If you’re anything like the average office worker, Monday through Friday are your busiest days of the week—but Saturday and Sunday might as well be national holidays from your perspective. Weekend bliss? Sure, but wouldn’t it be even better if we could extend our weekends to make them more manageable? We think so. Here’s why weekends need to be longer and how you can start making your case today.
We work hard all week
The average American works roughly five days out of seven, and according to studies, that’s not even close to being enough for employers. As humans, we are simply not built for sustained periods of high workloads or intense mental stimulation, says Alex Soojung-Kim Pang in his book Rest: Why You Get More Done When You Work Less. How long should your week last? Let’s turn to research from energy expert Amory Lovins of Rocky Mountain Institute (RMI). Based on RMI’s resource productivity programs with hundreds of corporations and governments across four continents—programs that reduce energy use by 30 percent or more—Lovins has concluded that we should all work 20 hours per week.
If you think that sounds like a pipe dream, consider how much less you actually accomplish during your typical eight-hour day. Multiply those lost hours by five days, and you have 25 wasted working days every year! If you can convince your boss to agree to a three-day weekend, you’ll gain an extra six days off every year! And if he won’t budge? Then it’s time to find another job. With an extra six working weeks every year, indeed, there is somewhere else willing to pay you for just 20 hours’ worth of work. But don’t stop there! Use those additional six weeks wisely and carve out some time each day for relaxation—you deserve it!
Shorter breaks do more harm than good
Longer breaks allow you to recharge fully, but short breaks are more about having an excuse not to do anything than about actually resting. John Trougakos, an associate professor of management at the University of Toronto Scarborough, conducted a study that found workers were more stressed on days when they didn’t work than on days when they did. This may seem counterintuitive, but it makes sense when you consider that your brain is used to thinking about work all day long, so those hours spent not thinking about work feel like nothing. However, at some point during your time off, you realize there is truly nothing happening, and you start to feel restless and stir-crazy.
Longer breaks are better for employees and employers
Most of us agree work gets in the way of other things we want to do, especially with families. Longer holidays make it easier for employees to recharge and spend time with their families. There’s evidence that employers save money when they offer more vacation days, as turnover decreases and productivity increases. But perhaps most importantly, as Josh Levs outlines in his book All In: How Our Work-First Culture Fails Dads, Families, and Businesses—and How We Can Fix It Together, getting men involved at home benefits not just employees but also employers. Men who take paternity leave are more likely to stay at their jobs than those who don’t, and companies with family-friendly policies see lower absenteeism rates among both women and men. If there were ever an argument for why businesses should offer better benefits packages, here it is.
Shorter breaks are worse in terms of quality time with family and friends
Although each day of time off is technically better than no vacation at all, shorter breaks, such as weekdays, can prove problematic. A Harvard Business Review study found that workers who take all their vacation days are more likely to report higher levels of job and overall life satisfaction. This makes sense; people who only get one or two days off per week typically don’t feel they’re getting enough rest. In other words, shorter breaks aren’t necessarily better for quality time with family and friends. If you have any control over your schedule, it’s worth considering a long weekend instead of several short ones.
Shorter breaks may increase the risk of burnout or breakdown
In an excerpt from “Work Smarter, Not Harder,” Michael Kerr and Nancy Kerr offer suggestions for enhancing workers’ efficiency and productivity. One of their suggestions is to reduce weekly hours by instituting shorter workweeks. These days, many professionals work long hours on both workdays and non-workdays. According to research cited by Arianna Huffington, CEO of Huffington Post Media Group Inc. and author of Thrive: The Third Metric To Redefining Success And Creating A Life Of Well-Being, Wisdom And Wonder (Harmony Books), working extra hard can actually have adverse effects. She points out that there’s an inverse relationship between time spent at work and quality of life. In other words, as you spend more time at your job, your quality of life decreases. Shorter breaks may increase the risk of burnout or breakdown because they let you take some time off without actually taking any. They give you just enough distance from your job so that when you return, it feels like you’ve been away for a while, but you still remember what’s waiting for you.
Shorter breaks also decrease productivity after workers return to work
A two-day break can actually make workers less efficient when they come back on Monday. Studies have found that in such cases, it takes workers two or three days to feel fully productive again. That’s partly because they would rather not rush through their first day back; they want it to last as long as possible. Since there are only 24 hours in a day, though, that means you either must reduce your effectiveness immediately after returning from vacation or scramble around trying to get everything done by 3 pm Friday so you can escape at a reasonable hour. A better solution is obvious—provide people more time off. Do away with Monday! Let people enjoy their extra time over the weekend and be ready for real work on Tuesday morning.
Longer breaks improve employee satisfaction, overall happiness, and performance
A study by Dutch researchers found that a three-day weekend increased worker satisfaction and performance. If we’re not spending time away from work, we’re more likely to think about work during our spare time, which can lead to burnout. EMPLOYER’S NOTE: If you ensure your workers get enough rest, they will also help your business get enough rest and perform at an optimal level. Workers with enough vacation time engage more with their jobs than those without.
Some researchers argue there are health benefits, too
Shorter workweeks are believed to benefit workers’ health, as they have more time for exercise and sleep. Others argue that Americans already receive plenty of exercise and sleep—so there’s no reason to lengthen our weekends. Still, others say that it doesn’t matter at all; we’ll just adjust to our schedules, and our schedules will adjust to us. Nevertheless, some researchers argue there are health benefits, too. According to a study conducted by the Max Planck Institute and Leibniz University Hannover in Germany, a 33-hour workweek could increase happiness while decreasing illness rates—for people who still put in 40 hours during the workday.
References:
- “Time Out: We All Need a Three-Day Weekend” – Neuroscience News (University of South Australia)
https://neurosciencenews.com/three-day-weekend-health-23003/ - “Why three-day weekends are great for well-being—and the economy”—The Conversation (via Phys.org)
https://phys.org/news/2023-05-three-day-weekends-great-well-beingand-economy.html - “We All Need a 3-Day Weekend, According to New Study” – Psychreg
https://www.psychreg.org/we-all-need-3-day-weekedn-according-new-study/ - “Why a three-day weekend may be better for your mental health than a longer vacation”—NBC News
https://www.nbcnews.com/better/health/why-three-day-weekend-may-be-better-your-mental-health-ncna908221 - “New research shows we all need a three-day weekend” – ScienceBlog.com
https://scienceblog.com/new-research-shows-we-all-need-a-three-day-weekend/ - “Time out: We all need a three-day weekend”—University of South Australia Media Centre
https://www.unisa.edu.au/media-centre/Releases/2023/time-out-we-all-need-a-three-day-weekend/ - “The Many Benefits of a Long Weekend” – Goodnet
https://www.goodnet.org/articles/many-benefits-long-weekend
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