Iceland’s 4 day a week ( work related)

[Hushmental]

Just want to know what everyone’s opinion is on this one. They have proved that working just 4 days a week resulted in increased productivity and happy employees. I would love if that’s implemented but I know it’s far from happening anytime soon. So my poll is Yabu if you don’t support it and yanbu if you think it will work.

Iceland the country or the frozen food store ?

Yes to Iceland the country

Depends whether i would lose 1/5th of my salary.

I was wondering it it is the shop or the country, too.

I haven't voted as it obviously depends.
Some people need more money. Some people need more time. It is going to vary.
Most people would be very happy to work 4 days and have 3 days off, but most people's budgets couldn't take the pay cut.

It's a brilliant idea.
Mental/ physical health would benefit massively.
Work life balance is so important and it just doesn't seem to be a thing or encouraged in this country.

I think it will just result in everyone doing 5 days worth of work in 4 days.

I'd support it, but there are the practicalities of the matter.

Do you have to work a longer 4 days to make up the extra day off? Have wages been cut by a 5th of not?

How have they made a viable?

It makes me sad to think people are so brainwashed into our current status quo that anyone would disagree with this tbh!

Same wage, less hours, more flexibility - why wouldn't you want that?!

The 5 day working week has been proven time and time again to be ineffective and outdated. This was actually the subject of my master’s dissertation.

What’s interesting is that there are some very clever people in government and policy making who also know this - so why no one really does anything about it is beyond me. David Cameron brought in measuring well-being alongside GDP during his time as PM and whilst I’ve never been a huge fan of the guy it was a big step in the right direction. Unfortunately, those who have been trying to push for more measuring of well-being and things like reduced hours/happiness/productivity links aren’t getting very far with the current government.

I think we will see a lot more countries take this stance though. After all, Henry Ford pioneered the 5-day week, but that took a while to spread globally.

I have worked 4 days a week for years now mostly for childcare reasons but even with both kids being at school come August I will be keeping it up.

I most definitley do 5 days worth of work in 4 days, my job doesn't allow for anything else (i.e. you have a workload and it needs done, if you are part time then you have the same work to do as a full timer and less hours to complete it in). I am used to it and don't find it stressful but I would say for sure that I am extremley productive and have learned to be super organised.

I am sure that the SNP had it in their manifesto for the Scottish election but we will see what comes of it.

I just think Britain is a bit stuck in its ways with the whole Mon-Fri 9-5 mentality that it won't really take off here.

Not surprised. Personally I think they should close on Sundays.

Our company are looking into this. They've looked at the data from Iceland, and also from some UK and US companies similar to ours who have implemented it, and it looks compelling. It seems that by and large people achieve more by working fewer hours. The model we're looking at is same take home pay, very slightly longer days (like 85% hours over 4 days), everybody works less but apparently actually gets more done. It sounds like nonsense but the numbers are pretty convincing.

Obviously only works in some sectors!

I've been mostly working four days a week through the pandemic and I am not picking up the fifth day again.
I don't always manage not to work that last day, but even knowing I can stop early on one day makes me feel better. Having a day to turn round mid week, or an occasional long weekend is brilliant when I do manage it.
I'm definitely in favour.

A friend of mine implemented this in their company, with great success (4 days for the same pay). They had a research study attached to it and the findings were that yes people did produce slightly less, BUT - the increase in well being, staff retention and energy levels more than made up for it.

My organisation works a 4.5 day week which is great and prior to this I've done 4 days compressed for years. 4 day weeks are the best, when you're compensated the same. It doesn't work so well for hourly paid workers- you'd need to lift the baseline pay so people could choose to work fewer hours for the same money.

PS. And I should say that I really enjoy my job. I've just found I enjoy it even more four days a week!

I’d also really recommend looking at studies on how much time during a work week we are ‘productive’ and how much is just faffing/shallow work/procrastination. It’s fascinating, but then this is my specialist subject so I do love a nerd out on it

While I would love this and can see it would work in my sector, my husband owns a manufacturing site. If people aren’t there, the equipment isn’t running and products aren’t produced.

I am self employed and get an awful lot more don’t in a shorter period of time than I would have in the office.

@UthredofBattenberg

I'd support it, but there are the practicalities of the matter.

Do you have to work a longer 4 days to make up the extra day off? Have wages been cut by a 5th of not?

