A 4-day workweek is gaining global traction, with countries and companies testing its feasibility and benefits.

By 2023, 89% of companies maintained a 4-day workweek, with 51% implementing it permanently.

A 4-day workweek improves employee well-being, reducing work stress and improving health, with 98% of respondents saying it would benefit their mental health.

Companies have reported benefits including cost savings, improved productivity, and reduced staff turnover, with 66% and 78% citing cost savings and less-stressed workers, respectively.

Meeting customer demands is a challenge for 75% of employers, especially in customer-facing industries.

A 4-day workweek may not suit low-paid labor or healthcare workers due to the demands of their jobs.

A four-day workweek can increase employee focus, but may reduce earning power for some.

A four-day workweek can offset productivity loss with increased employee motivation and job satisfaction through process changes.

To implement a 4-day workweek, companies need clear rules, communication, and measurements to meet employee expectations and deliver results.

The "100:80:100 framework" measures a 4-day workweek where employees work 80% of hours for 100% pay while maintaining 100% productivity.

Companies can use data to measure the success of a 4-day workweek and plan viable pilots.

Implementing a 4-day workweek aims to boost employee retention and work-life balance by increasing happiness and efficiency.

A 4-day workweek can improve health and relationships, and many who've tried it say they won't go back to 5 days.

A 4-day workweek makes recruiting easier for over 80% of companies and gives employees 50 extra days off per year.

A 4-day workweek is gaining global traction, with countries and companies testing its feasibility and benefits.

Title:

Content: Since June 1 this year, more than 3,000 employees from more than 60 companies in the United Kingdom have conducted a social experiment with a six-month “four-day work ”.
Since 2018, the non-profit organization of "4 Day Week Global" wants to test whether the public interest of "80% working time - 100% wages - 100% productivity" and "three days off a week, labor and management win" really exists.
Due to the COVID-19 outbreak so far in 2020, many enterprises have adopted the method of “working from home, diverting work ”, and in the long process of the epidemic, working from home and working from home has become an emerging work style.
Since the end of the epidemic this year, many countries have returned to their original or new jobs, whether they are blue-collar and white-collar workers who have left or changed jobs.
However, in more than two years, the transformation of various workplaces in the enterprise to survive, and the labor compromise of "unpaid leave + retained work" have made more and more pioneer projects of "four days a week", and the industry category has become more and more diversified, becoming a new opportunity to promote.
Among them, the most representative is Iceland.
According to media reports in the middle of last year: “The three-day weekend experiment in Iceland has been a success, and workers ’ happiness and productivity have improved ”; the reason for this is:“ Employees face less workplace stress, anxiety, depression and exhaustion, and therefore work harder and take fewer sick days; workers feel more leisure time, and therefore are more committed to their work. ”
This conclusion, in addition to the ethical questions of the willingness of enterprises and workers to participate, and whether or not to remain anonymous, also requires the testing of more rigorous research methods, such as the length of the experiment, whether the industry type and size of the experiment is consistent, and the working tolerance of the workers involved in the experiment, are worthy of further investigation.
On the other hand, the three-day experiment, the success stories of Iceland, New Zealand, and British Columbia, Canada, did not clearly describe the type of industry, the development of the industry in each country, and whether the size of the enterprises in the industry varies greatly.
In addition, across all continents of the world, countries have different levels of economic development, industrial structures have their own characteristics, and the government originally conferred statutory labor rights and interests, are also different.
In addition to industries that are not suitable for at-home work, the sense of alienation of human relationships, the synergy of face-to-face communication, and whether innovation requires teamwork have become the focus of discussion.
On the front page of the “Four Days a Week Worldwide ” website, the home page shows where the current pioneer projects are located on every continent around the world. Surprisingly, Central and South America, Africa, and Southeast Asia each launched at least five projects, but in Canada and the United States, there is only one pilot project.
Moreover, the website reveals that “working four days a week makes 78% of employees feel happier and less stressed. ”
It can also be seen that not only developed countries are promoting, in fact, more developing countries are also conducting experiments.
While there is a lack of a more convincing description of the experimental design, it is clear that this is indeed a possible new type of workplace.
Because of this, in addition to the pilot of national enterprises to cooperate with international non-profit organizations, there are also governments taking the lead in responding.
Spain ’ s leftist political party, once launched a “three days off ” policy in 2021, and the Spanish government agreed to test the new work system of“ 32 hours per week (8 hours per day) ” on a limited scale. 200 companies are willing to participate, and 3,000 to 6,000 workers benefit.
The result of such a trial gives more room for imagination to "take three days off every week, and employees will win both."
The social experiment of "80% of working hours - 100% of wages - 100% of productivity" has important policy significance for the harmony of labor relations and the long-term development of the economy.
"High working hours" does not mean "high productivity", which is the general consensus of the current society.
"Shorten working hours, wages unchanged", helps companies retain employees, perhaps without controversy; but whether it can also maintain 100% of the work output is questioned by the business community.
After the epidemic, "three days off a week, labor and management win" is applicable to some specific industry categories, and the nature of the work of individual employees may also be more widely distributed in various industries.
And the flexibility of working hours, the heterogeneity of the workplace, the universalization of work dispatch, and even the high expectations of the young generation for "enterprise decentralization" are all the help of "working four days a week", which may be a major challenge for enterprises in the future.
# Work # Employee # Business # Home # 4 Days

