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18.09.2018

The science behind the success of a four-day working week

Since the Industrial Revolution, there has been one thing that has barely changed for the majority of workers – the routine of 09:00 to 17:00, five days a week. This is by no means universal, there is a significant proportion of jobs that need different hours, and flexible contracts and working from home are growing too. But why, in the year 2018, is working nine to five still such a popular way to make a living?

Well, it might not be for long. The UK’s Trade Union Council (TUC) has called for a four-day maximum working week as part of its report into how changes to the current and future workplace can best benefit workers. This was based on a survey of its members which indicated it was the most popular option, favoured by 45 per cent of participants, with 81 per cent wanting a reduction of at least one day. But this only reflects the popularity of the idea. The effects of four-day weeks, and reducing working time in general, are more complex.

When factory work became the primary form of employment in the Western world, employees originally worked six days a week, with Sunday, the traditional Christian day of rest, as a day off. It wasn’t until the twentieth century that businesses like US car manufacturer Ford decided that a five-day week, working eight hours a day, was better for its employees. It was justified with the fact that the extra time off would increase consumer spending and aid the economy. Also, the increased resting time would mean the workers’ productivity wouldn’t be reduced.

This change was also a reaction to automation and the integration of the production line to the factory, meaning that it could more easily keep its output consistent with less human input. The parallels between this and the TUC setting its sights on big tech-heavy businesses like Amazon are clear.

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