{"id":3000010968,"date":"2020-03-11T12:33:10","date_gmt":"2020-03-11T16:33:10","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.wework.com\/ideas\/?p=3000010968"},"modified":"2020-09-03T05:53:25","modified_gmt":"2020-09-03T09:53:25","slug":"the-pros-and-cons-of-a-four-day-workweek","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.wework.com\/ideas\/professional-development\/management-leadership\/the-pros-and-cons-of-a-four-day-workweek","title":{"rendered":"The pros and cons of a four-day workweek"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Most employees, when asked, would likely say they prefer working fewer hours. But what about working the same amount of hours over a fewer number of days?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In recent years, the idea of the four-day workweek has been growing in popularity. It\u2019s not hard to see why: Employees get an extra day off, and employers get a better-rested, more rejuvenated workforce<\/a>. But the advantages go beyond those points\u2014and the disadvantages need to be carefully considered as well.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

What is a four-day workweek? <\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

A typical four-day workweek consists of four 10-hour workdays (for 40 total work hours a week) and three full days off. Some companies, like Amazon, have experimented with 30-hour workweeks; others have tried four full workdays, or 32-hour workweeks. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Are there pay restrictions for a four-day workweek? <\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

For salaried, or exempt employees, a four-day workweek that still totals 40 hours would not change anything in terms of payroll. But for nonexempt employees\u2014those who are eligible for overtime\u2014a four-day workweek can get tricky.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Overtime rules vary from state to state, and businesses that have satellite offices or remote employees will need to ensure that a four-day workweek won\u2019t make them subject to overtime pay. For example, Alaska, California, and Nevada all mandate that employees be paid overtime for any hours worked beyond eight in a single day. That means that under a four-day workweek policy, employers would have to pay a nonexempt employee in one of those states eight hours of overtime each week.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

How to handle vacation for a four-day workweek <\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

It may not make sense for every part of the company to work a four-day week, and some employees may even prefer a traditional schedule. But when workers are on two different schedules, doling out vacation time can be a challenge.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Typically, vacation time is defined by a total number of days or weeks, but that might not be the best option for a company that offers a four-day workweek. In this case, it may make more sense for employees to accrue vacation time in hours instead of days or weeks. For example, if a company typically gives employees two weeks of vacation each calendar year, the wording of that policy could be changed to the equivalent in hours, for example, 80 hours.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n

How the four-day workweek benefits employees<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

If given the choice, 75 percent of workers<\/a> would prefer to have a shorter workweek. Aside from having the luxury of a long weekend, there are several benefits to working just four days each week.<\/p>\n\n\n\n