By 2023, 89% of companies maintained a 4-day workweek, with 51% implementing it permanently.

Title:

Content: UK companies test "4-day working week" workers generally agree that the benefits outweigh the disadvantages 51% permanent implementation
Author: Zhang Zijie
Published: Updated:
A number of UK companies are participating in a four-day workweek pilot scheme in the second half of 2022, with media reporting that most of the participating companies continue to allow employees to work fewer hours per week, and more than half of the companies have made the arrangement a regular measure.
The United Kingdom has 61 companies from marketing, professional services, non-profit organizations, construction, manufacturing, retail, health care, art and other industries, employees from June to December 2022, participate in the four-day work week, pay and performance of the same trial.
British citizens walk through the Canary Wharf Financial District on August 3, 2023. (Reuters)
As of the end of 2023, at least 89% of participating companies continued to maintain the measure, and at least 51% permanently implemented the measure, according to a report published by Autonomy, a think-tank that conducted the research.
The study found that shortening work hours generally benefits employees and businesses, who feel that their mental and physical health has improved, as well as a better balance between work and life, a better life, and less fatigue from work.
In addition, the managers and CEOs of the 28 participating companies unanimously agreed that the four-day work week has had a positive impact on the company, reducing staff wastage, significantly improving recruitment, and benefiting employees physically and mentally.
Sixty-one companies from different industries in the UK piloted a four-day work week in 2022, and the results were generally positive.
People enjoy a view of the City of London on 23 September 2023.
(Reuters)
The study, which listed a number of ways to maintain a four-day work week, including safety changes such as meetings, workplace communication, and work priorities, found that the improvements felt by employees continued for a year after the trial ended.
Researchers at Boston College, Cambridge, and Oxford University believe that the key to the strength of the data is not the rare or short-term impact, but the real and long-term impact.
Therefore, the four-day work week is not a flash in the sky, and British companies have succeeded in turning it into a permanent and effective measure.
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A 4-day workweek improves employee well-being, reducing work stress and improving health, with 98% of respondents saying it would benefit their mental health.

Title:

Content: World
Get the latest news from around the world, live coverage, off-beat stories, features and analysis.

Four-Day Workweek Trial Proved So Successful Many UK Firms Will Retain It as New Policy

