The Four Day Model or 100-80-100 Model of working days has recently created a buzz in the global industry. Working only four days means three days off! That’s definitely something every job holder would wish for. But is the 100-80-100 model effective?
100-80-100 indicates the ratio of wages:workdays: productivity. The model entails that the employees work four days a week instead of 5, so work days are reduced by 20%, and the expected effectiveness is 100% with no change in wages.
Working hours have always been under debate in the labor market. 9-to-5 or 9-to-6 or 9-to-9 or 8-to-4; every labor law/act has its fair share of supporters and protestors. But what about the working day?
That’s right, the working days of each week have been in the debate as well because the labor acts and laws have been under experiment for a long period, especially after the COVID-19 pandemic. From 60 hours a week to 32 hours, the world has seen all the experiments done with labor laws.
Polls And Trials
Countries like the UK, USA, New Zealand, Iceland, and even our neighbor India have tried out the model with utmost sincerity. They aim to transform the existing workforce into the most productive and motivated one. The experiment range and specifics are different in each nation.
Like the number of participant organizations, working hours and type of organizations are different in some cases. For example, the USA had a statement where the workforce worked four weekdays, but the working hour stayed the same as five weekdays (40 hours). They ran the pole with 36000 civilians in 2019, but this has been in the debate since 1973.
Iceland tried to experiment with 2200-2500 employees for four years. And New Zealand just allowed 81-employee one year of experience in just one organization. In the UK, the experiment lasted six months with 3300 employees.
Some polls and surveys conveyed before recruitment suggest that the labor force of any region responds and applies to jobs more affirmatively when they see four days a week in the job specification. In the interview process, most applicants expressed that four weekdays would be more convenient for them.
UK Trial: 4 vs 5 Weekdays
The instigating factor in conducting the trial was the COVID-19 pandemic that outbroke in late 2019 and put the world in a very conflicted position. So, 4 Day Week Global, a nonprofit organization, proposed the research. They call it a ‘productivity focussed work’ approach. Seventy companies and their 3000-3300 employees willingly agreed to participate in the six-month trial, called the Pilot Programme.
There were two measuring or focussing criteria here, productivity and the well-being of the workforce. The collateral impact included the workplace environment and demographic diversity balance. The majority of the workers had approved of the four working day strategy in the interviews taken afterward.
The reported positive traits of the trial were – improved working spirit and morale, massively decreasing absentee rates, increased number of applicants for all job vacancies, and notably increased work-oriented interactions and functions. So, the results entail that The Four Day Model or 100-80-100 Model increases productivity and lessens workplace inactivity. The CEO of the 4 Day Week Global Organization declared that focus on productivity rather than the time-based working strategy in the light of the results of this Pilot Programme.
There are some downsides of the trial, such as having limited scopes in a few specific types of businesses. Some business sectors strictly require more days and hours by default. Increasing costs and decreasing workplace friendly/informal/casual environment are the other downsides of it, and this affects workplace relationships.
Where Does Bangladesh Stand On The 4-Day Week Programme?
Even though Bangladesh has never pursued the practice, researchers and scholars insist they should sincerely consider it. Bangladesh still follows the traditional 2006 Labor Act that entails 48-60 hours of work time with no more than ten hours a week for the workforce. But the standard is the 8-hour shift five days a week.
The scholars and research suggest switching to the 100-80-100 Model for Bangladesh because it would increase employee satisfaction and improve performance. The idea is to make businesses more efficient and effective. The current trading policy replicates Henry Ford’s 9 to 5 policy in 1926.
So the thought of this act or policy being outdated is substantial. But is the Bangladesh economy ready or even qualified for the change? Bangladesh is a developing country, with most people being farmers and independent workers who don’t have a scheduled time for working.
But for those limited sectors this 4-day strategy is viable, experts highly suggest considering making four weekdays working days. Because every trial conducted has produced a substantial profitable impact on the business. Thus, Bangladesh should pursue it.
So, the 100-80-100 Model, also known as The Four Day Model, can instigate a productivity-focused workplace environment. The basic concept is doing the regular 9 to 5 job but just four days a week. Some companies increase the working hours per day, and some alter job responsibilities, but the base concept and results are the same. So, Is the 100-80-100 model effective? Yes. With all the pros and cons described, the researchers always suggest pursuing it rather than moving on to some other strategy or the traditional one.
