Some people call for a reduction in the number of days that comprise a work week, while also clamoring for an extension of the number of days in a weekend. This is a demand that I agree with as productivity can be expected to increase significantly in workplaces if it is implemented.
The human body functions optimally only when it gets adequate rest and it is no different for workers. Employees that work for a five-day work week often discover that their weekends are too short to accommodate their necessary personal errands, family time and adequate rest. Generally, a large proportion of employees tend to sacrifice their much-needed rest to complete other pressing obligations. Consequently, the lack of necessary rest leads to reduced satisfaction in their professions and a serious impairment to their professional abilities.
While a longer weekend will allow the working population to enjoy better rest, a long work week does not translate to more productivity. Research suggests that when managers mandate employees that are fatigued or sleep-deprived to continue working, tasks get completed in twice the time that is actually required. This suggests that industries can potentially do six days worth of work in three days with a well-rested workforce. If managers and leaders of industry carefully consider how productivity relates to the length of time spent at work, they will be left with no choice than to support the call for shorter work weeks.
In conclusion, longer weekends are important because employees rarely get the time for adequate rest in our two-day weekend. In addition, there is no correlation between longer weeks and increased productivity as research seems to suggest the opposite.