US companies quietly get closer to four day work weeks

American workers are increasingly clocking out early on Fridays, with many using the day to transition into the weekend rather than putting in a full day's work, WSJ reports. Data from workforce analytics firm ActivTrak shows that the average sign-off time on Fridays has shifted from around 5 p.m. in early 2021 to 4 p.m. now, a full hour earlier than the Monday-Thursday average.

This trend towards shorter Fridays is not necessarily impacting productivity, as some companies have found that giving employees more flexibility and time off can lead to better performance and reduced burnout during the rest of the week. Billionaire financier and Mets owner Steve Cohen believes that the four-day work week is inevitable, driven by the increasing AI work automation and generally lower productivity levels on Fridays.

The ‘Always On, Always In’ Era Is Over: The live-to-work ethic has flipped. Now people want work-life balance and that’s transforming not just workplaces but towns and cities. (Bloomberg)

For small to medium-sized businesses, the rise of the de-facto four-day work week reflects the end of the ‘Always On, Always in” era. We’re now moving towards a more pervasive, and aggressive, concept of work-life balance that’s similar to the European model. Trying to force culture to go back to pre-pandemic norms is a losing battle. Rather than even try, businesses should recognize the reality that 

ambition and a natural orientation towards hard work is an increasingly scarce resource to be acquired and protected.