This text is a translation of an article by CTV News.

The recruitment platform Talent.com claims that curiosity about this type of model is growing in Canada, as 93% of survey respondents were interested. According to the survey, 57% of Canadians would rank it among the top three job benefits they would like their company to offer, followed by insurance (52%) and flexibility in working hours (47%).

More than one in four respondents admitted they weren’t that productive every workday. Top reasons for wanting to try a shorter week included improving work-life balance, reducing the risk of burnout, and reducing feelings of being overwhelmed and stressed.

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Half of those surveyed also said they didn’t want to work more than 36 hours a week, suggesting they were less interested in a four-shift 10-hour model. Many respondents seem to prefer a model where they continue to work eight hours a day but benefit from a three-day weekend.

Just 8% of respondents agreed that their ideal four-day workweek would be more than 40 hours a week, and most who wanted to work fewer hours said they would not be willing to accept a pay cut, even if it were less than 10%. The results of the study suggest that this sentiment persists regardless of income.

Adults under 35 were the most likely to consider taking a pay cut in exchange for a shorter workweek.

Concerns about four-day weeks

Although most respondents said they would like to try a four-day work week, almost as many said they had concerns too. Eight in ten Canadians expressed at least one concern about the concept – particularly young workers.

Respondents said almost half (48 percent) fear being paid less, especially if they work fewer hours. More than a third feared they would end up working longer, and 29% said they were likely to work overtime without additional pay.

Slightly more women than men said they feared being paid less and working longer hours.

Regional results

While workload, hours of work and pay were the top concerns, a four-day workweek consistently ranked among the top three benefits for respondents across Canada.

Breaking down the data by region, residents of British Columbia were asked what the best assets a company could offer them were. Insurance benefits were chosen as a top priority, more than a four-day job.

In Ontario, more vacation days was the top choice when asked to select the three things they would most like to have. Ontario was the only province to prioritize more vacation time, even over flexibility in choosing their working hours.

More than half of workers in Alberta (56%) and 50% in British Columbia said work-life balance sparked their interest in the four-day workweek.

Extra free time (71%) on weekends was another reason for Canadians’ interest in a shorter workweek, followed by time for personal appointments (65%) and for doing chores around the house (59%).

Others said they would use the extra time to find another job or pursue professional development.

methodology
This survey was conducted by YouGov for Talent.com of 1,003 active Canadian adults, representative of Canada’s national workforce. The survey was conducted online March 30 through April 6 on the proprietary YouGov panel.