A well reasoned case for the 4 day work week.

It's hard for most of us to imagine a time before the Monday to Friday 5 day schedule. A little over 100 years ago, the norm was actually 6 days a week. It wasn't until Henry Ford (and his son Edsel) enacted a 5 day/40 hour work week at Ford Motor Company that the schedule we now know became a reality. You can bet there were those in opposition to the idea, assuming the removal of a week day would lead to a drop in productivity and profits. That is until Ford's productivity and profitability increased as a result of the decision!

Other auto makers and industries soon began following the 5-day work week schedule and the rest is history. What made it work out so well?
It's simple really, workers were able to rest, dedicate more time to family and engage in community obligations. This led to increased loyalty and improved morale. Productivity inevitably increased in spite of reducing the work week. You see, Ford embraced the reality that human workers are most effective when they are more balanced. They are motivated to do their best when they have a chance to rest. Some of you may be thinking, people had a day to rest before Ford's push to add another. Think about your own life though and ask, would you really be able to recharge with one day? Between parenting, grocery shopping, home repairs, car issues, doctor's appointments, school events, and many others, there are so many things outside of our workplace that require our focus and attention. You need more time. Ford figured this out back in the 1920s, but I think he got only part way there.

Increasing productivity starts upstairs.

There are psychological studies to back up my rhetoric. One such study found that mental alertness has a rhythmic pattern.
Referred to as ultradian rhythmn, after 90 minutes of concentration we are fatigued for about 20 minutes. These findings have led to the most productive individuals taking breaks after 90 minutes, stepping away from the task at hand to rest and return to the work at the start of an ultradian peak. Some take it further with the Pomodoro Technique.

To reiterate, the reality is that we work best when balanced.

Making a 4 day work week...work.

I push this idea based on real world experience. I've been blessed to be able to work in the tech industry for over 16 years. During that time, I've witnessed the impacts of overworking and its end results. Getting a little personal, I left a high paying job after being required to work many late nights and weekends. At the time I didn't mind the work, but having a young daughter and missing important time with the wife took their toll. I knew that work situation wasn't for me. I know others at that company who remained, now on the brink of full burnout!

When it comes to the fast paced world of "agile" development, there are times when developers and operations teams have to put out production fires, or have to release promised features in a compressed timeline. This has required late nights, early mornings and loss of weekends. Along with this, many companies treat agile's scrum processes as nothing more than a means to demand unreasonable update intervals. Combine this with mismanagement of time in low value meetings and you begin to see how longer work weeks don't automatically equate to high output.

You and your company have a better option, one that provides more rest, maintains productivity and boosts morale.

Still 40

Let me be clear, I'm not suggesting a reduction to a 32 hour minimum work week. With 4 days, you can still achieve 40 hours if managed properly. I suggest a split with alternating long (12 hour) and short (8 hour) days. 12 hours is a long day, no doubt, but its do-able if you combine it with maximizing an ultradian rhythm.

This can have practical benefits when important deadlines approach, as more time can be spent on critical project work beyond 5pm. Transportation costs for on-site workers can be reduced.

If your business requires on call or related support beyond 4 days a week, you might consider having staff work alternate shifts.

You'll be wise to keep in mind, a 4 day work week doesn't have to mean anything more than shifting the same work and hours from 5 to 4 days for individual employees.

The main reason to do this.

Boosting morale and improving loyalty are very important for maintaining a thriving workforce. With long 3 day weekends, employees have more time to handle their responsibilities and actually rest. They can return to the office ready to give their best.

I mentioned a need for balance. If you reduce the work/life balance of a week to simple math, 4 days on and 3 days off are about as balanced as you can get. (Half days are logistically impractical.)

Obviously, scheduling workforce time to meet business objectives is far more complex than just choosing how to split sevens. The point is, a 4 day work week can be accomplished while still meeting objectives and maintaining high productivity.

I conclude with another consideration of significance. We all have those we care about, whether they're family or really close friends. Our lives should not be defined solely by our careers. Building a career or at least having a job that covers our financial needs is truly good, but we should be there for those we care about also.
Hard working parents, your kids are their current ages for only a year. You don't get to redo their childhood milestones when it's convenient for the company. Hard working wives/husbands, your spouses need quality time with just you, away from the office. You can make the most of life's important moments but you have to be empowered to prioritize them. A 4 day work week can help.