Group A2: Is worker distress, burn out and mental health policies at workplace, policies
like 4-day workweek here to stay? Are these in conflict with work productivity?
1. Introduction (history, new trends) - Samarth
 Welcome to Prime-time debate. Today, we are here to discuss the raging topic of worker
distress. We have a few experts in our panel – What builds their credibility about the topic
at hand is the fact that they will be joining the workforce a few months from now.
 Organizations (in the functional sense) exist to achieve goals but since the past a lot of
changes have occurred. One of which we will talk about is the standardization of working
hours across roles, across firms – some argue that it leads to burnouts and issues of mental
health which became known during the pandemic.
 Let us talk about the origin of how workplace hours were introduced. So, about 100 years
ago, Henry Ford changed working hours to 40 hours a week, 5 working days arguing an ideal
home life for his employees and that people needed to have free time to consume the
products, including automobiles. By 1940, 5 days a week became a norm in many parts of
the world.
 The economist John Keynes (1930) predicted a society so prosperous that people would
hardly have to work (15 hour a week) But that isn’t exactly how things have played out.
 The Great Resignation, a term coined in May 2021, describes the record number of people
leaving their jobs since the beginning of the pandemic. After an extended period of working
from home with no commute, many people have decided their work-life balance has
become more important to them.
 Is working 4 days a week, the answer to this raging issue?
 Let us discuss what our experts think. Sai..
2. Pros - Sai
The benefits of a 4-day workweek are manyfold. Firstly, it increases employee productivity. A pilot
study conducted by Microsoft in Japan apparently increased the worker productivity by 40%.
Secondly, it contributes to making the workplace more equal. It gives women the opportunity to
better juggle care and work commitments. Thirdly, it improves employee engagement, i.e., it leads to
happier employees, who are less likely to take sick leave and they are plenty of time to rest and
recover. They return to work feeling energized and rejuvenated. Lastly, a 4 day workweek has a
significant impact on carbon footprint. A trial conducted by the US state of Utah for government
employees showed a significant ecological impact from reducing the average work week from five to
four days using a compressed work schedule. During the first ten months, the project saved
over US$1.8m (£1.36m) in energy costs and a reduction of at least 6,000 metric tons of carbon dioxide
emissions from closing the large office building on Fridays. If employees’ commutes are also included,
Utah estimated that it could save 12,000 metric tons of CO2, the equivalent of removing 2,300 cars
off the road for one year, simply by working one day less a week!.
3. Cons – Suhash
Firstly, taking about 4-day work week many confused with compressed hours, but the organizations
make employees work full 40 hours, this means employees working approx 10 hours a day
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This will lead to a more intense and stress full day and effect the employee’s mental health
Employers also expect more dedication from the employees because of the 4-day work
week advantage
According to a study conducted in France, workers who switched to a four-day work week
put in the same number of hours as before, but higher absenteeism rates resulted from the
compressed schedule.
The Utah study, which Sai mentioned, has been closed due to poor customer satisfaction.
Customers complained that they were unable to access government services with offers
closed on a Friday.
4. Functional – Pashangh
 In functionalist theory society takes precedence over the individual needs
 There is a foucs on break down of labour and maximization of output
 This would indicate that the 4-day work week would probably be accompanied by waiving of
weekends and continuous operation of lines
 Further it also believes in decentralization of labour and improved communication which
the work from home and hybrid work policies help promote
 However division of labour to create solidarity in a class will lead to more specialist roles
resulting in creating chasms in society which could potentially operate in silos
 It also creates scope for exploitation as it does not account for the individual needs
5. Conflict / class - Sara
Conflict theory would measure the success of a policy by whether it’s shifting power away from the
capitalists and to the working class. The biggest four-day work week trial is currently being run in the
UK with more than 70 participating companies. But let’s consider the main principle of the trial – the
100-80-100 model. 100% of the pay for 80% of the time in exchange for 100% productivity. In other
words, while capitalists are going to be getting an equally productive workforce for the same price as
before, the workers will now be under intense pressure to deliver the same output but in a condensed
amount of time. Once it’s proven that workers can deliver the same results in four days, the same
standard of total productivity will be expected from those still working five days. It’s also very telling
that even though a shorter work week would help develop an employee’s personal life outside of
work, the benefits that are advertised most are about employee morale. In typical fashion, the
argument for a shorter work week has been framed in a way that appeals to the hegemonic group
indicating that it will likely not challenge the power dynamics of the status quo. So the conflict theorist
would treat these new policies with skepticism.
Class struggle
Shifting power away?
Biggest four day work week trial
Principle of 100-80-100, pay – time – productivity
In other words...equally productive workforce for same price
Once it’s proven, same expectations from five day workers
Very telling – benefits for employees personal lives, most advertised are employee morale and
productivity
Argument framed in a way that appeals to the hegemonic group – contributes to skepticism
6. Interactionist – Mayur
In micro-sociology, interactionism is a theoretical perspective that sees social behavior as an
interactive product of the individual and the situation.
The way in which workers interact is of vital importance within the business environment, as these
interactions set the climate and have a major impact on factors directly related to business success,
including employee morale and productivity.