CC BY 2.0 / Nenad Stojkovic / Businesswoman with beautiful nails working on her laptopBusinesswoman with beautiful nails working on her laptop
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It's one of the largest trials to put a four-day workweek to the test. The non-profit firm invited companies to either shorten their employees’ workweeks by giving them one day a week off or reducing their work hours to 32 hours per week, while still paying their employees the same salary or wage as before the trial.
Newly released study results have suggested it might finally be time to implement a four-day work week after a trial revealed the shift provided major benefits to general productivity and employee health.
The trial, which took place in the United Kingdom, involved nearly 3,000 employees and was organized by the not-for-profit group 4 Day Week Global (alongside the research group Autonomy and researchers with Boston College and the University of Cambridge).
Some 61 British businesses including banks, fast-food restaurants and marketing agencies participated in the trial.
Analyzing the study findings, officials determined the businesses found a sharp decline in the number of employees wanting to quit, while about 46% of companies said their business productivity remained the same, and 34% reported a slight improvement in productivity. Another 15% of employers reported a significant improvement in productivity.
One company, Trio Media, reported a 47% increase in revenue from the year-earlier period. The chief executive of the company, Claire Daniels, said she would continue the trial for another six months before making a permanent switch, but added she didn’t “see [the company] going back to a typical five-days-a-week model.”
Overall on a scale of 0 (very negative) to 10 (very positive) employers scored the productivity and performance of their employees at 7.5 after six months of a shortened workweek. At least 18 businesses from the study said they planned to make the shorter workweek permanent, while 56 of the 61 companies said they would continue testing the shortened work shifts even after the trial ended.
Just three companies said they would not pursue a shortened workweek.
About 15% of employees who participated in the trial said that “no amount of money” could convince them to return to a five-day workweek, as employees reported better sleep, lower stress levels, and improved personal lives and mental health.
“At the beginning, this was about pandemic burnout for a lot of employers. Now it’s more of a retention and recruitment issue for many of them,” explains Juliet Schor, an economist and sociologist at Boston College whose team helped conduct the study.
A separate study from October 2021 found that in a survey of over 1,000 Americans, 98% of respondents said a four-day workweek would improve their mental health, nine out of 10 people said that a five-day workweek was outdated and almost 80% of respondents said the COVID-19 pandemic encouraged their desire for a shortened workweek.
Three out of four respondents in that another study also said they would consider leaving their current job if they were offered a position with a four-day workweek. And a Gallup Report from 2019 revealed that high turnover rates cost US businesses $1 trillion in voluntary turnover per year.
Opponents argue that a shortened workweek would not be suitable for every field of work including child care and health care, both of which are experience widespread staff shortages as nurses in England have gone on strike after struggling to secure increased wages from their government.
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What did  the trial of 4-day workwee in New Zealand show?

What has the implementation 4-day wrokweek in Dubai, UAE indicated?

Increase in employee and customer satisfaction.

Companies have reported benefits including cost savings, improved productivity, and reduced staff turnover, with 66% and 78% citing cost savings and less-stressed workers, respectively.

Title:

Content: Four-day workweek’s popularity grew during the pandemic — survey

As companies scrambled during the COVID-19 outbreak to reorient their workplace procedures and processes, one idea that gained ground was a shorter workweek.

More businesses adopted a four-day week during the COVID-19 pandemic as the shift to remote working spurred a major rethinking of work practices, according to a poll of senior leaders at 500 UK businesses by the University of Reading’s Henley Business School.

The survey, an update to research from 2019, showed that 21% of respondents adopted a four-day workweek for all staff in 2021, up from 18% in 2019. The majority of respondents (65%) said a four-day workweek is in place for at least some of their workers, up from 50% who said that in 2019. A four-day workweek is defined in the report as involving a reduction from five to four workdays for the same pay or a compressed workweek with the same hours across four days instead of five.

Though a four-day workweek has gained popularity, the UK numbers are perhaps higher than expected; job posting site Indeed told Computerworld that less than 1% of job postings on March 11 included the term “four-day week,” for example. A Gallup survey of full-time U.S. employees in March 2020 — prior to the pandemic — indicated that only 5% put in four days a week, with the vast majority (84%) working five days (and 11% working six days each week).

That said, numerous organizations have adopted or trialled a shorter workweek for staff since the start of the pandemic, including firms such as Atom Bank, Bolt, Buffer, and Kickstarter. And pilot projects are under way in several countries, including the US, UK, and Spain.

Such projects are not new, of course; Microsoft launched a trial at its Japan offices in 2019 that resulted in higher productivity, for example, while the UK’s Wellcome Trust ran into issues around complexity with its own project the same year.

A shorter workweek has been talked about for decades, but a shift from the five-day, 40-hour week that has been the standard for over a century has so far failed to gain momentum.

What’s behind the recent interest in the idea? One reason is that the widespread, and largely successful, shift to remote work during the pandemic showed the benefits of a more flexible approach to work, said Rita Fontinha, associate professor in Strategic Human Resource Management at the University of Reading’s Henley Business School.

“The pandemic led to a situation where most firms were forced to implement remote work and this has accelerated previous discussions that we have been having over the last two decades on flexible working,” said Fontinha. “Working from home led to increased trust [between employers and employees] and awareness of other ways of measuring performance that go beyond presenteeism. The pandemic showed that flexibility works.”

