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Understanding the Four-Day Work Week
Explore the future of work with a smarter, shorter work weekPreview the first lesson free — get full access to all 7 lessons.
Intermediate Provider : KnowledgeCity 7 Lessons · 20m in Arabic, English, Spanish
Course Description
In this Understanding the Four-Day Work Week course, you’ll explore the growing movement toward shorter work schedules and how they reshape business operations and employee well-being. The course starts with a breakdown of different four-day work week models, including compressed schedules and reduced-hour approaches. You’ll see how companies like Unilever, Microsoft Japan, and Perpetual Guardian tested these models and the results they achieved.
Next, you’ll trace the historical evolution of work schedules, from industrial-era labor struggles to today’s push for flexibility. You’ll learn why businesses are reconsidering traditional hours and how automation, remote work, and shifting employee expectations play a role in this shift.
The course also examines the benefits and challenges of a four-day workweek. You’ll uncover how shorter work weeks boost productivity, lower stress, and help companies save money. At the same time, you’ll explore potential hurdles, like staffing needs, industry limitations, and employee burnout from compressed schedules.
By the end of the course, you’ll be able to evaluate whether a four-day work week could work for your organization and how you can implement it successfully.
What You'll Learn
- Explore the different models of a four-day work week, including compressed schedules and reduced-hour approaches, and how they function
- Trace the historical evolution of work schedules from industrial-era labor struggles to today's push for flexibility
- Analyze real-world case studies of four-day work week adoption at companies like Unilever, Microsoft Japan, and Perpetual Guardian
- Assess the benefits and challenges of implementing a four-day work week, from productivity gains to staffing and burnout risks
- Evaluate strategies for balancing productivity, costs, and employee well-being when adopting shorter schedules
Key Takeaways
- Four-day work week models vary, ranging from compressed schedules to reduced-hour approaches.
- Companies including Unilever, Microsoft Japan, and Perpetual Guardian have tested four-day work week models and measured their results.
- The shift toward shorter work weeks is driven by factors such as automation, remote work, and changing employee expectations.
- Shorter work weeks can boost productivity, lower stress, and help companies save money.
- Challenges of a four-day work week include staffing needs, industry limitations, and employee burnout from compressed schedules.
Frequently Asked Questions
What does this course cover?
The course covers the different models of a four-day work week, the historical evolution of work schedules, real-world case studies of adoption, and the benefits and challenges of implementing shorter schedules, including the impact on employee well-being and productivity.
Who is this course for?
It is suited to anyone evaluating whether a four-day work week could work for their organization, as by the end you'll be able to assess its fit and how to implement it successfully.
Which companies' case studies are examined?
The course examines how companies like Unilever, Microsoft Japan, and Perpetual Guardian tested four-day work week models and the results they achieved.
What skills will I gain?
The course builds skills in planning, cost reduction, productivity improvement, and project schedules.
What benefits and challenges of a four-day work week are discussed?
Benefits discussed include boosted productivity, lower stress, and company cost savings, while challenges include staffing needs, industry limitations, and employee burnout from compressed schedules.
Professional Certifications and Continuing Education Units (CEUs)
HR Certification Institute® (HRCI®)
Recertification Credits: 0.5
Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM®)
Professional Development Credits (PDCs): 0.5
KnowledgeCity is approved by SHRM as a Recertification General Provider to offer SHRM-CP or SHRM-SCP professional development credits (PDCs). By taking the courses approved by SHRM, KnowledgeCity can award SHRM Professional Development Credits (PDCs) for HR knowledge and competency programs related to the SHRM Body of Applied Skills and Knowledge™ (the SHRM BASK™).
