"Rather Stressful"·"Need to Work Overtime"... 3 Key Issues of the 4-Day Workweek [Jjinbit]

[4-Day Workweek Era⑦]
Risks Include Productivity Interpretation, Job Type Differences, and Increased Unemployment
Employee Well-being and Other Goals May Not Be Achieved Depending on Implementation Method

[Asia Economy Reporter Jeong Hyunjin] Is the four-day workweek truly a "dream work environment" for office workers? While reducing the number of working days by one per week may seem entirely positive, overlooking detailed aspects during the implementation process can likely shatter that dream. As the saying goes, "the devil is in the details," there are concerns that introducing the system could actually disrupt employees' well-being, corporate productivity, and employment. To successfully implement a four-day workweek that satisfies everyone, it is necessary for members to engage in intense discussions on the issues through various experiments. 'The Era of the Four-Day Workweek'

◆ Issue 1. Maintaining Productivity: How Far Is It Possible?

The first issue is productivity. When companies adopt the four-day workweek, maintaining productivity is a key concern. Companies want to reduce employees' working hours by improving work efficiency while keeping the workload the same as before. In an article published in April by the U.S. newsweekly Newsweek, Oliver Shilke, a professor of management and organization at the University of Arizona, pointed out, "From a cost perspective, reducing working hours creates pressure to complete the same amount of work in less time," adding, "This will significantly increase employees' stress and pressure."

According to research released last September by Helen Dillane, a senior lecturer at the University of Auckland, and Catherine Casey, a professor at Loughborough University, an analysis of a four-day workweek trial conducted in 2018 at a small-to-medium enterprise in the Netherlands showed that employees took shorter breaks, had less 'tea time' conversations among colleagues, and hurriedly rushed to complete tasks. Dillane and Casey noted that while some employees enjoyed fully concentrating on work during the four-day period, others experienced high-intensity stress and pressure. One male employee interviewed said he preferred the five-day workweek because he enjoyed spending lunch breaks playing games.

As a result, the four-day workweek, which is intended to improve employee well-being, could ironically worsen employees' work environments. Organizational psychologist Emma Russell, a senior lecturer at the University of Sussex, and others wrote in a piece contributed to Harvard Business School (HBS) last month that "reducing workdays does not necessarily lead to employee well-being." They also pointed out that most promotions of Microsoft (MS) Japan’s successful experiment with the four-day workweek focus on how productivity increased, adding, "Employers need to pay more attention to well-being if they want to appear as if they are investing in employees' work-life balance."

◆ Issue 2. Differences by Occupation: "Additional Overtime May Occur"

There are also concerns that the four-day workweek is difficult to apply in certain occupations or industries. Interpretations vary among companies and academia even after several rigorous experiments with the four-day workweek.

UK recruitment agency Reed mentioned occupational differences as one of the drawbacks of the four-day workweek in a blog post last July. Reed pointed out, "Some industries or jobs operate 24/7, making reduced working hours impractical and potentially causing delays in work." For example, a nurse working at Northamptonshire Hospital in the UK evaluated that since the hospital is already chronically understaffed, introducing a four-day workweek would result in more frequent shift rotations, making it practically difficult to operate properly.

On the other hand, some interpret that the four-day workweek could be advantageous for frontline workers like nurses. For frontline workers, work is impossible after leaving the workplace, but office workers may still work remotely, meaning they might effectively have to work even after leaving. Peter Cappelli, a professor at the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania, told Newsweek, "It is suitable for jobs that cannot be done remotely," adding, "The real issue is whether the four-day workweek means that the fifth working day of the week is conducted as remote work."

◆ Issue 3. Concerns Over Job Loss Due to Rising Costs

One of the biggest concerns during the introduction of the four-day workweek is job loss due to increased labor costs. If wages remain the same but working hours per employee decrease, hourly labor costs rise, potentially reducing the number of jobs. Especially in workplaces operating 24/7, if the four-day workweek requires expanding the workforce, costs inevitably increase. If the four-day workweek reduces wages proportionally with shorter hours, it is essentially no different from corporate restructuring, critics argue.

In fact, when France reduced weekly working hours from 39 to 35 in 1998 to lower unemployment, the unemployment rate, which was close to 10%, remained unchanged, employees' working hours actually approached 40 hours, and there was criticism that many part-time contract workers were produced.

This has led to interpretations that opinions on the four-day workweek vary by income group, potentially becoming an "issue only for the middle class." Tito Boeri, an economics professor at Bocconi University in Milan, Italy, told the political media outlet Politico last March, "Centralized government-led implementation can cause many problems and increase unemployment," adding, "Low-income workers might prefer working longer and earning more rather than working less and earning less."

Editor's Note[Jjinbit] is short for 'Jeong Hyunjin's Business Trend' and 'Real Business Trend,' a corner that showcases trends in corporate management such as organizational culture and HR systems. Based on analyses from foreign media and major overseas institutions that have not received much attention, we will deliver fresh and differentiated information and perspectives.