By Lukas Bester, Freelance Researcher and Writer – World Economic Forum, Sustainable Development Consultant in Emerging Markets
For World Economic Forum
Image: World Economic Forum
“Henry Ford found, a century ago, that people were more productive if they worked five days instead of six. This had an impact on morale, loyalty, and overall productivity. We have to ask though: Why are we stuck on five days? Is this, too, a human invention that deserves to be rethought?”
So asked Adam Grant, organizational psychologist, author, and Professor of Management and Psychology at the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania. A dynamic panel explored this question at Davos 2022 and why, perhaps, it is high time to reconsider the five-day workweek model.
The four-day model is being tested by countries like the United Arab Emirates (UAE). “Early data on four-day weeks is really promising,” said Ohood Bint Khalfan Al Roumi, Minister of State for Government Development and the Future of the UAE. In 2021, the UAE moved its public sector workers to a four-and-a-half day week.
“Some of the early data that we gathered are really promising. 70% of employees reported that they are working more efficiently, prioritizing and managing their time better during the week. 55% reduction in absenteeism, which is wonderful. And 71% of employees reported that they’re spending more time with their families,” she said.
