Nearly all (92 per cent) U.S. employees are in favour of a four-day workweek, citing improved mental health and increased productivity as perceived benefits, according to a new survey by software company Qualtrics.
While three-quarters (74 per cent) of respondents said they’d be able to complete the same amount of work in four days, a similar percentage (72 per cent) said they’d have to work longer hours on workdays to do so.
When asked to choose between increased flexibility or a four-day workweek, about half (47 per cent) of respondents said they’d prefer the latter compared to 50 per cent who’d rather have increased flexibility to work when they want.
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“What employees really want and expect is the flexibility to adjust their work schedules to fit the demands of their lives,” said Benjamin Granger, head of employee experience advisory services at Qualtrics, in a press release. “In today’s new world of work, successful companies will set aside antiquated assumptions about what productivity looks like and listen to employees, so they can offer the flexibility that meets their individual needs.”
The survey also found a four-day workweek is the No. 1 thing that would influence employees to stay at a company longer — 81 per cent said the option would make them feel more loyal to their employer, while 82 per cent said it would help their company with recruitment. More than a third (37 per cent) would even be willing to take a five per cent pay cut or more in exchange for recurring three-day weekends.
The majority (92 per cent) of survey respondents also said they want paid mental-health days. Indeed, 95 per cent said paid mental-health days are a long-term solution to ensuring good mental health among employees and 87 per cent said the benefit would reduce burnout.
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