According to research*, 85% of UK computer-based employees who have heard of the concept of a four-day working week would want it adopted in their company. Furthermore, 74% of those interested in a four-day week would consider moving companies to one that provided this working schedule as long as the new role offered the same conditions.
The rise in interest in the four-day week coincides with high job dissatisfaction in UK companies. GetApp’s study shows how most surveyed employees (56%) feel some job dissatisfaction in their role, whilst the second highest proportion (21%) feel very dissatisfied. This is significant as 54% voted work-life balance as one of the most important factors helping achieve job satisfaction. Meanwhile, better work-life balance was voted by employees as the most significant advantage of a four-day week.
Yet despite this, most SME employees (54%) that understand the concept of a four-day week stated that their company hasn’t considered this four-day working practice an option.
When surveyed regarding the advantages a four-day week would bring to businesses, employees stated it would improve worker satisfaction (60%), reduce the rate of absences (40%) and increase productivity (37%).
Meanwhile, most employees (60%) interested in working under a four-day schedule would be happy to work the same 40 hours a week in four days and keep their current salary. Whilst 94% of employees would not accept a pay cut to achieve a four-day week, in the case of those that would, the majority (35%) would accept a 10% cut.
Furthermore, flexible working was also voted as a valuable part of a job, with 61% of those already working hybrid or remotely claiming they would change jobs if they didn’t have the opportunity to work from home. Whilst 83% who work strict daily hours would like more flexibility when organising working hours. Overall, 91% of employees who work flexibly deem flexible working hours important to their current job.
David Jani, Content Analyst at GetApp UK, comments: “Many of the employees in our sample showed great interest in the four-day working week and predicted positive impacts if it were implemented in their organisation. This reflected a broader trend amongst employees demonstrating preferences for more flexibility in terms of working hours and the ability to work from home or remotely.”
*GetApp UK
