A Four‐Day Working Week: its Role in a Politics of Work

Abstract

From a fringe idea with limited wider support, the goal of a four-day working week has moved into the spotlight in contemporary policy debates. Indeed, a growing number of businesses have agreed to pilot a four-day working week. This article examines what the turn to this goal means for a politics of work. It argues that its adoption by business interests can dilute its impacts, while its stress in some radical circles can distract from other pressing goals such as higher wages and improvement in work's quality. The article is sceptical that a four-day working week, as currently conceived, would necessarily transform work for the better. Building on a different politics, it proposes an alternative agenda that would allow for fewer work hours alongside higher quality work. The barriers to the realisation of this agenda reinforce the fact that radical change in society requires deeper institutional reform, including within workplaces.

Could the 4‐day week work? A scoping review

“…'s (2022) case study of a 4‐day week for agile software development teams found this led to increased job satisfaction and productivity but was also associated with increased stress levels. Spencer's (2022, 402) critique uses a political lens and draws on claims by Marx and Keynes that societal progress involves ‘…extending “free time”’. He raises the challenge that businesses are only likely to accept a 4‐day working week if it raises productivity and thus, from a COR perspective, is a resource.…”

“…However, Hedges' (1973) arguments on worker fatigue demand attention, given the health implications. Similarly, Delaney and Casey (2022) and Spencer (2022) point out a danger of a 4‐day week is that workers could be exploited (e.g. work intensification) unless the focus is on creating a new system of work that is enriching and adds to worker well‐being, rather than simply productivity outcomes.…”

“…Another five articles (Eberle 1996;Hodge and Tellier 1975;Ivancevich 1974;Ivancevich and Lyon 1977;Lilly et al 2007) did not focus on any individual theme at length. Interestingly, the five most recent studies all contended that there has been a recent regeneration of interest in flexible work formats, under which they include the 4DWW (Beno, Hvorecky and Jenesova 2022;Chung 2022;Delaney and Casey 2022;Spencer 2022;Topp et al 2022).…”

Working time reduction: Employers’ perspectives and eco-social implications – ten cases from Hungary

“…Changes in work conditions are linked to employer expectations (Hayden, 2006). If there is no (proportional) reduction in the expected output, then higher intensity and more exhausting work are likely (Delaney and Casey, 2021; Spencer, 2022). This may have health implications and potentially reduce the value of non-work time.…”

Working hours and cardiovascular disease

“…Although working hours have been greatly reduced in many high-income countries since the 19 th century, particularly in Europe, the discussion about working hours remains topical, as can be seen by the recent debate about a 4-day working week ( 5 , 6 ). In South-East and East Asian countries, such as Japan, South Korea, and Taiwan, where working hours >48 hours per week are still widely prevalent, health concerns of such long working hours are an important topic of discussion ( 7 , 8 ).…”