Is 2023 the year of the 4 day week?
Is 2023 the year of the 4 day week?
Looking into the crystal ball… 🔮
Quick announcement: I’ll be speaking about the 4 day week at a community event for in-house lawyers on at 12:30pm GMT on Tuesday 24 January. I’ll be answering the community’s burning questions on boundaries, the 4 day week business case, productivity and more.
👉 Sign up here.
2023 has only just begun, and the 4 day working week is already firmly on the agenda.
This month:
an expert panel at the World Economic Forum in Davos reviewed the pros and cons of the 4 day week in detail, acknowledging that the Monday-to-Friday working week is a relatively recent construct (not even 100 years old!) and that “it’s time to start testing other models”
Time Magazine reported on 2023 as the year of the 4 day week, examining the momentum created by the pandemic, the positive results of last year’s coordinated 4 day trials and the environmental benefits of reduced working hours
Cambridge University released the event programme for its annual festival of ideas, including a session called “The 4 day week: here to stay?”
I’ve also seen a few interesting predictions as to what the future might look like for the 4 day week.
In the words of one of the co-founders of the global 4 day week movement:
“The conversations are happening at a much greater speed. And the idea is no longer as unfamiliar as it used to be. I expect that by the end of 2023, it will be considered mainstream.”
The director of the UK’s 4 day week campaign was a little more restrained:
“The majority won’t do it, but then it will all happen in one go. We want the four day week to be the normal way of working by the end of this decade.”
34% of employers surveyed by the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development believe that the 4 day week will become a reality for most workers in the UK within the next ten years (full disclosure: 37% disagree and 29% are on the fence, but I was still surprised by the relatively even split).
My take is that 2023 will be a significant step forward for those who are spreading awareness of the 4 day week, but it will take a lot longer than a decade for it to become a universal working model, especially in the legal sector. Although there’s now compelling evidence to support the business case for the 4 day week, it’s often – and understandably – seen as quite a radical proposal.
What most people don’t necessarily pick up from a cursory glance at the headlines is that the current debate (in Davos, Time Magazine, Cambridge and beyond) revolves around the “100:80:100” 4 day week. Under this model, employees receive 100% pay in exchange for working 80% of the time, on the condition that they will deliver 100% productivity. In other words they’re working fewer hours with no loss of pay. Contrast this with the other, more established, 4 day models:
Part-time 4 day week: 80% time for 80% pay and 80% output
Compressed 4 day week: 100% time (5 days condensed into 4 longer days) for 100% pay and 100% output
I’d be interested in your thoughts on the future of the 100:80:100 model. Will it be a standard working model within a decade?
Bringing us back to the short term, I’m hopeful that 2023 will be a big year for The 4 Day Lawyer. I have some exciting ideas that will:
✅ bring resources, community and support to lawyers who work, or aspire to work, a 4 day week (whether part-time, compressed or 100:80:100); and
✅ contribute to discussions – and concrete action – shaping the future of work in the legal profession.
I plan to turn a few of those ideas into reality before the end of this year, so watch this space (or, better still, subscribe for updates using the button below!). Next time, I’ll share some snapshots of the conversations I’ve been having about the 4 day week over the past few months.
The fine print:
All opinions expressed in The 4 Day Lawyer are my own and not those of my current or former employers. My 4 day working week is an individual arrangement and is not associated with the UK’s 4 day working week pilot. This newsletter is an opinion piece and does not constitute legal advice or create any kind of solicitor/client relationship; please consult with a qualified professional if you need advice on a legal issue.