Five-day workweeks seem like an eternity for many working individuals. The two-day weekends just don’t seem like enough time to catch up on rest, and long hours in the workplace can make for stress that carries onto the weekend and has lasting negative effects on people.
There are many instances of scientific research and proof that the current two-day-long weekends are not beneficial for most of the world’s population today. For example, many students, especially in higher grades, have an increased workload of homework and exams to prepare for the next week. As a result, most, if not all, of the weekend is used to spend time on academics and other obligations rather than relax and take your mind off of the stress of the workweek. Students have been proven to be better learners with long weekends.
Our current weekend setup also negatively affects our circadian rhythm. A circadian rhythm is an internal cycle inside every living organism that responds to changes in each 24-hour cycle. With an extra day added, there would be an extra day where people could catch up on sleep and the cycle would be readjusted in time for next week. This would lead to employees and students having a well-rested mind for the upcoming week and productivity would be heavily increased.
Working long hours has had dangerous effects on people’s health. With the extended weekend, many people would be more likely to also stay away from anything that would have to do with electronics. A good walk or playing a sport outside would be greatly beneficial for a stressed-out student/employee. Many other companies have already implemented this four-day work week and it has worked like a charm.
If there was just one more day added to the current weekend, it would make all the difference to many.
“Longer weekends make for more time to finish projects and study for exams. It is super beneficial to those who need it,” said Joseph Mogaka, junior.
Alternatively, adding a day off in the middle of the week could solve this problem. Athens Drive added this idea of asynchronous Wednesdays during the previous school year as a day for teachers and students alike to complete grading and turning in assignments. Many people that worked and attended Athens during this time supported this idea, such as Conner Bayer, history teacher and volleyball coach.
“I don’t know if having these long weekends every weekend would be beneficial since most classes need all the days they can get to cover all the teaching material but having these three to four day weekends every other week or re-implementing asynchronous Wednesdays would be very helpful to students and staff alike,” said Bayer.
There would be some problems with this, as with every suggestion. With only four days or less to complete assigned tasks, many would struggle to get all their work finished in a timely manner. Some students could also forget material being taught the week prior to the weekend and return to school not prepared for upcoming exams as a result of not being productive during the past days. For those that are in a company that produces goods, customer service would most likely not be available on the weekend resulting in customer dissatisfaction.
Still standing by our point, a four-day week would be beneficial for all. It would allow students to develop a healthier school-life balance. Athens Drive’s asynchronous schedule allowed students a breath of fresh air, a break from the stress, and time to focus on our own development. We’ve done it before and we can do it again.
