Over a 5-day workweek, this is how much time we spend doing nothing and it's huge

Over a working week, a certain number of hours are useless, according to a study.

Working 5 days a week is the most common rhythm for working people. This allows them to have free time on the weekend, while spending a good part of their week at work. However, is this the best rhythm to adopt? ? If teleworking helps to organize this working time, the question is increasingly recurrent in France. The introduction of the 4-day week is often put back on the table. It has already been adopted by some companies.

The heart of the problem lies in terms of productivity. According to an 18-month study conducted by the organization4 Day Week Global on workers in the United States, Canada and Great Britain, workers can accomplish as much in 33 hours over four days and just over 8 hours of work per day, as in 38 hours over five days at just over 7 hours per day, without it impacting the quality of their work.

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Over 5 days, employees experience a drop in productivity per period. It is even estimated at almost a day lost according to the study. This lost day would be linked to a mixture of procrastination, fatigue and distraction.

Moving to 4 days a week often causes fear of increased stress levels, including less time available to do the same tasks. However, according to the study, this would not be a problem because employees would benefit from this day off extra time to rest physically and mentally. 

"The positive effects of a 4-day week on life satisfaction may also be more deeply rooted in people's overall well-being than in job satisfaction alone," explains researcher Juliet Schor. After six months of four-day weeks, the employees studied reported being less exhausted and thus more effective. They also found a better work-life balance.

However, reducing the workweek by one day requires a lot of organizational change and contractual changes, with employee agreement. Furthermore, this model does not suit everyone: “Like any change, it will suit some and alienate others. In reality, this structure may not suit all employees or “all business models,” said Pierre Lindmark, CEO of management consultancy Winningtemp, to Fortune. He said some employees working less may also feel more isolated and anxious.