We’ve been hearing about it for years now, but it’s time to finally take a serious look at how a four-day workweek could impact your life. Besides the obvious bonus of an extended weekend, there could be some unintended side effects. For one, the days you do work would most likely have to be extended by a few hours. You can’t just cut a work day out without it having some immediate impact on your business. Overall, the impact would be mostly positive. Employees who only work four days a week instead of the typical five have an increased sense of rest and clear-headedness. Times have changed since the early 20th century when the five-day workweek originated. Today’s modern employees work under different conditions and should have their needs re-evaluated.

Studies show a correlation between shorter weeks and higher levels of productivity. Work aside, shorter weeks also have an immediate impact on your work-life balance. Identifying and addressing that delicate balance is one of the hardest things a business person has to do. After all, no matter how much we love our jobs, we should all be working for something at home too. Money can only buy you so much, and your relationships shouldn’t be taken for granted. This is especially true when children are in the picture.

Having a kid waiting at home for you can be a huge incentive to get home and relieve whoever is watching them. This means employees are often in a rush to leave the office and take care of their loved ones. With a four day work week, there would be an inherent increase in the personal connections we’re able to make with our families. Simply put, more days off would mean higher morale and an improved personal relationships.