5 day workweeks: Are they overrated?

The idea of working anything less than five days a week seems non existent. Well at least in New Zealand anyway but to my surprise there are many countries that work four day weeks and some even suggest this has increased productivity - Could this be true?

Happy people are more productive.
Its simple, right? A happy person is going to get stuck in and work happily whereas a not-so-happy person kind of procrastinates.


An article I found here suggests more hours spent working does not lead to better results and actually studies have shown a direct correlation between happiness and productivity.

Were right!! we only need to work four days a week, I can have extra long weekends now 😁 ...not quite. As can be imagined, there are issues.

Although a shorter workweek may increase productivity, there can be difficulties with sick leave and reallocation of work within fewer days.

Reduced days worked but not hours could effect the worker's physical and mental wellbeing having burned out after super long days, having the extra day divided across the remaining four days worked.

Longer hours work could essentially impose new or further financial burdens on working parents as well as possibly conflicting with childcare hours.

When weighing out the pros and cons, it looks like Germany has got their priorities straight because studies show germans work approx 35 hours a week 😮 with an average salary of $51,000 😍 and even better - the country's unemployment rate is at 5% (*this figure is given from an article here and may have been updated since publishing)

As well as Germany, the Netherlands, Denmark, Norway and Ireland also work four day workweeks. Europe is kinda sounding really nice to me at the moment 😁


If your business needs to be available to the public at all times, eg supermarkets or retail stores, shift work is understandably better suited.

So to my hospo and retail friends, we appreciate you. We salute you.

All images used are not mine except this one - This is me on what could be my third day of the weekend :)

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