90% of professionals want trial of 4-day work week

Some 88 per cent of Vietnamese professionals want to trial a four-day work week. — Photo nld.com.vn

HCM CITY — Some 88 per cent of professionals would like to trial a four-day work week, and 62 per cent of them believe it would raise their productivity, a survey by Robert Walters, a global talent solutions business, has found.

“The 4-day work week: Is Asia ready for it?” surveyed over 5,000 professionals and companies across 11 Asian countries and territories.

It also found that 40 per cent of those against such a trial are concerned about increased stress due to the same workload being condensed into fewer days, and would prefer splitting their work load across five days instead.

There were also concerns about the impact on their finances, with 27 per cent saying a four-day week would mean an increase in expenditure due to more time spent outside of work.

To achieve a four-day work week with the same amount of pay, 60 per cent of professionals are willing give up hybrid working or work two additional hours a day across the work week.

Across the region, employers and professionals remain open to the value of a four-day work week to increase productivity and support talent attraction and retention.

Compared to other countries in Asia, the transition to a four-day work week is likely to be more gradual for Việt Nam – with 26 per cent of employers more willing to offer flexible working hours on Fridays.

Phúc Phạm, country manager at Robert Walters Vietnam, said: "Anyone considering a shorter work week should keep in mind that there’s no universal solution. The real focus should be on adapting it to fit the specific needs of your business, employees and customers.”

The biggest concerns for employers about a four-day work week are bad customer experience (67 per cent), incurring costs due to delayed projects or having to hire more people (62 per cent) and causing employee resentment due to difficulty in implementing across the entire office (48 per cent).

But, compared to a regional average of 66 per cent, 75 per cent of employers positive about a four-day work week believe it can yield improved employee productivity levels, with 50 per cent thinking it will help attract and retain employees. — VNS