Report highlights four-day week advantages

The Henley Business School survey pointed to several advantages for businesses that implemented a four-day workweek, including costs savings (66%), improved productivity (64%), better quality output from staff (64%), and  less-stressed workers (78%).

Improved employee wellbeing is connected to business outcomes too, said Jack E. Gold, founder and principal analyst at research firm J. Gold Associates.

“Keeping employees happy and motivated makes for far more productive employees, no matter what hours they work,” said Gold. “Maximizing employee productivity is a much more important way to gain business value than hours worked.”

Another benefit, noted by 68% of survey respondents that had adopted a four day week, involved hiring and retention. “People were less likely to take sick leave, people were more productive, and it was easier to attract new staff, and to retain them,” said Fontinha.

The so-called Great Resignation is also likely contributing to interest in a shorter workweek.

“What’s different now than prior to the pandemic is that we’re seeing a temporary spike in the difficulty that firms are having in hiring and retaining workers, and the four-day work week is a relatively easy benefit to extend to help ease the challenge in the short term,” said David Brodeur-Johnson, principal analyst at research firm Forrester.

A shorter workweek can mean challenges

The survey also highlighted several challenges around implementing a shorter workweek, though employer concerns have softened during the pandemic.

Among companies that did not offer a four-day week, 65% said they were worried staffing costs would outweigh any productivity benefits (though that number was down from 80%). The biggest challenge cited by employers was meeting customer demands (75%), while 70% thought a shorter week would be too complicated to manage.

Some companies may find a switch to a four-day week easier than others, said Fontinha. IT-focused firms are more likely to switch, she said, largely due to the relative ease with which tech worker output can be tracked in comparison with other roles. “Areas where we were less likely to see the four-day week were sectors that involve contact with customers, or healthcare, for example,” she said.

A shorter workweek is also more suited to companies with a relatively homogenous workforce in terms of job roles, she said, meaning large businesses with a diverse workforce may find a short workweek complicated to roll out. At the same time, the smallest companies might not have the resources to support the shift, said Fontinha, adding that there are steps all businesses can take to implement a four-day week, even if they are more gradual.

“Having this overnight shift to a four-day working week will be hard for smaller firms,” she said. “What we suggest is a progressive reduction in working hours, moving towards a four-day working week by assessing how things are going and how needs are being met, how productive people are.”

Even if the benefits outweigh the costs for many, businesses should consider their reasons for moving to a four-day week. While a shorter week provides clear benefits to work/life balance and employee wellbeing, Brodeur-Johnson warns against adopting a four-day week as a shortcut to improving employee experience. “[T]he science is clear that what really engages people is being able to make progress in meaningful work every day; to know that they can and are succeeding,” he said.

“Employee experience peaks when we can leave work knowing that we made a difference, and had a really good day," he said. "It also comes from having a supportive manager, a supportive team environment, and feeling recognized and seen uniquely for the work that we do.

“All of these things are much harder for businesses to do for their people, because it involves behavior changes, manager development, culture changes, deeper resourcing and more that a four-day work week won’t solve on its own.”

Copyright © 2022 IDG Communications, Inc.

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What did  the trial of 4-day workwee in New Zealand show?

What do employers in India think of 4-day workweek?

What has the implementation 4-day wrokweek in Dubai, UAE indicated?

Meeting customer demands is a challenge for 75% of employers, especially in customer-facing industries.

A 4-day workweek may not suit low-paid labor or healthcare workers due to the demands of their jobs.

Title:

