Pros and cons: Four-day work week

Many countries around the world have either switched or are thinking of switching to a four-day work schedule, which by many assessments and studies resulted in better output. Many companies are also of the opinion that a fiveday work week causes nothing but results in employee burnout, inefficiency and finally, depression. It is argued by many that the reduced work hours can be good for both businesses and employees. In the UK, 88 per cent of the companies that tried out the shortened work week last year said that the new schedule worked well. With our neighbours adopting four-day work week, there have been talks in Oman on having a similar system. What do you think of the four-day week work culture and would it succeed in Oman? Here is what Muscat Daily readers had to say about the issue.

For the government sector, it could be workable with extended number of working hours but for the private sector, it will not be practical at all as it will be disastrous for the economy, which is already suffering after the pandemic. If introduced only for the government sector, Omani staff in private sector will feel discriminated. Hence it may not succeed.

salim amri hotel employee

I welcome the move, as there are times when people get exhausted - mainly in my sector, during the holiday season - even before the arrival of their weekends. Sometimes we work overtime with no proper sleep. Three-day weekend will not only help recharge our mind and body for a better professional output, but will also help spend quality time with our families. I welcome this move. One of the main aims of a company should be to improve the well-being of its employees.

Mohammad ansari Private sector employee

I do not welcome the move at all. This will make us lazy and hamper our work. Also, I must say that such a move will at times put stress on a few selected employees. There will be times of emergency or crisis where burden won’t be shared.

businessman

We already see fewer employees in many companies due to the pandemic lay-offs, which caused the workload getting doubled for many. This four-day work week will be a burden on business owners. I think that twoday weekend is perfect; maybe we can implement a rule not to work or disturb employees during the weekends. In many cases, we see that even on weekends, employees work to meet deadlines. This must be discouraged.

hameed al harthy

anwar al Balushi engineer

It is a good proposal indeed. It will give more time to us - mainly the private company employees, who often cannot spend enough time with their family members. Most people are exhausted due to work overload and also travel time; hence this proposed system will help us start the week with renewed energy. Also, experimental introduction of this system shows development and progress - both at personal and professional levels.