A new study highlights the limits of the “four-day” week

Much more tiring working days, childcare problems, risk of counterparties…. The four-day work week is not, according to a study, the panacea for all employees.

Some see it as happiness for all, the perfect balance between personal life and professional constraints, a form of social harmony. However, the work week compacted into 4 days conceals pitfalls, which a study points out. The details with Sarah Lemoine.

franceinfo: What is the principle of this week “in” 4 days?

On paper, the week compressed into four days, without reduction in working time, appeals to one in two workers. This is what reveals a study by the Adecco group and the Research Center for the Study and Observation of Living Conditions (Crédoc), which surveyed 3,000 people last fall. Half say that this form of work organization, with one day off per week, would allow them to better balance their lives, a priori. Nearly a third believe that it would make no difference to their situation. 21% would not be satisfied. Finally, 4% would leave their company or not apply if their job was submitted to the 4-day week.

What are the anticipated pitfalls?

Fatigue linked to the lengthening of the days. It is mentioned by a third of the workers questioned. Mainly those who work more than 36 hours per week, but also employees and construction workers. This is also one of the main reasons which pushes certain voluntary employees to request a return to the five-day week, according to the study, which also questioned HR managers who are experimenting with the formula. A third of assets also fear negative counterparties. Not being able to choose your day off, having less RTT. Some HR managers confirm that the restriction on teleworking or the reduction in meal vouchers, for example, are among the disappointments for employees. Finally, the four-day week, which requires arriving at the office earlier and leaving later, leads to additional childcare costs for school children.

What are the least suitable profiles?

Single-parent families, who have much greater organizational constraints than other workers. But also people with disabilities or chronic illnesses. They are more reserved and more sensitive to the effects on their health. Companies which impose experimentation on all their employees and which did not take these profiles into account at the start, have often had to correct their situation over time. These results therefore suggest that the four-day week is not the be-all and end-all. Just one tool among others to better balance personal and professional life. The “Agreed Time” system – which consists of establishing tailor-made schedules each week, based on employee constraints – can also be a solution in certain situations, indicate the authors of the study.