What are the Possible Benefits of the Three-Day Weekend?
Persuasive Essay
Alex Fish
If there is one thing that almost everyone in the world would agree on, it would be that we need more time off. What would your reaction be if your weekends became longer? In order to decrease stress, anxiety, and other mental health issues for employees, many employers around the globe have considered taking on a four-day workweek. This practice has already brought about many benefits, none greater than for mental health. Many believe that this solution shows great benefits in the lives and mental state of employees and hope to someday see this style of work week adopted by the United States. The European style work week has been proven effective to hinder overworking and the effects it has on employees in the mental health field. Many campaigns and unions have been working to promote the four-day workweek in different European nations. Along with mental health, more time off the job can have huge effects on work ethic, productivity, and attitude, in addition to giving people valuable time to be with their families, as well as to fulfill their own hobbies and interests rather than working around the clock. The four-day work week has been in practice in various places around the globe, showing many positive and effective results. We should adopt a four-day workweek into American society because it would benefit the employee, employer, and the community as a whole.
Mental health is one of the most important parts of our lives, and the European style work week has been proven effective for maintaining good mental health. Evidence from European workplaces that have implemented shorter workweeks suggests that we could see similar results in the workplaces of the United States. Mental health has different meanings and levels for everyone across the globe; however, it should be viewed as immensely important for all. “When defined positively, mental health tends to be described rather loosely as a state of psychological well-being or satisfactory psychological functioning” (Darity. 84). Mental health is something which must be taken seriously by employers and employees to ensure they are fully capable and in shape to perform their duties in the workplace and in their lives in general. Many people in the workforce are simply unaware of how much mental health issues can affect them. Mental health issues come in many different varieties, some more severe than others.“In less severe cases, mental health can lead to distress and suffering and difficulties with certain aspects of daily living” (Darity 84). People need to take all necessary measures to ensure their mental health in the workplace. In one UK study, 77 percent of employees surveyed established a connection between shorter workweeks and a happier and better lifestyle, which leads to stronger mental health (“Mental Health” 1). Positive findings such as these surveys from this practice in Europe may carry over to the United States and may also help to increase overall job satisfaction and mental health for employees. One writer, Livia Gershon summarizes the situation by saying, “It would be good if people could work fewer hours not primarily because it would reduce unemployment, but because people would be less stressed and overworked” (Gershon 1). It is widely known that stress is heavily induced by working longer periods of time without enough time off. Studies have shown an increase in employee mental capacity when taking longer breaks which further supports the idea that the European style four-day workweek should be heavily considered by Americans
Stemming from mental health, employees need to be encouraged and in the right mindset to fulfil their obligations in the workplace. The United States should adopt a three day weekend for the benefits of work ethic, productivity, and attitude. Some of the most important qualities a person in the workplace can have is a high work ethic, strong productivity, and a positive attitude towards what they are accomplishing. It is imperative that employees find ways to keep themselves motivated in the workplace in whichever ways seem best for them. They can spend more time with family and friends, get involved with their community or pursue hobbies to stay upbeat. “Strong healthy relationships with supportive friends and family are beneficial, and support groups and social activities, such as clubs, can improve productivity and mental attitude,” (“Mental Health” 1). People need to have other things going on in their life besides solely their work, in order to keep a positive, motivated attitude. It is important for employees to take the initiative to increase the potential of their working mentality, which begins with having enough time off to themselves. Many studies in Europe have worked to show that having more time off, such as a three day weekend, can greatly strengthen these qualities in workers. The European shorter work week experiments and practices have worked not only towards mental health, but overall productivity and attitude in the workplace as well. Countless studies have shown that the more break time employees are given, the more fresh and productive they are when completing work tasks. As Livia Gershon points out in her article on the European workweek, “Regardless, evidence continues to pile up showing that shorter hours have benefits for health and productivity, including in Sweden, which has found early experiments so successful that it’s expanding the use of a shortened workweek.” These studies have shown a direct correlation between work ethic and productivity with time off from work. An increase in down time outside of the workplace would significantly benefit American workers just as it has in various countries. This has been the case in countries such as Germany and France, where countless offices have reported a rise in employee happiness and productivity. Many European nations such as Sweden, have found early experiments so successful that they are expanding on the use of a shortened workweek .