Content: "Stop looking at the crystal ball": in the world of work, you need to adopt new rules of the game
What to expect in 2022 from the world of work?
At the moment, it is difficult to predict something, and experts point out that with the beginning of the third year of the pandemic, workers still have to face unprecedented difficulties.
Moreover, the return to full-time work begins to seem more and more unreal, reports BBC Worklife.
Two years ago, when the pandemic began, many businesses began to organize work remotely.
The idea was - "so far remotely, but then everything will return to the rolled rails."
But the spread of the omicron strain delayed the plans of millions of workers to return to the workplace.
In addition, the activities of enterprises and the labor market have so adapted to the “new reality ” that a return to“ normal work before the pandemic ” seems increasingly unrealistic.
However, we still don ’ t know what or how will affect the way we work.
Last year, on January 5, people hoped that 2021 would bring some stability or strengthen the hybrid model of work.
Somewhere it worked, but somewhere it did not, as there were new variants of the virus, as a result of which it is too early to talk about stability.
The situation often changes and it is difficult to find a point of reference that would allow us to say where we will be in 12 months.
Experts who study the labor market and employment have found several trends that have already been outlined quite clearly.
This can be considered topical issues in the world of work this year, which will determine its future.
Shortened work weeks may be relevant
The call for shorter working weeks and a more concentrated work schedule is gaining ground in the world.
Many companies and even governments are already experimenting with various alternative work schedules.
We need to change the way we work and the way we work.
The standard 40-hour working week “from 9 to 5 ” was introduced back in the days of the Industrial Revolution about 200 years ago.
This was the last time the work schedule changed.
It is no longer effective in the long run, as our work has become more intense, thanks to new video conferencing technologies and the Internet, ” says Abigail Marks, a professor at the Newcastle University School of Business.
“Those in business and politics should take into account all aspects of how not to overload workers, while at the same time thinking about maintaining or increasing productivity.
This decision often comes in the form of a four-day work week.
Work that is concentrated in a shorter period of time and more free time is good news for the mental health of workers and the balance between personal and work life, ” says the professor.
Although it looks that this idea in 2022 may receive even greater support, this model of work, unfortunately, will not suit all workers.
Marx recalls that switching to a four-day working week may be convenient for individual office workers, but not for all workers.
“A four-day work week may be the privilege of a limited group of white-collar workers.
Such a change in labor policy will not affect low-paid labor in any way.
You also need to take into account the specifics of the work: in the field of IT and many other services, a four-day work week is virtually impossible, ” says Marx.
Therefore, she points out that in 2022, the main challenge will be finding a middle ground between those workers who can enjoy an elastic work schedule and those who do not.
“This way we can come to a fragmented labor market.
As long as various office workers and important officials can enjoy fewer hours of work, for others, especially health care workers, this will not even be possible in theory, ” says the expert.
Different benefits as the main way to attract employees
In 2021, there were not enough workers around the world.
This problem is not going anywhere, and in 2022 it will also create new problems.
According to Allison Sullivan, manager of corporate communications at Glasdoor, this is because "the factors that create this problem will not disappear as the pandemic and the growing demand for food delivery continue to be around."
This means that employers will be forced to change tactics when hiring new employees, as well as have to think about how to keep those who are already working.
The methods that helped before the pandemic are no longer going to help.
Associate Professor Anthony Klot of the University of Texas pointed out that this year a popular trend was a personal approach to each potential and actual employee.
"In 2022, we will see employers pay more attention to the interests of employees to improve relationships with those who are already working, as well as attract new professionals," Klot said.
This is not only the basis of good business performance – elasticity and employee care is becoming a major advantage, and more and more workers expect this from their employers.
Sullivan argues that workers will also become more demanding, so the employer must be willing to provide everything necessary to ensure a comfortable working environment.
As a result, companies will have to develop "personalized tactics of personnel organization.
Instead of a one-size-fits-all program, companies will have to take care to give each employee an individual approach, ” says Klot.
Sullivan points out that a personalized approach can be expressed in salary increases, or, for example, in helping with loan repayment, or extended maternity leave.
Another important nuance is to determine the mental health of an employee as a priority.
After all, burnout last year was a major problem for many companies, and more people are leaving their jobs, or thinking about it.
“Even bastions of career and work like Wall Street are beginning to act and changing the culture of work, focusing more on workers than just performance, ” says Klot.
Employees will not return to the same office.
When some (not all) workers finally return to work in the office - this year, or later, it will have to be concluded that the "new normal" office will not be like the one we have seen before.
Nicholas Bloom, a professor of economics at Stanford University, points out that companies will adapt jobs to all the requirements of hybrid labor, taking into account how people actually want to work.
Bloom, who has been studying the future of office work for many years, points out that the days that all employees will be in the office will be rare.
When they do, it will be unusual and even uncomfortable.
He pointed out that he had heard “horror stories about employees who have to go to an office where there is an unusual silence. ”
In other words, such work in the office, as before the pandemic, will remain in the past.
More and more companies are introducing a hybrid model in their work, where individual employees are sent to the office and the rest remain at home.
Under this model, offices are also adjusted, where everything is now equipped so that it is possible to comply with all the requirements of epidemiological safety.
"Separate meeting rooms, small soundproofed rooms for video calls, as well as free choice of workplace.
Employees no longer like being in the crowd.
Therefore, offices adapt to this by providing employees with a convenient and accessible environment where there is enough space to meet colleagues in person, ” Bloom said.
Another important thing is the need for office space itself.
Experts point out that the need for offices will not disappear, and their area will not change.
Although it is expected that the number of hours worked on site will still be 30% less than before the pandemic, companies are not going to reduce the area of   their offices.
“While the hybrid model, where we work both remotely and on-site, will be relevant, the office will remain an integral part of the job. It ’ s impossible to imagine a job without a specific base, ” says Bloom.
The Road to the Unknown Continues
Although man by nature tries to make predictions and hope for the best, much is still almost unclear.
The main thing is that we don't know - what exactly we don't know.
At the beginning of the pandemic, many analysts predicted that a return to office work would largely happen by the summer of 2021, when vaccines became publicly available.
However, this deadline continues to be pushed back to the future.
Delta- and omicron strains of the coronavirus cause concerns about public health, so plans to return to the office continue to be delayed.
“What we ’ ve learned over the past two years is to stop looking at the crystal ball, ” said Canina Blanchard, a professor at the University of Western Ontario.
There are things that give hope for a return to “normal life before the pandemic, ” such as vaccines, coronavirus medications, and a short period of self-isolation.
But we know that there are many unknowns in the future (a good example is the omicron, which unexpectedly changed the plans of many companies).
We also do not know what to expect from the future, as everything can change in an instant.
Therefore, with forecasts and hopes for 2022, you need to be careful.
Especially when it comes to returning to “normal life. ”
It is very possible that the "new normal" situation is the rules of the game that we must accept.
“What we clearly know is that in 2022, as in the previous two years, the most important thing will be health and its preservation.
Life will still be very chaotic and even abnormal, "Blanchard said.
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What did Labor economist Jonathan Boys say about 4-day workweek?

