In early 2023, a local group plans to run a mass experiment with a four-day working week.
In South Africa, the property giant Growthpoint is a partner of the coalition running the pilot, and Stellenbosch Business School is the academic muscle to measure the impact.
Related to that, staff turnover invariably drops, along with the cost and hassle of replacing those who depart. Companies that implement a four-day week often find their staff significantly increase the amount of time they spend volunteering on worthy causes. There is a strong environmental argument to be made, in that cutting commuting by a fifth has a rather big impact on the carbon emissions of staff. It will also reduce congestion for everyone else.
Working one day less a week helps level the playing field between men and women with children, proponents say, especially single mothers. There is hope – though no proof yet in an economy like that of South Africa – that four-day weeks will increase employment at little to no extra cost. Depending on the company and its infrastructure, a four-day week can reduce electricity and water use, reducing pressure on those scarce resources.
And, besides their own mental well-being, people who spend less time at work tend to spend more time with their pets, making for happier cats and dogs. Chances are, there is something your boss feels passionate about that you can link back to a four-day week.In early 2019, Andrew Barnes, one of the biggest proponents of the four-day week, gave a TedX talk about his company's experience.
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