Is Asia prepared to adopt a 4-day work week?

A new report by Robert Walters reveals a growing interest in the 4-day work week across Asia, but implementation remains limited due to various challenges.

While 89% of professionals in Asia are keen to try out a shorter work week and 66% of employers find the concept feasible, only 25% of businesses have concrete plans to transition to or trial this model. This suggests a significant gap between intention and action.

The primary concerns holding back employers include increased costs, potential negative customer experiences, and difficulties in implementing the change across the entire office. Despite these challenges, both businesses and workers believe that a 4-day work week could boost productivity and improve employee well-being.

However, there are also concerns about the potential negative impact of a shorter work week. 68% of employees worry about increased stress as workload remains the same, while 39% prefer to spread their workload across five days. Additionally, 36% of employees are concerned about the possibility of pay reduction.

The report also highlights the varying perspectives on the 4-day work week across different subregions in Asia. Each region has unique considerations and challenges to address.

Interest in four-day work week trials is rapidly escalating, with early results defying expectations and challenging conventional work models. For instance, a trial in the UK involving over 3,000 employees led to 92% of participating companies adopting the shorter work week permanently.

These companies maintained productivity levels while boosting staff motivation. Similar positive outcomes have been reported from trials in Iceland and New Zealand, indicating that the benefits of a shorter work week often outweigh its challenges.

The study is based on a Robert Walters survey of over 5,000 professionals and companies across 11 Asian markets.