Healthcare industry may face more problems.

A four-day workweek can increase employee focus, but may reduce earning power for some.

Title:

Content: Local

A four-day workweek? Some companies are experimenting with giving employees a longer weekend

WILLOUGHBY, Ohio — It’s a concept that unites workers but terrifies their employers, a four-day workweek.

We know some companies have implemented the idea, but can it go mainstream? News Center 7′s Nick Foley checked in with one Ohio business that made the change several years ago and hasn’t looked back.

The worldwide initiative is simple, four workdays instead of five, 32 instead of 40.

Non-profit movements like 4 Day Global point to research indicating that more than 80 percent of companies who employ the model found it easier to recruit talent.

Mike Nuendorfer owns Advanced RV in Willoughby, Ohio. “It was just about our staff and their quality of life.”

The businessman started the customized recreational vehicle company in 2012 but in April of 2022, he shifted his shop’s model to a four-day week as part of a six-month trial. He anticipated a substantial drop in productivity but said he was pleasantly surprised.

“I mean, right out of the gate, we had made changes and process procedures and other things communication that offset some of the loss, so we probably never went down 20% even for a month or two, but we did go down a little but then regained all but maybe 5% of that by the end of the test and then continue to gain even today,” Nuendorfer said.

Elise Hanson is one of about 40 employees at Advanced RV that works with clients to create one-of-a-kind motor homes. She started the week the trial began and said the result has been a workforce that is focused on streamlining the operation.

“Improving processes and just having this as a motivation to cut down time in any department. So, everyone likes getting the initiative to be more efficient and cut on time. So, that just kind of got people thinking and moving.” Hanson said.

What is also means is more personal time for employees. Eight hours less per worker equals about four days each month. Four days each month adds up to about 50 days a year.

Imagine that employee who puts in 20 years, and will have worked nearly three years less than the average American worker.

“I believe that is a win. It’s a win for us. The whole process has resulted in some reduction in potential earning power, probably not earning power earnings or director earnings, but the benefits the interpersonal benefits, the quality-of-life benefit, is phenomenal. It’s immeasurable,” Nuendorfer said.

Hanson has already made the most of the extra time with separate trips to Alaska and Western Canada. And just more hours to enjoy life. She admits the model might not work for every company but adds the employees at Advanced RV have certainly bought in.

“I think at other companies it would be frowned upon to take every Friday off. Even if you have weeks of vacation. So, it’s the best of both worlds. It’s just really improved people’s moods, just like I’ve heard from people that have worked here before the four-day workweek that people are way more positive and more willing to work with each other in the last two years,” Hanson said.

