How evaluating efficiency processes can help the move to a four-day working week

Generating more time and becoming more efficient are practices which I imagine we are all striving for to some extent, both in our personal lives and in the workplace. There are multiple ways to tackle this, although it’s evident that whilst one concept might work for one, it may not be a shoo-in for the other. Meaning we have to remain open to new ideas and concepts.

It’s almost a century ago since the UK switched from a six-day working week to a five-day week and this remains, by far, the most dominant working model across much of the western world. However, in more recent times, questions are being raised around whether such a model accurately reflects the needs of the modern age.

An article from Peter Dowd, the Labour MP for Bootle, in the Guardian last year highlighted some interesting data around this subject. This outlined that when Microsoft in Japan trialled a four-day week, it found that productivity increased by 40%. In Iceland, the largest ever shorter-working-week trial for the public sector was an “overwhelming success” and resulted in 86% of Iceland’s working population working shorter hours, or gaining the right to shorten their hours. On top of increased productivity, worker wellbeing dramatically increased across a range of indicators, from perceived stress and burnout to health and work-life balance.

Concentrating our attention on the UK, a hundred companies are reported to have signed up for a permanent four-day working week for all their employees with no loss of pay. A move which represents a significant milestone in the campaign to fundamentally change Britain’s approach to work. The 100 companies employ 2,600 staff – a tiny fraction of the UK’s working population – but the 4 Day Week Campaign group is hoping they will be the vanguard of a major shift.

There are also other sustainability considerations to take into account when potentially making this seismic shift. A study by the environmental organisation Platform London and the 4 Day Week campaign found that by simply working one day less, carbon emissions could fall by up to 127m tonnes per year, the equivalent of taking all private cars off the road.

The four-day working week represents an interesting journey to follow and early indicators are pointing to this having a positive impact on customer service and operational efficiency. In addition, firms are suggested to be still hitting, and even exceeding, a number of business milestones as well as reaching new heights from an employee satisfaction standpoint.

As I stated earlier, a move to a four-day week won’t suit every business or every employee within these businesses but this has certainly got me thinking about how important it is for all business to constantly evaluate their efficiency processes, especially from a technology perspective.

A strong tech infrastructure can be one of the key components in achieving greater efficiencies across the board. Despite only being a few weeks into the new year, implementing a tech audit is likely to be the best thing you do in 2023 when it comes to improving efficiency levels in front and back office systems, throughout the advice process and across your whole business. And there’s plenty of help out there to support you in this journey.

So, what are you waiting for?