Gen Y Speaks: A 4-day work week feels a pipe dream, but here’s why I hope to see it happen within my generation

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I remember being a “victim” of the 5.5-day work week as a student in the late 1990s.

Instead of the five-day work week that officially began in the civil service in 2004, the norm at the time was to work for an additional half a day over the weekends.

The teachers I know often spend their weekends poring over lesson plans too in that timeframe. And if you count the hours, for those who work desk-bound jobs, a work-free weekend would usually mean burning through late nights on weekdays. Recently, I’ve seen job ads of some companies here in Singapore dangling such carrots in front of prospective jobseekers, promising better work-life balance with shorter working hours and flexible work arrangements.For one, as a freelance writer, I already determine the hours and days that I work. And it so happens that I find myself working on weekends sometimes.

If I spent fewer days in the office, would I use my free time on personal and career development? I’m not sure if I will. They stay in their jobs, not solely because of passion or ambition, but because the job pays them well enough to sustain their wants and needs. And this includes paying for that plane ticket to get away from work.

In Singapore, many people my age probably feel the same too. We don’t need to be working to the bone, but we want to be more efficient and not be penalised for completing our work earlier so that we can have more time for ourselves.of Singapore youths between 18 and 35 last year showed that two-thirds of respondents wanted a four-day work week, even if it meant working longer hours each day.

For managers, it means recognising that just because a worker completed their task early, they shouldn’t be saddled with more.This is coming from me, a self-professed procrastinator who always seems to find speed and inspiration when deadlines are approaching.

 

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