✍️ Writing · Plan → Write → Compare
The Four-Day Week Debate
Writing
TOEFL-style writing task
Before you submit, check: ✓ I stated a clear position and supported it with a specific reason or example ✓ I referred to the students by name and responded to what they actually said ✓ I added an original point that goes beyond the two posts ✓ I wrote in a natural academic tone with accurate, varied grammar
Your professor is leading an online discussion for a course on work and society. Read her question and the two student posts, then write your own contribution of at least 140 words. State your opinion, support it with reasons or examples, and engage with at least one of the students' points.
Professor Reyes: Several companies have experimented with a four-day working week, with no reduction in pay. Do you think this arrangement should become the standard for office workers? Why or why not?
Anil: I think it should. People are more productive when they are rested, and the companies that have tested it reported that output hardly changed. An extra free day also gives workers time for family and health.
Priya: I'm not so sure. In some jobs, such as customer service or healthcare administration, someone has to be available five days a week. A rule for everyone could create more problems than it solves.
Show sample answer
Model answer: I would side with Anil in principle, but Priya's objection deserves to be taken seriously. The evidence from the trials Anil mentions is encouraging: when employees feel less exhausted, they tend to waste less time in meetings and make fewer mistakes, so the extra day off does not necessarily cost the employer anything.
That said, I do not think the arrangement should become a universal standard, and here I agree with Priya. A single rule would ignore the huge differences between workplaces. A better approach would be to let each organisation choose how to implement the idea. A customer service team, for instance, could split into two groups, each working four days but covering different days, so that the service remains available throughout the week.
What strikes me as important is that the change be judged by results rather than by tradition. If a company can show that the shorter week maintains quality, then flexibility should be encouraged, not prevented by a one-size-fits-all regulation.
Keep practising
Next →