Why I think bank holidays should be cancelled and a new way of working adopted instead
There is nothing worse than getting used to a four-day week, then being dragged back to the usual five-day week, sifting through a deluge of emails and playing catch up.
There are nine bank holidays in 2023, two of which fall over the festive break namely Christmas Day and Boxing Day.
December seems like a long, long time away to enjoy a few days’ break.
As I realise there are 117 days till Christmas, I find myself wistfully glancing at my online calendar, as I look forward to the next bank holiday.
It really shouldn’t feel like this.
I should not be wishing my life away.
Bank Holiday blues
Yes this is a real thing.
Several media outlets carry headlines which are iterations of ‘Brits suffer Bank Holiday blues’.
Insider quotes clinical psychologist, Dr Daniel Glazer as saying: ‘We go on vacation to escape from the demands of reality.
‘But when you come home and realise you’ve got to step back into that life you wanted to get away from, there’s tension.’
Adopting a less scientific approach, there are over 14,000 hashtags on Instagram for BankHolidayBlues.
I believe bank holidays may have a negative impact on people’s lives.
Why I’m not a fan bank holidays
The mini-break a bank holiday offers, usually over the course of a long weekend, is celebrated by millions across the country.
I think it would make life easier if we didn’t have bank holidays.
The concept of bank holidays has always befuddled me.
Yes, I can appreciate having that extra day off is nice.
But what about the time it takes to catch up with the work that has piled up during that extra day off?
What about the toll it takes on getting used to a five-day week again?
I don’t think anything is worth that 24-hours ‘respite’.
We need to take a closer look at why bank holidays are cherished so much.
Yes, that anticipation of a bank holiday on the horizon means time off from work.
I believe we wouldn’t feel this enamoured about a meagre day off, every few months, if we fundamentally changed the way we work and live.
I have a solution.
A four-day week is the answer.
Scrap bank holidays and introduce a four-day week.
We’d be a more productive workforce if this was the case.
To all the four-day week detractors, studies have shown there is a positive impact to this new way of working,
A team of scientists at University of Cambridge conducted research on the world’s largest trial of a four-day working week.
A total of 61 organisations in the UK committed to a 20% reduction in working hours for all staff for six months with no fall in wages.
Scientists found a four-day week significantly reduces stress and illness in the workforce, and helps with worker retention.
Approximately 71% of employees self-reported lower levels of “burnout”.
Around 39% said they were less stressed, compared to the start of the trial.
Researchers also found a 65% reduction in sick days, and a 57% fall in the number of staff leaving participating companies, compared to the same period the previous year.
Want to know the biggest takeaway from the study?
Company revenue barely changed during the trial period – even increasing marginally by 1.4% on average for the 23 organisations able to provide data.
I’m not sure why people are against a four-day week.
It’s not as if business will be unmanned for that day.
Teams can be staggered to cover all five days of the week.
It’s not rocket science.
We need to revolutionise the way we work and live.
Will I see this happen in my lifetime?
Some companies have adopted the four-day week with flying results, so I am a hopeful soul in thinking this will be the norm.
One day, one day.