The four-day week, yes, but which one?

In surveys, the majority of employees say they are in favor of the four-day week. But what are we actually talking about? Because behind this very general expression, there are very varied realities and modalities.

When we talk about a four-day week, there is first the version with reduced working hours. The employee can then work 32 hours over four days, instead of 35 hours over five days. Or 35 hours over four days, instead of 38 hours over five days. With maintenance of salary, in general.

In the version without reduction in working time, on the other hand, are we compressing?

Sarah Lemoine: In fact, we work the same number of hours, but over four days. Which leads to much longer days. 8:45 a.m. for a 35-hour employee, for example. Not counting the lunch break and transportation time, obviously. It will be 9:15 a.m. for a 37-hour employee. And 9:45 a.m. for a 39-hour employee. This is also the limit, since the maximum daily duration cannot exceed 10 hours, except in special cases, in the Labor Code.

What is the most tested version in France?

It’s the 4-day week, the one where we compress working time, says Marie Bouny, from SIA Partners. It represents more than 80% of the experiments. This is also the one chosen by Gabriel Attal, who asked that the 4-day week be tested in the central and decentralized administrations of the State.

However, the work week compressed into 4 days raises many questions?

Are employees who work 9-hour days more or less productive over time? Are these extended days compatible with school opening and closing hours? What happens to RTTs for employees who have them? How does this translate for fixed-price executives, whose working time is not counted in hours, but in number of days over the year? It’s a real subject.

Two deputies are responsible for answering all these questions

Their mission is to explore all the issues of the different 4-day weeks. The results will be revealed in 5 to 6 months. In the meantime, Marie Bouny insists on the fact that 4-day weeks must be the subject of a real discussion with employees. “This may suit some and not others. Imposing it would be counterproductive, especially when the objective is to retain employees and become more attractive”.