Irish professionals believe a 4-day working week will become a reality within the next 5 years

Over half (54%) of Irish professionals believe that a 4-day working week will become a reality within the next 5 years, according to a new survey carried out by Hays Ireland, examining over 1,500 employers and professionals across Ireland.

Is the 4-day working week closer than we think?

The survey results suggest that 54% of Irish professionals believe that a four-day working week will become a reality within the next five years. 19% believe it will be a reality in the next 1-2 years and over a third (36%) within the next 2-5 years. Meanwhile, 22% believe it will become a reality in the next 5-10 years and less than a quarter 23% believe it will never happen. Since the pandemic, hybrid working models have become a workplace staple.

Campaigns for a four-day week have started gaining significant traction amongst Irish-based professionals. The most frequently cited benefit of this shorter working week is employee mental health and wellbeing (56%). Other prominent benefits cited include talent attraction (14%) and talent retention (13.6%). Notably, 11% of those surveyed believe it will result in greater organisational productivity.

According to Hays’ research, 6% of Irish workplaces have already implemented a four-day working week; 4% have implemented a four-day working week on a permanent basis, while 2% are currently operating it on a trial basis. However, as employers look for new ways to differentiate themselves from their industry peers, this trend may become more widespread in the near future. 64% of professionals claim they would be tempted to move to a different organisation if it was offering a four-day working week.

Domestic and International Implementation

Earlier this year, Belgium became the latest country to provide workers with the option of a four-day working week. Belgian-based workers will still be expected to work a traditional 38-hour week, but they will now have the opportunity to complete these hours across a compressed four-day working week. Employees can request a six-month trial period after which, should they desire, they can continue on a permanent basis. Other European countries including Spain and Iceland are piloting similar four-day models.

In recent weeks, the Department of the Environment became the first Irish Government department to openly engage with the concept, having committed to undertaking a feasibility study into the working model.

Maureen Lynch, Director at Hays Ireland:

“The last two years have encouraged employers to reconsider the workplace environment. The switch to remote- and hybrid-working models have proven hugely successful. Both employers and employees have bought into this new way of working, with over 76% of Irish-based professionals attributing the hybrid model to a better work-life balance.

“This has now opened the floor for further discussion of alternative ways of working within Irish organisations. The latest frontier is the four-day working week. At face value, for many employees, the prospect of a four-day working week is extremely attractive. However, what this looks like in practice may be dependent on the industry and jurisdiction. For some employers, this means reducing the number of hours in the traditional 40-hour working week, for others, it means compressing 40 hours a week into four days, rather than five.

“While the number of employers currently offering a four-day working week is still extremely low, today’s research suggests that this may soon change. At a time when the market has never been more competitive, the proposition of a four-day working week may present an exciting new opportunity for employers to differentiate themselves from their competitors.”