Comments on this article

What did  the trial of 4-day workwee in New Zealand show?

What has the implementation 4-day wrokweek in Dubai, UAE indicated?

Increase in productivity
Increase in work quality indicators

A four-day workweek can offset productivity loss with increased employee motivation and job satisfaction through process changes.

What did  the trial of 4-day workwee in New Zealand show?

The productivity  increased
The employees were happier

What has the implementation 4-day wrokweek in Dubai, UAE indicated?

Increase in employee and customer satisfaction.

To implement a 4-day workweek, companies need clear rules, communication, and measurements to meet employee expectations and deliver results.

Title:

Content: Manager of an Estonian company about a four-day work week: experience shows that it is doable
Over time, more innovative ways of working begin to penetrate the Estonian work culture.
Today, the most attention is paid to the shortened working week: for example, a four-day working week or a six-hour working day.
These approaches seem exciting to many, but the fear that they will negatively affect the organization of work, often becomes an obstacle in their implementation in practice.
Elisa manager Joosep Põllumäe noted that while the fear of innovative working methods is understandable, with the right organizational culture, proper pre-planning and strong support systems, confusion resulting from overtraining can be avoided in most cases.
For example, a four-week workweek has been successfully tested twice in Elisa ’ s technology department, which has more than 200 employees.
From now on, it will become a permanent summer mode for IT teams.
“If in recent decades everyone has known that there are forty hours a week to do work, and you can ask for help from colleagues every day from nine to five, then one day off can be a real shock, ” he said.
You just need to know which problem areas to focus on. ”
According to Põllumäe, in order for the introduction of new ways of working to go as smoothly as possible, it is first of all important to focus on establishing clear rules of the game, clear communication and the most accurate measurements.
Expectations should converge
Working four days a week, one weekday is free for the employee.
However, the details associated with this basic thesis may vary from company to company.
Therefore, according to Põllumäe, it is important that all parties involved in the organization of work understand these details equally.
For example, you should establish whether the day off is completely free, or it will be a day of study, a day of concentration or something else.
It is also important to determine who can be disturbed on the fifth day and on what issues, what changes will be made to the organization of work in the remaining four days, so that the work continues to be carried out.
“Employees need to clearly understand what is expected of them and what means are at their disposal to achieve their goals – whether they can cancel meetings, refuse additional tasks, work more from home.
Similarly, employers need to understand what employees expect.
For example, if a four-day work week includes one completely free day, you need to understand that employees do not want to be covered with working letters on this day, ” Põllumäe said.
Work must be measurable
Since expectations of attainable results do not decrease when working hours are shortened, one of the secrets to the success of the new organization of work is clear measurements and a concrete understanding of when the work is done.
According to Põllumäe, the more abstract someone ’ s role or the wider the range of tasks, the more likely it is that some important topics will go unnoticed, or people will always feel that they have to do more, and therefore will not dare to take a day off.
“Employees usually want to exceed expectations.
Try to do as much as possible in five working days.
However, if the employer suddenly allows an employee to take a day off in the case of work performed, then without clear measurements, it is difficult for some employees to understand whether they have completed their tasks or not, - he explained. - That is why very clear measurements are important - thing X should be developed within a month, analysis Y should be completed within a quarter, no "ticket" should "hang" longer than Z days. "
The better people understand their expectations, the better they can plan their work and deliver results in less time.
Communication is important
Since no team or branch of a company operates in a vacuum, clear communication and listening to feedback are also critical to implementing innovative work practices.
For example, departments ordering work from the development department should understand that one day a week from the development department should not wait for answers.
The sales team should know that marketing will not launch new ads on a certain day, and management should understand that one day a week should not expect quick reports from employees.
“If everyone knows how others work, they adjust their work accordingly.
Knowing that the data sphere teams are not working on Friday, the necessary data will be requested on Thursday, he explained. – It is also important to ask for constant feedback – if it begins to seem that the absence of someone from the team is causing real damage to the business, or customers begin to feel their absence, something needs to be adjusted, for example, to change the day when they are absent, or alternate absent employees to always provide some cover. ”
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The "100:80:100 framework" measures a 4-day workweek where employees work 80% of hours for 100% pay while maintaining 100% productivity.

