The four-day workweek debate is back! A UK-based trial on Wednesday concluded that 'less work' has improved the productivity of the employees and their work-life balance. Six months ago, Britain kickstarted an experiment in over 60 companies allowing almost 3,000 employees to work one day less per week while retaining the same salary. The study found more than nine out of ten firms will continue with the shortened working week or plan to do so due to an increase in efficiency and productivity.
Meanwhile, the idea 4-day working week is gradually gaining popularity in India as well. For instance, the Karnataka Assembly has passed a bill under which an employee who works for 12 hours a day will be allowed to take off for three days a week.
Mint spoke with some of the experts to understand whether India can replicate the 4-day working model. And, will it be successful for employers and employees in India?
Aditya Malik, Founder of ValueMatrix.ai, said, "This model will help in maintaining a work-life balance and also in generating new ideas on other days. While the regulations in India still are in the process of complying with these rules and regulations. Overall, while there are some challenges to implementing a 4-day workweek in India, it is certainly possible, with careful planning and consideration of these factors, the model can be adopted".
Notably, the five-day working week, which includes 40-45 hours, is a century-old practice that Henry Ford brought around in the 1920s. However, in India, several sectors such as hospitality, manufacturing, and retails, among others still follow a six-day working (50-55 hours) week. Rajeshwari Singh, Co-Founder & CEO deQollab also thinks that the model would be difficult to implement in such industries immediately, but has shown optimism that it was possible to replicate this shorter working-week model in sectors like technology, banking, insurance, and e-commerce.
Strucking a similar tone, Amit Mishra, CEO & Founder, iMocha the 4-day workweek may not be the right fit for every organisation or industry, but since workplaces are changing, "there is no harm in exploring any new process or methodology with the aid of technology".
Ujjal De, Founder and CEO of KarmaV said that the success of a 4-day working week would depend on selecting suitable industries without impacting employees' compensation and benefits, allowing eligible organisations to participate with positive intentions, and implementing structured awareness programs for the leaders.
Sachin Sandhir, Founder and CEO of GENLEAP told Mint, "Replicating the four-day workweek model in India could be beneficial for both employers and employees. Employers can benefit from reduced labor costs, while employees can enjoy an improved work-life balance".
Speaking on the latest initiative by Karnataka Assembly on three-day offs, Madhura Moulik-Co-Founder & Director of KarmaV called it a 'refreshing initiative'.
In recent years, employers have become more flexible about bringing changes in the workplace, especially after the Covid-19 pandemic when "work from home" dominated the trend, and later the "hybrid mode". Experiments on the shortened week have taken place across Europe, the United States, and Canada, as well as in Australia and New Zealand. By and large, it has appeared to be a more 'welcoming' change at workplaces around the world.
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