Four-day Workweek in Finland. Case Study: Kasvu Labs

Abstract

This bachelor’s thesis studies the results of a four-day workweek phenomenon for the employees and the company as an entity. The study's primary objective was to discover employees’ and managers’ perceptions of the four-day workweek at Kasvu Labs, the commissioning company. This study consists of a theory section and an empirical research based on the case company. The theoretical section presented a four-day workweek and theories related to the phenomenon such as well-being, work-life balance, productivity and sustainable HRM. The empirical research was conducted using a qualitative approach. The data for the research was collected in two phases. First, individual interviews were conducted with four employees and two managers to discover their opinions about the benefits and challenges of the four-day workweek individually and from the company's point of view. In the second phase, a group interview was conducted to obtain insights and attitudes from a greater number of the case company’s employees. The research results were analysed using thematic analysis. Both individual and group interviews revealed that the four-day workweek positively impacts employee performance and overall well-being. Meanwhile, for the Kasvu Labs, a four-day workweek is a competitive advantage and assists in employee attraction and retention. The minor challenges and risks are mainly initiated by external parties. The key findings were drawn by comparing the theoretical and empirical research results. The findings indicate that the benefits outweigh the challenges for both the employees and the case company. Kasvu Labs should maintain a culture built on trust and open communication and enhance tools, such as anonymous surveys to evaluate the four-day workweek's effectiveness in the future.