The 4-32 workweek and its Impact on Perceived Stress: A Demands-Resources Perspective

The 4-32 work week is a style of flexible working that has recently increased in popularity and has been seeing mass implementation. This style of work week is characterized by 8-hour days and only 4 days of work instead of the traditional 5 days. One of the main reasons that it has been implemented is due to the belief that it can improve work-life balance and lower the levels of stress that are being felt by employees. Therefore, this study conducts interviews with 15 participants in order to better understand their perceived levels of stress within this style of work week. Through the use of the Job Demands-Resource Model of demand (JD-R), this study was able to discover which job demands increase the levels of perceived stress and which job resources help lower the perceived levels of stress. The job demands that were found were demands for efficiency and work pressure. Meanwhile, the model revealed that support and flexibility can lower the levels of perceived stress of employees. Moreover, the results have practical and theoretical implications for managers and social working norms.