How have they made a viable?

Same salary.

Same length days. It is an actual reduction to working time not just a change in pattern. So 30 hours instead of 37.5.

There was no reduction in productivity because it turns out people aren't actually very productive when they're tired out. So it was more effective.

Is the thinking that the company closes for one weekday, or do people cover the 5 days between them, so have different days 'off' ?

I thought it was 35/36 hours over 4 days, which is what I do now. I work 8-6 M-F. I'm glad when Fridays come as I have a day off (DD is at preschool)... but I'm still working FT.

I can see how it would work for some industries, but what about all the services that have to function 7 days a week - utilities, police, healthcare, transport, retail etc etc? It's no use having more productive people 4 days a week when you need people actually staffing the services 7 days a week.

If you reduce a full-time equivalent working week from 5 days out of 7 to 4 days out of 7, you increase your workforce costs by 20% at a stroke. Yes, those individuals may be more productive but that doesn't produce much benefit because you still need to cover the day that they are no longer working. A highly productive nurse Monday to Thursday is no use to the patient who needs care on a Friday.

Lots of sectors like social care are barely able to function on current funding. If you increase their workforce costs by 20%, they will go under.

I think it's a great idea. I think people would be far more productive in the 4days & do the equivalent of 5 days work anyway. I think people would be happy with 3 days off for family time, hobbies, recreation etc.

The 5 day working week has been proven time and time again to be ineffective and outdated.

It's kind of fascinating watching the resistance to change and insistence that a 5 day/37.5 hour working week is in some way meaningful or necessary or effective when the evidence shows it's not. The 37.5 hours working pattern is hardly ordained from above, but you'd think it sometimes from the defensive reactions.

I guess in the past there has been messaging around being lazy and weak if you don't work whatever "full time" was considered to be at that moment in time, and people perhaps feel like changing it or accepting less undermines their self-esteem or self image as a "hardworker" if they do fewer hours or accept they're not actually effective when working longer hours?

I did also read something last year about humans having a tendency to cling on to "doing things the way we always have" because it gives them a sense of meaning, even when there is a better way they could adopt (and when what they're clinging onto isn't actually meaningful). We are a meaning-seeking species.

I do 4 days now (I miss the FT money) but I’ve ended up just doing 5 days worth of work whilst being paid less.
Though I do enjoy my day off - yes it’s cleaning, walking dog etc but it means weekends are proper family time.

@MissLucyEyelesbarrow

I can see how it would work for some industries, but what about all the services that have to function 7 days a week - utilities, police, healthcare, transport, retail etc etc? It's no use having more productive people 4 days a week when you need people actually staffing the services 7 days a week.

If you reduce a full-time equivalent working week from 5 days out of 7 to 4 days out of 7, you increase your workforce costs by 20% at a stroke. Yes, those individuals may be more productive but that doesn't produce much benefit because you still need to cover the day that they are no longer working. A highly productive nurse Monday to Thursday is no use to the patient who needs care on a Friday.

Lots of sectors like social care are barely able to function on current funding. If you increase their workforce costs by 20%, they will go under.

Sure, it definitely is more complex than the headline and it might not be directly applicable in the same way in every sector. But I guess you also have to look at the bigger picture of how it plays out in wider society and the economy rather than solely at individual business/organisation level?

For instance, Scandinavian prisons are run completely differently to here (loss of freedom is the punishment not the prison conditions - so the facilities are humane and decent like anyone should live in, the activities and training and support are designed to genuinely rehabilitate not traumatise, and the staff are better trained and remunerated), which took a much greater level of investment. However the result is that re-offending rates have dropped, communities are safer, and they don't need as many prisons. All of which are great on a big picture level.

So perhaps, using nursing per your example, investing more in nurses who provide better care to their patients means a healthier population and fewer people needing hospital care for as long. Fewer people leaving hospital traumatised or with health problems caused by neglect. The population working healthier hours and lifestyles could also have a positive knock on effect in terms of demand on hospitals.

People will have more time to exercise, and to spend money on leisure/social activities, which stimulates the economy and provides more tax income (both from individuals and businesses).

More people with caring responsibilities would be able to work. Some people would end up less burnt out from caring.

Society and the economy as a whole would change.

I'm not qualified to comment on precisely how, but I do know it's more complex than "how much money do we have in the pot for the wages" .

Iceland the country