The first 4-day work week pilot, which started on 1 March 2023, came to an end in August 2023, and 4-day work week SA has noted some unique challenges faced by South African companies, which were not apparent among its global peers.
In this trial, participants were offered 100% of their regular pay for working 80% of the time (4-days a week) with the condition that they still deliver 100% of their usual work output. This is an interesting experiment aimed at exploring the feasibility and benefits of a shorter work week. 28 South African businesses and 1 Botswanan business participated in the first pilot. These businesses include tax and finance services, marketing agencies, employment service companies and IT software companies, among others.
Itโs essential to note that the concept of a 4-day work week is gaining attention globally as a potential way to improve work-life balance, boost employee productivity and reduce overall stress. Such trials can provide valuable insights into whether this approach is suitable for different industries and regions.
Trials and experiments involving a 4-day work week have been conducted in various countries including the UK, New Zealand and Japan. These trials have generally shown positive associations with several key factors being: Improved Employee Morale, Reduced Burnout, Maintained or Increased Productivity and Environmental Benefits.
This has partly been the case for the South African pilot. Director of the 4 Day Week SA, Karen Louw, noted that some of the early positives that these pilot companies have experienced as a result of the 4-day work week model are:
- Reduced stress and burnout
- Reduced negative sentiment towards work
- Lower instances of family conflicts at home
- Reduced staff attrition and turnover
- Less sick days taken with lower staff absenteeism
However, she added that it hasnโt been without its challenges. South African companies are not as progressive as their global counterparts regarding the ability to reduce their weekly working hours by 20% and some have found it a challenge. โWhat we are finding with the South African companies is that they are managing around a 12% reduction in the work week for 100% productivity, while others have been able to creep towards the 20% markโ said Louw. โThe pilot has found that South African companies are not taking the reduced work hours by taking off the conventional Friday or a Monday off. They have been more creative in approaching the 20% work hours reduction by choosing to take Wednesdays off, fortnightlies (day off every two weeks), or structuring the time off through two half daysโ she added. Rather than reducing office hours by 20%, some companies have structured office hours throughout the week to compensate the 20% reduction – meaning, while they are at work Monday through Friday, they have decreased office hours per day. Many South African companies couldnโt continue with the model when public holidays were added to the mix, which was noted in April. Despite the challenges in reducing the work week hours for the same level of productivity, Louw noted that early indications are that 94% of the 29 companies that took part in the pilot intend to continue the 4-day work week model. A second pilot was due to kick off in September 2023.
Itโs not uncommon for companies participating in trials of a 4-day work to encounter challenges when adjusting to reduced working hours. Issues such as the inability to manage the workload with reduced hours and the impact of public holidays, are some of the practical challenges that can arise during such experiments.
Source: Businesstech, 2023
