Flexible working has hit the headlines recently as new legislation has come into force which gives all employees the right to request flexible working. However, one of the UK’s leading doctors has suggested that this change doesn’t go nearly far enough, and instead the entire country should switch to a four-day working week.

Professor John Ashton of the UK Faculty of Public Health believes that the standard working week should be cut short due to the mental and physical health burden a five-day week places on employees. A four-day week would give employees more time to spend with family and friends, or perhaps carry out community work or take up exercise.

At present, the UK has some of the longest average working hours in Europe. A recent YouGov survey found that 57% of workers would support a four-day week, and 71% said it would make Britain a happier country.

A four-day week could only become standard if pay was not significantly adversely affected. However, employers would benefit from healthier, happier, more productive employees – and perhaps no overall loss in the amount of work carried out by their staff.

For now, a four-day week remains a vague prediction rather than a certain future. Office managers still need to adapt to the changing demands of the workforce by ensuring that their office environment allows for flexible working. Office technology can also be of great assistance in this regard, as cloud software and smartphones take over. If your office is in need of an upgrade, speak to Staples Advantage.

July 25th 2014 | Back to Industry Insights