Numerous international nations have been raving about the benefits of the four-day work week, saying it could revolutionise productivity as we know it.
Now it is South Africa’s turn to test this futuristic work structure and figure out if it is compatible with the country and its particular attributes and challenges.
Non-profit organisation 4 Day Week SA has invited companies to sign up for a pioneering pilot that is set to start in 2023. The businesses that join this initiative will partake in a coordinated six-month trial of the four-day week with no pay cuts for employees.
Participating companies will have the guidance of global experts and mentoring to make sure that things go smoothly, says 4 Day Week SA. Boston College in collaboration with Stellenbosch Business School will conduct academic research on the experiment.
According to the non-profit, the four-day week is being adopted all over the world in an effort to improve workplace productivity and wellness, attract talent, improve lives of individuals and have a positive impact on the environment.
“Studies show that the average knowledge worker loses two to three hours of time each day to useless meetings, poor technology implementations, and distractions. So, the four-day week is actually already here; we just are not seeing it because it’s buried underneath these old and thoughtless practices.
“It’s based on the 100-80-100 model, developed by the co-founders of 4 Day Week Global, Andrew Barnes and Charlotte Lockhart. The model prescribes 100% of the pay, 80% of the time, in exchange for a commitment to delivering 100% of the output.”
Karen Lowe, the director of 4 Day Week SA, says the organisation aims to shift the conversation around work because the country has only been focusing on time-based output and not looking at productivity-based output.
“The prescribed five-day week is not necessarily the best way to deliver the best level of productivity. We have seen this time and time again in organisations across the private sector and the government who are really struggling in SA post-Covid-19 to get the workforce back into offices,” says Lowe.
If individuals are given more time off to relax, take part in leisurely activities, or be with family, they can be able to prevent burnout and, in turn, have more energy, resulting in increased productivity, she adds.
With the youth unemployment rate of 46.5%, an extra day off would make room for unemployed graduates, according to Lowe. “School leavers desperately need work experience within multiple sectors of the economy. Increased productivity means improved bottom lines, which enables graduates to enter the economy.”
The organisation points to Gallup’s State of the Global Workplace 2022 Report, which stated that only 24% of SA’s workers are engaged at work with only 29% thriving in their overall well-being as another reason to push for a 4-day week.
“More companies are recognising that the new frontier for competition is quality of life and reduced hours, productivity-focused working is the vehicle to give them a recruitment and retention edge in a challenging labour market,” says 4 Day Week SA.
Technology consulting firm IQbusiness has confirmed that it will be a part of this experiment. “A 4-day week, and the data behind it, is something every leader needs to seriously consider in their business.
“A reduction in working hours has been proven to increase business productivity, improve employee health outcomes, while working towards building a more sustainable working environment.
“This offers people the time and solitude to simultaneously build stronger families and communities, while remaining fulfilled and successful at work” says Adam Craker, chief executive at IQbusiness in a statement.
4 Day Week SA says the deadline for the trial is at the end of October. The six-month trial period will begin from February to July 2023.
IOL Business