The four-day workweek is often hailed as the future of labour — with many progressives and burnt-out employees pushing for implementation across the world. Tesla and SpaceX CEO Elon Musk has warned that automation will make many tasks obsolete in the coming years. Meanwhile Microsoft cofounder Bill Gates has floated the idea of a two-day workweek within the next decade as AI continues to ‘replace’ humans. But International Workplace Group CEO Mark Dixon believes that the ‘four-day work week’ is a myth.
“Everyone is focused on productivity, so not anytime soon. It’s about the cost of labor. Everyone’s having to control their labor costs because all costs have gone up so much, and you can’t get any more money from customers, so therefore you have to get more out of people,” Dixon told Fortune recently.
He opined that the pressure to maximise output per employee has skyrocketed in recent years amid the volatile economic landscape. Any time freed up by automation, the founder of IWG explains, is now likely to be filled with new tasks that can be reassigned to workers. IWG is the largest flexible office provider in the world —with more than 8 million users across 122 countries and 85% of the Fortune 500 among its customers
‘AI will likely create more work’
Dixon cited historical precedents to argue that AI will also ‘increase work’ while taking over various roles — noting that the Industrial Revolution had also sparked concern about machines ‘replacing’ human labour. But mass production made a growing number of products easily available — leading to growth in retail, expansion of the middle class and rapid hiring of managers to oversee the machines. He also touched upon the advent of computers in the 1980s and the subsequent digital explosion to underscore his point.
“AI will speed up companies development, so there’ll be more work, it’ll just be different work…It’s impossible to stop progress,” Dixon reiterated in conversation with Fortune.
Is the 4-day work week feasible?
Pilot projects and trials in various countries show that a 4-day work week can boost productivity while improving employee well-being. According to a post by the World Economic Forum, aroud 92% of participating companies had retained the 4 day policy after trials ended in various countries. They cited various reasons including lower stress, reduced sick leave and stable or higher revenues.