四天工作制：企業目前學到了什麼
The Four-Day Workweek: What Companies Have Learned So Far
難度：進階
來源：NPR
The concept of a four-day workweek has gained remarkable traction in recent years, with companies across various industries experimenting with compressed schedules. What began as a fringe idea embraced by a handful of progressive startups has evolved into a mainstream conversation about the future of work. Major corporations and even some governments are now piloting programs to test whether fewer working days can maintain or even boost productivity.
四天工作制的概念近年來獲得了顯著的關注，各行各業的公司都在嘗試壓縮工作時間表。這個最初只被少數進步創業公司接受的邊緣想法，現已演變為關於未來工作的主流討論。大型企業甚至一些政府現在正在試點計劃，測試減少工作天數是否能保持甚至提高生產力。
Early results from pilot programs have been encouraging. A landmark trial involving dozens of British companies found that the vast majority of participants reported improved employee wellbeing without any decline in output. Workers experienced reduced burnout, better mental health, and greater job satisfaction. Perhaps most surprisingly, many companies saw revenue either remain stable or actually increase during the trial period.
試點專案的早期結果令人鼓舞。一項涉及數十家英國公司的里程碑式試驗發現，絕大多數參與者報告員工幸福感提高，而產出沒有下降。員工經歷了倦怠減少、心理健康改善和工作滿意度提高。也許最令人驚訝的是，許多公司在試驗期間收入保持穩定或實際增加。
The key to success, according to participating managers, lies in ruthless prioritization. Teams have had to identify and eliminate time-wasting activities, streamline meetings, and focus intensely on high-impact work. The compressed schedule forces organizations to confront inefficiencies that had previously gone unnoticed. Some companies have adopted strict policies around meeting durations and email response times.
據參與的管理者稱，成功的關鍵在於無情的優先排序。團隊不得不識別和消除浪費時間的活動，精簡會議，並集中精力於高影響力的工作。壓縮的時間表迫使組織面對之前未被注意的低效率問題。一些公司已經採取了關於會議時長和郵件回覆時間的嚴格政策。
However, the transition is not without challenges. Industries requiring constant customer coverage, such as healthcare and retail, face logistical hurdles in implementing reduced hours. Some critics argue that condensing five days of work into four simply intensifies pressure during working hours. There are also concerns about whether the benefits observed in trials will persist over the long term.
然而，這種轉變並非沒有挑戰。需要持續客戶服務的行業，如醫療保健和零售業，在實施減少工時方面面臨後勤障礙。一些批評者認為，將五天的工作壓縮到四天只會加劇工作時間內的壓力。還有人擔心試驗中觀察到的好處是否會長期持續。
Despite these reservations, momentum continues to build. Advocates point out that productivity per hour worked has been rising steadily for decades, yet the five-day workweek has remained unchanged since the early twentieth century. As automation and artificial intelligence handle more routine tasks, proponents argue that redistributing work time may become not just desirable but necessary.
儘管存在這些保留意見，勢頭仍在繼續增強。倡導者指出，每小時工作的生產力幾十年來一直在穩步上升，然而五天工作制自二十世紀初以來一直沒有改變。隨著自動化和人工智慧處理更多常規任務，支持者認為重新分配工作時間可能不僅是可取的，而且是必要的。
重點詞彙
- gain traction (phr.v.)：獲得關注；逐漸流行
- fringe idea (n.phr.)：邊緣想法；非主流觀點
- pilot programs (n.phr.)：試點專案
- landmark trial (n.phr.)：里程碑式試驗
- burnout (n.)：倦怠；精疲力竭
- job satisfaction (n.phr.)：工作滿意度
- ruthless prioritization (n.phr.)：無情的優先排序
- streamline (v.)：精簡；使高效化
- high-impact work (n.phr.)：高影響力工作
- confront inefficiencies (phr.v.)：面對低效率問題
- logistical hurdles (n.phr.)：後勤障礙；實施困難
- condense (v.)：壓縮；濃縮
- persist over the long term (phr.)：長期持續
- momentum continues to build (phr.)：勢頭持續增強
- proponents (n.)：支持者；倡導者
- redistribute (v.)：重新分配