AI tools, 6-hour working days and waving goodbye to presenteeism: could this be the answer to burnout culture?

To improve work-life balance and employee morale, campaigners are currently pushing for a 4-day week, with hopes this will then lead to more productivity. But is this really the best solution?

The problems with the 4-day week

A four-day week sounds great in theory—more time to rest, better work-life balance, and even potential gender and environmental benefits. But in practice, it’s not as simple as just chopping off a day and expecting everything to improve.

If workloads don’t actually change, we’re just asking people to cram five days’ worth of work into four. And let’s be honest—most of us are already stressed and overworked as it is. Some people might find themselves doing unpaid overtime on their supposed day off just to keep up, which completely defeats the purpose.

This unpaid overtime then renders any other benefits of the four-day week – namely gender equality and environmental benefits – null and void. If people still feel pressure to work on their day off, those with caring responsibilities might just end up with even more invisible labour while others quietly catch up on work. And reduced energy use in the office would be topped back up to existing levels at home by those catching up remotely.

Without structural changes to how work is managed, the four-day week risks becoming just another way to squeeze more out of employees while pretending to offer a better work-life balance.

Compromising with compressed hours

Compressing hours, like a nine-day fortnight, is an alternative flexible working arrangement. The idea behind these schedules is that by working longer hours on certain days, employees get an extra day off, giving them more time to rest and recharge. In some cases, this can be beneficial — people might appreciate a long weekend every fortnight, and fewer commuting days could be a win.

But the downside is that if those longer working days become even more intense and stressful, the extra day off might not feel like a real break. Instead, people could end up exhausted, struggling to switch off, or even, again, working on their "day off" just to keep up. If the overall workload doesn’t change, all we’re really doing is shuffling the same amount of work into fewer days, which raises the same concerns as the 4-day week.

There’s also a risk that compressed hours reinforce the culture of presenteeism, where employees are expected to prove they’re productive by putting in longer shifts rather than focusing on meaningful work. For people with caring responsibilities, longer working days might also be difficult to manage, making these schedules more appealing to some workers than others.

If employers really want to improve work-life balance, reducing the overall workload should be the priority, not just rearranging it.

Presenteeism vs Productivity

Presenteeism, where staying late or answering emails at night is seen as a sign of commitment, is already a big issue in our workforce and another contributing factor to burnout culture. Productivity should be valued over long hours, not the other way around.

We need to establish proper “right to disconnect” laws like France and Ireland. Better mental health support is also a must—more NHS funding for workplace mental health services and requiring businesses to have proper well-being policies would make a huge difference.

Employers also need to take responsibility. Instead of just talking about well-being, they should actually reduce excessive workloads rather than squeezing more work into less time. Regular burnout checks, mental health days, and proper support systems should be the norm.

Unless both the government and businesses start making real changes, overwork and burnout will just keep getting worse. It’s not just about being nice to employees—it’s about creating a healthier, more sustainable way of working for everyone.

Shorter days vs shorter weeks

I personally think reducing the length of the working day is the most sustainable way forward. It’s been proven that employees aren’t productive after six hours of work, especially if they are engaged in computer-mediated work and communication for the majority of those six hours.

For many of my colleagues and our students at Newcastle University Business School, a six-hour day may sound like a dream. But could it actually work in a setting like ours?

For our staff, a shorter working day could be a game-changer. Less burnout, better work-life balance, and more productivity since people tend to focus more when their hours are limited. Some countries, including Sweden, have already trialled this idea with success.

But realistically, university staff already work far beyond their contracted hours, balancing teaching, research, and admin. Research expectations wouldn’t just disappear, and funding pressures mean many feel the need to work long hours to stay competitive. Admin loads are already huge, and cutting hours without cutting tasks would just make things more stressful. Plus, academia has a bit of an “always-on” culture, so shifting attitudes wouldn’t be easy.

For our students, a six-hour day could mean better concentration in lectures, less stress, and more time for independent study or part-time jobs. It could make university life more manageable, especially for those juggling multiple responsibilities. However, fitting a full curriculum into shorter days would be tricky and hands-on courses like medicine or engineering would struggle to fit practical sessions into a tighter schedule.

Online learning could help free up time, and there would have to be a shift away from the culture of overwork in academia. Plus, universities would need serious government backing to make it sustainable. It’s a great idea in principle, but whether UK universities are ready (or willing) to take the leap is another question entirely.

Expectations of our future workforce

A recent study by Spark Market Research found younger workers are the most likely to be against traditional working patterns. About 78% of 18-34-year-olds in the UK believe a four-day working week will become widespread in five years, while 65% said they do not want to see a return to full-time office working.

Hybrid working has become the norm in their minds, with a mix of office and remote work seen as the ideal setup. Some would even prefer fully remote roles, particularly in digital or knowledge-based jobs, while others are drawn to the idea of asynchronous work, where strict 9-to-5 schedules don’t dictate their day. However, at the start of their career, they may be supported better by spending a higher proportion of the week in the office to learn relevant work-based skills.

Unlike previous generations, who may have been more willing to put in long hours for job security and career progression, younger workers seem to be much less tolerant of excessive overtime and the expectation to always be available. 

Career growth still matters, but not necessarily in the traditional sense. Many graduates value upskilling, mentorship, and opportunities for professional development rather than rigid corporate hierarchies. Some are even drawn to project-based or gig work rather than long-term roles.

AI: A help or a hindrance?

AI could definitely help with overwork, but it’s not a magic fix. In theory, it should free people up by handling repetitive tasks and making work processes smoother. In reality however, it depends on how businesses use it. If AI just becomes another tool for squeezing more work into less time, then it could actually make things worse rather than better.

Plenty of AI tools are already being used in workplaces. Microsoft Copilot and ChatGPT, for example, are helping people with writing, emails, and admin, while project management tools like Asana and Trello are making collaboration more efficient. Customer service teams are using AI-powered chatbots to deal with routine queries, and in healthcare, AI is helping doctors with diagnostics and cutting down on paperwork so they can focus on patients.

Looking ahead, AI could go even further. Smarter scheduling tools might cut down on meetings, and personalised AI assistants could help manage workloads more effectively. Some AI systems are even being developed to detect burnout by analysing work patterns and flagging when someone might need a break.

The real question is whether AI will actually reduce workloads or just change how work is undertaken. If businesses use it properly, it could make jobs more manageable, but if organisations see it as just another way to boost productivity, workers could still end up overwhelmed. The challenge isn’t just about having AI—it’s about making sure it genuinely improves people’s working lives rather than adding to the pressure.

What do you think?

Are you a business owner who has implemented a 4-day week in your company? Are you an employee making the most of a flexible working arrangement? Are you a recent graduate searching for the right balance between your career and other interests? We would love to hear your thoughts on this topic! Get in touch with us at advancement@ncl.ac.uk to join the conversation.