency tends to bring teams closer together, as there’s less time to waste on conflicts and the entire team’s goals are more motivated.

• One must know that this method also has environmental benefits. A four-day workweek judgmentally decreases each employee’s carbon footprint by removing commute pollution.

• Don’t you love to spend less on the expenses? If all your employees are out of the office one day a week, that reduces all office maintenance fees by 20 per cent, particularly electricity.

• Time to think better productive hacks? By inspiring new time-saving methods, employees are more likely to think up newer ideas.

CONS

• With multiple advantages, the work system also has some flaws. Some industries might suffer in this work-shift. For instance, a bus driver cannot work extra to be able to take next Friday off, just as a hotel chef cannot shorten five days of cleaning rooms into four.

• Industries that apply a four-day workweek tend to make up the lost day by a cumulative number of hours an employee must work for a day. This forces them to reach office a few hours earlier or stay for a few hours longer, which destructively influences their daily routines.

• In this work-shift, project deadline also plays a vital role. One must adjust your deadlines. If one fails to do that, he or she will run the risk of missing project deadlines.

• A 10-hour or 12-hour shift is a long one (think practically) and not every person has the stamina for it. Additionally, working long hours (more than 9 hours a day) has already shown to have negative impacts on the health of employees.