The idea of a shorter work week would surely give workers time to spend fulfilling their own personal goals and interests. People are at their best when they are happy and rested, not when they are overworked and exhausted. Overworking can also lead to a drop off in a person’s social life and status with others. Overworking makes people less social and involved with their own hobbies, as pointed out by one writer from the Australian Bulletin of Labour, “The increase in weekend work has also been examined, especially the effects of 'unsociable' work hours. Less involvement in community activities and experienced reduced social times and recreation.” (Brown 146). The more time a person is spending in the workplace, the less time they have to be involved with their family, friends, and community. Some people become so wrapped up in their work, they miss out on seeing friends and loved ones as well as attending special events and going on vacations. Hard working people deserve more time to spend outside of the office pursuing their own interests. People rely on their families, friends, and their personal hobbies to keep their mental health in balance and to stay motivated at work. (Brown 147). There are many everyday activities which can improve a person's mental health. According to one writer, “Individuals can cope with stress by exercising, enjoying nature, writing in a journal, and participating in other activities. Life skills such as meditation, prayer, and relaxation exercises are also useful in dissolving stress.” (“Mental Health” 1). Beyond this, there are many initiatives employees can take to improve their mental health, if given the time to do so. One extra day out of the workplace could serve as the perfect opportunity to allow people to set aside more time to do things they enjoy and to accomplish their goals outside of work. As Gershon points out, “In France, some employers are now pushing back on the standard 35-hour workweek and 10 weeks of vacation,” meaning people in France have more time to spend outside of the workplace. Many different European nations have found great benefits in the four-day workweek and it has brought much improvement to the lives of employers and employees by giving them more time to be with their families, friends, and personal interests outside of the workplace.
A shorter work week has many benefits which have shown to have a big impact on peoples’ lives. Shorter workweeks are without a doubt beneficial to employees and employers alike (Gershon 1). Mental health is an immensely important subject in the world in which we live. It is vital that we take measures to ensure a reduction in stress, anxiety, and overworking in general. The European style work week has been proven effective in the improvement of mental health. More time off the job and away from the workplace can have monumental effects on employee work ethic, productivity, and attitude towards their job. People also need an additional day off work to have more time to spend fulfilling their own personal interests and hobbies, as well as be with their families and friends. People need to have time to live their lives rather than working around the clock. Many authors and mental health advocates agree with the idea that reducing working time has many positive effects for employees and employers alike. The European style four-day workweek has proven quite effective for both employees and employers in nations and companies which have experimented with it. The United States should greatly consider adopting this style of work-week to the benefit of all people in the workforce.
Annotated Bibliography
Brown, Kerry, et al. "Working Time Arrangements and Recreation: Making Time for Weekends
when Working Long Hours." Australian Bulletin of Labour, 2010, vol. 36, no. 2, pp. 194-213. www.search.proquest.com/docview/729156536?accountid=338. Accessed 3 Dec. 2019.
This author believes that working full weeks can be very detrimental to peoples’ mental health and well being. She believes that time should be made, aside from the usual weekend, to give people a break from working longer hours. She stresses that “personal time” is vital for a person’s health. She puts forward that we should build our schedules taking into account the time we may need away from work.
Darity Jr. William "Mental Health." International Encyclopedia of the Social
Sciences, Gale In Context: World History, 2nd ed.,vol.5, Macmillan Reference USA, 2008, pp.83-86, www.link.gale.com/apps/doc/CX3045 301518/WHIC?u=va_p_ wakef_s&sid=WHIC&xid=f9a47886. Accessed 3 Dec. 2019.
In this article, author William Darity Jr. expresses that mental health is the single most important aspect of our lives and should be highly valued by all. He discusses how overworking and being deprived of time off can have very negative effects on a person’s state of mental health. This article puts forward that people need to be aware and cautious of their mental state.
“Families Would Gain From a Shorter Workweek”. The New York Times, The New York Times
Company, 24 Aug. 1999, www.go.gale.com/ps/retrieve.do?tabID=Viewpoints&result ListType=RESULT_LIST&sear. Accessed 3 Dec. 2019.
In this article, the benefits of a shorter workweek are outlined and advocated for. This article presents the idea that shorter workweeks would not only improve employees’ mental health, but also bring families and friends closer together with more time to spend together, rather than being stuck at work.
Gershon, Livia. "Shorter workweeks are catching on in Europe—America not so
much." Quartz, 4 Jun. 2016, www.qz.com/699166/shorter-workweeks
-Are-catching-on-in-europe-america-not-so-much/. Accessed 3 Dec. 2019.
In this article, the author discusses that Europe has found success in working shorter hours and a shorter workweek. She uses examples from foreign employers and companies as to the positive effects this time off brings and promotes its experimentation in America. She also takes into account the possible reasons that this new style of workweek has not yet caught on in the United States.
"Mental Health." Gale In Context Online Collection, Gale, Gale In Context: High
School, 2019, www.link.gale.com/apps/doc/ULXUHX033802376/SUIC?
u=va_p_wakef_s&sid=SUIC&xid=e6212bee. Accessed 3 Dec. 2019.
In this article, the importance and value of a person’s mental health is elaborated upon using workplace examples and benefits due to the practice of the shorter workweek. The article brings up points about how mental health is affected by a person’s happiness and break time. The article wants readers to understand and value the importance of mental health in each of our lives.