Picture this: you’re working away on your computer, and you look up to see warm sunshine, the crisp blue ocean and golden sand. Although your job is based in Canada, you’re far away in the tropics, avoiding all the winter snow.
An alternative scenario? You clock out of work on Thursday and don’t have to log in again until Monday. Your three-day weekend is filled with your favourite hobbies and time spent with family and friends. That’s right — you’ve scored a job where you work four days a week.
But which working option would you prefer? Well, the choice isn’t easy, but there’s data that shows a number of firms offering four-day work weeks are seeing a surge in applicants.
One company, Loud Mouth Media, has seen a major shift since moving to a four-day week. “I would say our applications have doubled. We get a lot more ad hoc applications,” Mark Haslam, the managing director, told CNBC. “Our retention of staff went up from 80 per cent to 98 per cent.”
Related: The world’s top female-friendly companies.
Most Slice readers want a 4-day work week
But which option do Slice readers prefer? We asked Slice readers in a poll if they’d rather have a shorter work week or be able to work from everywhere, and on Instagram and on Twitter, a shorter work week was the preferred option. On Twitter, 54 per cent said they’d want a shorter work week and on Instagram, 58 per cent said a four-day week was what they would choose.
The results looked different on Facebook, where 100 per cent of respondents said they’d want to work from anywhere.
See also: Back to school in your 20s, 30s and beyond? 10 reasons to hit the books again.
The benefits of a shorter work week
If you’re someone who is dreaming of a longer weekend, the good news is that there’s evidence that a shorter work week offers up a boost to your health and wellness. According to the BBC, shortening the work week has a number of benefits for employees.
With fewer hours to work, employees are more productive and happier. They also experienced improved wellbeing — one study revealed that fewer working hours lowered stress levels, exhaustion and negative emotions, while another study reported that a 25 per cent reduction in work hours was tied to better sleep and less stress.
So, the next time you’re job hunting, it might be worth looking for a gig that offers flexibility, whether it be for remote work (time to plan your next European getaway) or for fewer hours.
