What is a 40-hour work week?

A 40-hour work week is typically an eight-hour day, five days a week. This is often referred to as a 9-to-5, although the actual hours might differ from the standard 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., Monday to Friday.

History of the 40-hour work week

Working conditions following the Industrial Revolution were so poor that many people were forced to work over 80 hours per week. In the UK, unions and employees campaigned to reduce the working day to eight hours.

Historically, the 40-hour work week has become the norm across many countries including the UK. The Office for National Statistics (ONS) found that the average weekly hours of a full-time worker is 36.6 hours, which means that the majority of UK employees no longer work the typical 40-hour work week.

According to the UK government’s Working Time Regulations 1998, employees are not allowed to work more than an average of 48 hours a week. This means that some of your employees may still legally work more than 48 hours a week, provided that their weekly average does not exceed this number averaged over 17 weeks. 

However, the Working Time Directive of 2003 estabishes that your employees can opt out of the 48-hour work week if they choose to do so, and not be fired, disciplined or dismissed unfairly for working longer hours.

40-hour work week benefits today

Employers across the world are experimenting with more flexible working hours and allowing employees to find a better work-life balance. ONS statistics show that it is now the norm for full-time employees in the UK to work fewer than 40 hours on average.

Whether these alternatives to the 40-hour work week are right for your business could depend on job responsibilities, the industry you’re in and the financial impact of implementing alternative hours.

Some evidence such as the South Cambridgeshire District Council’s trial of the four-day work week suggests that more freedom and autonomy can increase productivity. However, there may be downsides to deviating from a standardised timetable.

Pros and cons of a 40-hour work week

Standardised hours are becoming less popular since the four-day work week trial in the UK and other European countries. Below are some of the pros and cons of standardised hours.

Pros of a 40-hour work week

Firstly, let’s look at some of the pros of implementing a 40-hour work week or standardised hours.

Helps employees maintain a routine

Employees who work 9 a.m. – 5 p.m. Monday to Friday, know they have Saturday and Sunday off, giving them an established time to plan appointments and personal time around their weekly schedule.

Promotes accountability

Your employees know they have to arrive at a certain time each day and finish their work by a certain time. Alternative hours might cause employees to take a more relaxed approach to their responsibilities.

Establishes good communication

Having set working hours for your employees may help promote good communication within the workplace, as all team members will have access to one another at the same time. This simplifies teamwork and makes it easier to collaborate or ask questions.

Cons of a 40-hour work week

In this next section, we look at some of the cons of a 40-hour work week.

Unhealthy work-life balance

Employees may feel that the set days and hours they have to work limit the amount of time they have to spend with family or explore hobbies. This can increase turnover and loss of staff to businesses with more competitive work-life benefits.

Lost productivity

In our guide to work-life balance, we found that a good employer will help their employees to achieve a work-life balance. Working long hours, we also found, can be detrimental to health and wellbeing. Encouraging employees to work long hours such as in a 40-hour work week could mean losing talent to burnout, for example.

Increased human error

Your team is more likely to make mistakes if they’re stressed about long hours at work. This may also be the result of reduced morale if they are expected to maintain high levels of productivity throughout the entire week.

Examples of flexible work arrangements and hours

Are you considering trying alternatives to traditional working hours? Here are some examples of flexible work arrangements.

Flexitime

Flexitime gives your employees greater autonomy by letting them choose their hours. With flexible working, employees are still required to work eight hours a day and around 40 hours a week, but they can choose their start and end time rather than working standard hours.

For example, your employees could start work between 7 a.m. and 10 a.m. and end between 3 p.m. and 6 p.m.

For this to work, you need to establish core hours in which an employee must be at work. Your core hours could be 11 a.m. – 3 p.m. Knowing that your entire workforce will be present during set hours makes it easier to schedule meetings, training and other administrative functions.

Telecommuting

Telecommuting is a flexible work arrangement where employees work from home for part of their work week and report to the office a few times a week. This is becoming more popular due to better videoconferencing technology and an increase in roles that don’t always require a physical presence. However, there are always some jobs in which telecommuting wouldn’t be realistic, such as manual labour jobs or healthcare.

Remote work

Working remotely is a popular trend because it enables people to fulfil their job responsibilities while also having the flexibility to take care of family and personal appointments. Many customer service and sales positions are performed remotely because employees can install software on their computers that logs their time on tasks, progress and customer interactions.

The downside is that you may need to pay more for support services when things go wrong, and home internet outages can sideline your staff.

9/80

A 9/80 work schedule requires workers to work 80 hours over 9 days every biweekly pay period. This means they could work:

• Five 9-hour days the first week and four 9-hour days the next
• 4.5 days every week
• Four 10-hour workdays a week, with an extra day off in exchange for logging an additional hour every day

This schedule gives employees a little more control over their time.

Annualised hours

An annualised hours arrangement combines a flexitime schedule and a compressed 9/80 schedule. In this scenario, employees negotiate the maximum number of hours they’ll work each year. It can allow people to switch working more hours at certain times to be able to take extra holiday time.

Pros and cons of alternative schedules

Some overseas employers have gone as far as to reduce work weeks to as few as 29 hours per week while still reporting productivity gains. Here’s what to consider:

Pros of alternative hours

In this section, we explore some of the pros of alternative work hours:

Improves employee morale

Alternative work hours may help boost employee morale and overall job satisfaction because employees can work in a way that suits their individual needs. For example, if you allow an employee with a long commute to telecommute 2-3 days a week, they might experience less stress and feel more motivated when they come to work in the office.

More appealing to talented candidates

New trends may have made alternative hours more popular, so it may be easier to attract and retain talent by offering a more modern approach to work.

Promotes better productivity

For some employees, alternative working hours could enhance their productivity levels. Some employees may work to their best potential during morning hours, while those who prefer to sleep in could work a later shift.

Increases retention levels

Employee attrition rates are higher with standardised working hours, possibly because workers gravitate towards remote work opportunities or other flexible arrangements.

Cons of alternative working hours

Below are some of the cons of alternative schedules.

Limits your ability to interact with employees

If you allow employees to arrive later, earlier or work from home, it might be difficult to track their work progress, career progress or build strong professional relationships with them. You’ll have fewer chances to bond over in-person work.

Hinders workplace communication

Flexible work schedules can disrupt communication, requiring more planning for tasks like sending important information, getting signatures or arranging meetings. While flexible schedules can boost employee satisfaction and performance, they may also present logistical challenges and aren’t suitable for every role. As more employers adopt alternative working hours, consider whether it’s right for your business by weighing the benefits against the costs.

Frequently asked questions about the 40-hour work week

Does it cost more to hire remote workers?

Employing remote workers can save money on office space and equipment. However, security risks may arise if personal devices are used, so providing company laptops or phones could be necessary. On the plus side, increased productivity and employee wellbeing with remote work may offset these costs.

What job perks are offered to employees with alternative hours?

Employees on alternative hours can enjoy perks like unlimited paid time off with annualised hours. Wellness programmes, accessible regardless of work hours, can support physical and mental health. Traditional benefits, such as private health insurance and retirement packages, are still valuable for employees with flexible working hours.