The think tank Autonomy predicts that more than one million companies in Britain could move to a four-day working week after the pandemic.
Certainly, the pandemic has revealed all sorts of new ways of working that will remain in place when things go back to 'normal'. For example, Dr Matt Clancy argued, in a report for us on The Case for Remote Work, that even when it’s safe for us to all return to the office, a lot more work will be undertaken remotely than before the pandemic. There are policy implications for this. And not Deutsche Bank Research’s ludicrous suggestion of a 5% tax on those who work from home – but things like supporting better digital infrastructure.
Similarly, many of us are desperate to get off back-to-back video calls, but the idea that things will just snap back to pre-pandemic meetings is fanciful.
The same may be the case for more flexible working weeks. Employers and employees may have discovered by being forced to reduce days because of the economic hit of the pandemic that both have a preference for working less in future.
However, the thing about Autonomy is they aren’t just spotting a trend and then asking the government to think about the policy implications. They’re campaigning for a universal four-day working week – both directly and through the 4 Day Week Campaign.
We should always be wary when an organisation suggests a single policy change has the potential to solve all society's ills – even when it’s something you agree with (in fact, especially so). The 4 Day Week Campaign is a bit like that – promising all manner of benefits for our economy, society and environment. It even promises to help restore our democracy.
There is some evidence that 4-day work weeks can make some of us more productive, but the weight of evidence is far from overwhelming – and importantly isn’t satisfactorily broken down across industries and age groups.
A universal policy of a reduced working week runs against the rise and rise of entrepreneurship. Entrepreneurs and their founding teams readily spend closer to 7 days a week than 4 days a week when building their businesses. Of course, as they grow most of the workforce will expect less intense working practices, but without that initial intense push the company may not have grown or survived, to afford it. (Missing the initial start-up intensity as the company matures is one reason why founders leave successful companies to start again.)
But I don’t think this debate should really rest on economics. It’s really about choice. Many of us – particularly entrepreneurs – like what we do and while it’s sometimes hard it’s not without reward. Many employees like their work too and enjoy spending time with their colleagues, which may explain why John Maynard Keynes’s prediction of a 15 hour work week proved incorrect.
If the pandemic breaks down the expectation that people work 5-day work weeks when both employer and employee want to work fewer hours, that’s great. But the “universal approach” would take away our autonomy.
Oh when the saints
I may be a little biased, but our research is getting better and better each year. We can’t do it without the support from our sponsors, and our growing group of paid Advisers, who freed us to be able to write the recent AI report and our previous Copyright paper.
As well as corporate sponsors, a couple of entrepreneurs have also funded research that they’re passionate about. In recognition of this, we’ve created a new category of Patron to go alongside our Advisers and Supporters.
Our first Patrons are Chris Hulatt, Co-Founder, Octopus Group for support of our Future Founders report, which uncovered the views of the next generation towards entrepreneurship, and Sukhpal Singh Ahluwalia, Founder and Chairman of Dominvs Group, for his support of our influential Job Creators report, which set out the contribution of immigrant founders.
If you have a particular passion for an area of policy that you would like to support, just drop me an email.
Introducing Aria
Earlier this year, the Government announced the launch of a new research agency to support high risk, high reward science: the Advanced Research & Invention Agency (ARIA). Today, we announce Aria – a low risk, high skilled member of The Entrepreneurs Network’s growing team.
Aria Babu is a Senior Researcher and the Head of the Female Founders Forum, having written the Resilience & Recovery report before formally joining us. She has written a short introductory blog here and please feel free to drop her an email to say hello.
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