Switching to a 4-Day Workweek Sounds Like a Great Idea. But Could It Actually Make Burnout Worse? It's important to help employees unplug for long-term wellbeing. When it comes to work models, consider a more holistic, balanced approach.
By Aytekin Tank Edited by Jessica Thomas
Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.
The clamor for a shorter workweek is probably something you've read about in countless articles by now. There's even a running list of companies provided by Newsweek that have incorporated this as part of their work model.
"With staff wellbeing at the forefront of our minds, we have been experimenting with a more modern approach to work focusing entirely on outcomes rather than a more traditional input measurement," Adam Ross, Awin's chief operating officer, explained in 2021.
But as the CEO of my own company, I've also noticed an ongoing debate about how truly effective this kind of model is. I can understand why it would sound appealing. But in leading my business over the past 16 + years, I believe that without adjusting workloads, a schedule change can make burnout worse. That's why we don't have a four-day workweek.
It's more important for me to create an environment of balance where people aren't watching the clock. Here are a few changes we've made as a company that has made our approach successful.
Related: 3 Tips for Delivering Your Best Work When You Feel Burned Out
Promoting work/life balance should be your end goal
I have always been a proponent of flexible work schedules — of making our workplace one where people feel free to open up even about hard topics like mental health. Since the pandemic started in 2020 and the later onset of "The Great Resignation" cropped up, burnout has been a trending topic that's been on most employees' and entrepreneurs' minds.
If there was a shift in thinking during this period, it wasn't that people weren't just drained, they discovered that "busyness culture," wasn't cutting it anymore. We were forced to juggle so much every day: home, financial and caregiving responsibilities — along with completing our workloads.
So it makes sense that companies like Buffer, for instance, launched a four-day workweek back in May 2020 and made it permanent. Its CEO, Joel Gascoigne commented that the experiment was based on "well-being, mental health and placing us as humans and our families first."
All of this is well and good and can work well for some organizations, but I believe that unless this kind of schedule change is accompanied by adjusting workloads, then it can make stress that much worse.
In their fascinating story for Harvard Business Review, three researchers pose the question of if a shorter workweek makes a change. "Do these solutions offer change for workers? Can they help employees and managers rebalance demands?"
These are solid questions we should all constantly weigh in on. But here are some approaches that have personally helped me promote more work/life balance among my team.
Related: Greed Ruins Businesses. Here's How Both Employers and Employees Can Combat It.
Don't just think up a new work model — create policies
The HBR researchers emphasize that reducing hours should not increase work's intensity, and I take this to heart.
For example, one of my employees, Shannon, has caring responsibilities that can make access to her work at certain hours of the day stressful. Because of this, one of our company's policies is that we don't enforce strict deadlines and allow for flexible hours. These are real scenarios that as leaders we have to consider.
Also, are people truly taking enough breaks throughout the day so that they don't burn out? It's not enough to just tell people. You also have to create policies that protect the values you're trying to uphold.
Related: You Don't Have to Go It Alone. It's Time to Let Go and Let Others Help.
Lead by example
If you never slow down and are overly demanding of yourself, people will follow suit. They'll answer phone calls or check emails during lunch breaks; they'll be online way after hours.
If I am not diligent about the way I manage my workload, I'm unintentionally giving others a protocol to follow. What this means is that I make it a point to let my employees know that I have clear boundaries around work emails or phone calls, and they should, too. I don't expect to receive phone calls when I'm having supper with my family, and they know they won't be receiving any either.
Leading by example shows your team how they can develop a healthy work relationship in and out of the office.
Help employees unplug for long-term wellbeing
"There is no easy way to address concerns about how (and how much) we work," write the HBR co-authors."But our research tells us that no matter what we do, taking a holistic, long-term focus on the well-being of the workforce is the best path to both happiness and prosperity."
One of the primary ways to do this is by helping your team learn to unplug and create better boundaries. "I keep hearing more and more that 'I work at home' or 'I live at work'," David Lewis, the CEO of the human resources consulting firm OperationsInc told NPR. "People don't turn their laptops off, they don't disconnect their telephones."
At my company Jotform, I like to create an atmosphere where taking breaks isn't only encouraged but celebrated. I tell my employees to take some "off" time every day to practice mindfulness or get out in nature for a short walk outside the office. I don't want — or expect — for them to be like robots working on autopilot, watching the clock all day.
Related: 3 Strategies to Keep Employees Motivated In The Age of Burnout
The bottom line
Many companies will find the four-day workweek successful or advantageous. But I also urge leaders to consider adjusting workloads and thinking about a more holistic, balanced approach to their work models. In the end, it's more flexibility that people desire, and not having to choose between their work and their home lives.
