Leisure Creates Productivity

The concept of a four day work week is probably very foreign to anyone reading this. Americans have been raised on the idea of Dolly Parton’s nine to five work day at least five days a week. The common mentality is that more time spent at work will create more productivity. I definitely believe that having a concrete schedule helps with productivity, but I think that there is much to be said for structure without over scheduling. 

Of course the thought of a four day work week sounds incredibly appealing, but the first thought that comes to mind isn’t productivity. I am a big fan of the idea simply because it feels like two days of rest isn’t enough anymore. Our culture has become so obsessed with over-productivity that work and stress have become a competition. To the naked eye, adding an extra day to the weekend would cut down on the amount of work that gets done in a typical work week. However, a study by Microsoft Japan indicates otherwise. In August of 2019 they gave 2,300 employees three day weekends for a little over a month’s time. During this time they found that there was a 39.9% increase in productivity measured by sales per employee. They also experienced savings in use of electricity and office resources, not only because they were saving a day, but because the resources were being used more efficiently. 

These results are encouraging, and Microsoft is considering bringing back three day weekends as a permanent fixture because of this. I think that this could work in the U.S. as well, and it could potentially restructure the way that we think about productivity with relation to stress. I would much prefer it stress wasn’t seen as necessary in order to be doing good work. I know that the four day week isn’t going to happen any time soon in the United States, but I do think that it is a fascinating concept, and one that should be considered more in office workplaces.