While it is obvious that worker interactions can have an impact on the happiness of individual
workers, the interactional approach theory maintains that the health of relationships between coworkers can impact much more than just happiness. This theory argues that leaders should dedicate
attention to workplace interactions, as they can influence a host of elements related to business
success, including employee productivity, the length of time employees stay with a company, and
employees’ eagerness to produce innovative ideas.
Awareness
Nearly all business leaders are aware, at least to a certain extent, that the ways in which workers
interact influences the business environment. Those who lead with this theory in mind dedicate
extra attention to monitoring these interactions. These leaders believe, as this theory contends, that
staff interactions make a major impact in the workplace. They focus on keeping track of conflicts.
They help workers either get through conflicts or avoid conflicts altogether, as they believe that
doing so will ultimately have a positive impact on the business as a whole.
Benefits
Managers who lead with this theory in mind are often successful in producing workplaces full of
happier workers. Because these leaders focus on the health of the relationships between individuals
that make up the business community, they are often more aware of what is going on within their
workplaces than leaders who focus more on the business side of the equation. This increased
awareness helps them prevent serious interaction-related problems that could prove detrimental to
the business as a whole before they occur.
Weaknesses
While it can be useful to monitor the social side of a workplace and keep track of interactions
between workers, if a leader allows this focus to consume too much of his time he runs the risk of
losing sight of the bigger picture. Though interactions between workers can certainly play a part in
determining business health, it isn’t the only thing that determines business success or failure.
7. Organizations and structures of authority / ideal type – Parsh
 Who decides the roles and policies around employees, if everyone working in corporates is
an employee (management, HR, employees …)?
o Complex bureaucracy — this has been the answer to developing force and
legitimized authority in organizations
 It is a nightmare for the HR department to convince the management about a shift to 4-day
workweek. Questions will certainly boil down to the number of man-hours invested and the
financial loss that the organization would incur if they do not comply with the requisite
man-hours.
 Talking of workplace stress, let’s take the example of ABG’s MPower initiative. While no
company got on board initially, the burnout caused by WFH in the last 2 years led HR’s of
companies onboard for employee well-being
o Now, startups have been allowing flexible work culture and benefits, and many
companies are contextually allowing WFH/WFA
o However … designing, implementing, and monitoring a 4-day workweek is a whole
new ballgame for management across different industries and complex divisions.
 Technology has been disrupting the industry every few decades. Thus, a 4-day workweek
could become a reality if businesses are forced to share the benefits of new technology
with their employees.
8. Gender - Parromita
 Policies that promote mental health such as a 4-day work week also help in reducing Gender
pay parity and promote equal gender representation in the workplace.
 The main reason for the greater number of men in senior positions than women assumes that
senior jobs require longer working hours and constant availability, which would be impossible
for women since families often take precedence over their careers. Due to which they prefer
jobs that require lesser working hours.
 And secondly, studies have also shown that fewer days in paid work would lead to a more
even distribution of unpaid care work among men and women.
 Hence, people who work four days a week, regardless of their gender, would be in a better
position to fulfil childcare and other personal responsibilities without leaving the workforce.
 A report by McKinsey also states gender equality could boost global economic growth by 12
trillion dollars by 2025. Therefore, a more equal workplace is not only a critical issue for social
justice but also a significant contributor to economic development.
9. Marriage and family – Sanyam
Work-life balance is important for maintaining a healthy and happy marriage and family. When one
partner is consistently working long hours or feeling overwhelmed by their job, it can create tension
and strain on the relationship. On the other hand, when both partners are able to achieve a good
balance between their work and personal lives, it can lead to a more harmonious and fulfilling
relationship.
Here are a few ways that work-life balance can affect marriage and family:
 Quality time: When one or both partners are constantly busy with work, it can be difficult to
find time to spend together as a couple or as a family. This can lead to feelings of isolation and
disconnection.
 Communication: When one partner is consistently absent due to work, it can be challenging
to keep the lines of communication open and maintain a strong connection.
 Stress: When one or both partners are under a lot of stress due to work, it can be difficult to
relax and enjoy time together as a couple or family. This can lead to conflicts and negative
emotions.
 Health: Poor work-life balance can lead to physical and mental health problems, which can
affect both partners and the overall well-being of the family.
Overall, achieving a good balance between work and personal life is important for maintaining a
healthy and happy marriage and family. It's important for both partners to communicate about their
work and personal commitments and to make time for each other and for family activities.
10. Economy – Varun
There are great direct and indirect economic benefits of reduced work distress and policies such as 4
day work week
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Firstly, a research conducted by OECD showed that the average number of productive hours
a person spends at work is about 32 in America. Thus, although one is mandated to work for
40 hrs/week, an individual spends 32 productive hours on average per week. Thus, why
work for 5 days when the work could be completed in 4 days. This would result in employees
being more productive and would have extra time to rejuvenate, spend quality time with
family and improved happiness levels.
Job stress is estimated to cost American companies more than $300 billion a year in health
costs, absenteeism and poor performance. Focus on mental well being and steps such as 4
day week are steps in the right direction.
40% of job turnover is due to stress. Replacing an average employee costs 120-200% of the
salary of the position affected. An organization which cares for its employees would
naturally see lower attrition rates and result in indirect cost savings
Other benefits which Sai has already talked about – Cost savings of commute, reduced
energy consumption, and an overall lower carbon footprint per capita.
11. Conclusion – Samarth
 XYZ