Should we have a four-day working week?

Post-pandemic work models are changing, with some companies trialling condensed hours and longer weekends. So is it time to ditch a day’s work altogether?

- FRANCESCA WOODSTOCK

YES

‘Having three days off makes it worthwhile’

Asahela Rose, 31, is the founder of Rosebuds Aromas.

Working a four-day week is a great way to offset some free time. As a maternity support worker for the NHS, I did 12½ -hour shifts, four days a week. I was constantly on the go and, at times, it was exhausting, but having three days off made it so worthwhile. I was more productive working longer hours as I was already in the right frame of mind, and I saved a day’s commute, which became time I spent with my family.

After introducing a new element to my job as lactation consultant, I switched to five days a week, and it affected my work-life balance hugely.

As a mum of three, I was always rushed off my feet. In 2012, I had to miss my four-year-old daughter’s first day at school.