72% of UK workers prefer four day week Which industries would benefit most

New research reveals that 72% of UK workers are either in favour or strongly in favour of a four-day working week.

A four-day working week is designed to offer employees flexible hours and increase productivity whilst working.

As remote working has proven more viable for many businesses across the globe during the pandemic, it seems the four-day working week could be the next new “norm”.

A spokesperson from BusinessNameGenerator.com believes it is a good idea for start-ups to offer potential employees a four-day working week.

“Starting a business takes a lot of time, energy, money, and creativity, and opting for a four-day week is one way many businesses choose to reduce expenses and staff turnover.

“The concept is becoming more and more appealing, along with the flexibility of remote working, it can increase employee satisfaction, company commitment and teamwork.

“Four-day working week trials have shown an increase in productivity, with 78% of employees being able to balance their work and home life more effectively.”

With this in mind, the team at BussinessNameGenerator.com have shared the industries that would benefit from a four-day week the most.

Retailers

For retailers who are just starting up and looking for staff, offering a four-day working week could make recruitment easier, as many people associate hospitality with long, unsociable hours.

Whether staff work four days on the run or not, this concept should still reduce burnout and boost productivity in the workplace.

During the pandemic, it was believed that introducing a four-day working week would boost high street sales by an estimated £58billion.This is because three-day weekends would give shoppers not only 20% more time to buy, but also increase spending related to hobbies, gardening and DIY.

Influencer Marketing Agencies

Influencer Marketing agencies significantly rely on their audience’s consumption and reactions to the content they are creating- particularly those who are just starting to build their name and platform.

Therefore, if social media users are only in the office four days a week, they will realistically have more free time during their days off to browse and engage with their favourite apps, consuming more influencer material.

Also, several influencer agencies are already operating a 4-day working week, whose employees will have either a Wednesday or a Friday off, rotating every eight weeks.

Whilst this can help to prioritise health and wellbeing, it will also help reduce staff turnover, something which can be extremely costly and hindering, particularly for a start-up.
E-commerce companies

Majority of businesses today rely heavily on the internet to stay afloat, providing a quicker more efficient way of operating business transactions.

With many e-commerce sites offering online services online day and night, employee customer service may be required around the clock.

Start-ups would benefit from offering a shorter working week for employees, whilst still maintaining round-the-clock service.

Offering shorter shifts to employees during unsociable hours will help them feel more energised, offering better quality customer service.

Embedding this with the remote working aspect will also be a selling point to a business, making unsociable hours seem less unappealing without the need for travel.

Hospitality

A four-day working week in the hospitality sector will help deliver a better work/life balance for bartenders, waiters and chefs, improving the working environment in kitchens and restaurants.

During peak hours, hospitality workers can experience serious pressures, resulting in more staff turnovers and decline in service, as workers may want to phone in sick to avoid the stress.

A start-up may have to limit its hours because of this, however choosing to only open during busier hours can still generate significant amounts of revenue and help staff prepare for busier periods.

Education

Many entrepreneurs will take on tutoring, and doing this five days a week can be extremely draining if full on.

Working too many hours as a tutor can not only cause extreme burnout, but decrease the quality of service delivered to students.

Whether tutoring takes places only online or face to face, providing back to back sessions could put a lot of strain on the brain- particularly with tutoring students at different ages and levels.

Starting up as a tutor requires earning the trust and confidence from customers, therefore it is important to offer high quality service, whilst maintaining those flexible hours.

Ideally, a tutor could offer longer available hours but only four days a week, suiting the needs for those who may only be available in the evenings.