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Content: [Workplace Culture] Non-Profit Organization 4 Day Week Global Advocates for Corporate Transition to “4-Day Workday ”
Commercial 15: 09 2022 / 06 / 01
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“4 Day Week Global ” explores and studies with businesses to see if they can stay 100% productive if their employees work 20% less hours, four days a week.
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During the COVID-19 pandemic, many companies have changed their work patterns, such as hybrid work and flexible working arrangements such as the four-day workweek, to reduce the chance of infection due to social contact.
However, in 2018, before the outbreak of the epidemic, New Zealand entrepreneur Andrew Barnes had already piloted the four-day work system for his company, and later established the non-profit group “4 Day Week Global ” to promote and guide the implementation of the four-day work system to global enterprises.
Andrew Barnes experimented with a four-day workweek for 240 employees at his company, Perpetual Guardian, which turned out to be a great success, with employees becoming happier and more productive, making it a permanent system.
Report: 92% of HR executives plan to use AI to enhance talent recruitment and management processes
Andrew Barnes then founded “4 Day Week Global ” and spoke in 99 countries on the topic of the four-day workweek, working with businessmen, academics and researchers around the world to bring productivity-focused flexible working to life.
“4 Day Week Global ” explores and studies with companies to see if they can stay 100% productive if their employees work 20% less hours, four days a week. Andrew Barnes says it ’ s not just about work-life balance, it ’ s about how to increase productivity to make the business better.
Focus more on production and return time to employees
“The idea of working four days a week is what I can give my employees as an incentive to focus on production, ” says Andrew Barnes.
If they can use their time more wisely, it makes sense to give it back to them. ” So he created the “100: 80: 100 framework ”, which allows employees to trade 100% of their salary, 80% of their time, for 100% productivity.
Report: 60% of employees have misused email to leak company data
In June this year, 20 companies from Oceania participated in the 4-day workweek pilot project of “4 Day Week Global ” and collaborated with Boston College, the University of Sydney, the University of Melbourne, and the Auckland University of Technology in New Zealand to guide companies through each step of the implementation trial.
Since January, similar pilot projects have been running in Ireland, North America and the UK, with 125 companies enrolled.
Andrew Barnes warns entrepreneurs: “Your biggest risk right now is not whether or not to try the four-day workday, but whether or not your biggest competitor has implemented it before you. ”
He emphasized that if entrepreneurs can ’ t re-imagine how the business works, employees will leave you and choose leaders with a broader vision.
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Companies can use data to measure the success of a 4-day workweek and plan viable pilots.

Title:

Content: VERNON HILLS, Ill.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Jul 7, 2022--

This week, Wonderlic, a leading pre-employment assessment company that moved to a 32-hour, four-day work week in 2021, released a first-of-its-kind guide called The Four-Day Work Week Playbook: Advice from Six Early Adopters on Planning, Piloting, and Perfecting a New Way to Work.

In the 37-page guide, leaders from Wonderlic, Uncharted, Elephant Ventures, PDQ, Awin, and Swash Labs—companies with as few as 50 and as many as 1200 employees—share:

  • How they decided whether a shorter work week was viable for them
  • The most critical questions to ask early—and what data to gather to measure success
  • Best practices for planning, managing, and learning from your pilot
  • The unexpected benefits they’re seeing beyond a recruiting and retention advantage
  • And proven strategies for increasing employee happiness and efficiency that any company can benefit from

“Moving to a four-day work week is a huge decision that requires asking a lot of tough questions, evaluating every aspect of how you do business, and being laser-focused on improving life for your employees, all while still hitting all your business goals,” says Wonderlic CEO Becca Callahan.

“As we’ve learned from our own experience—and by talking to other progressive leaders like Banks, Art, Victoria, Adam, and Josh—there’s no single ‘right’ way to go about it. In creating this guide, we wanted to provide companies curious about the possibilities with some strategic guidance to help them confidently decide if it’s the right move for them.”

Curious to learn more? Check out the full playbook here. And to contact Becca, please email mediainquiries@wonderlic.com.

About Wonderlic

Wonderlic’s mission is to help HR professionals and hiring managers identify top applicants and predict on-the-job performance by providing them the most trusted, scientifically validated assessments on the market.

Since the company was founded in 1937, more than 200 million Wonderlic assessments have been administered to job candidates. Our formula for success is simple: cutting-edge I-O psychology research, machine learning, artificial intelligence, and a company culture grounded in a thirst for innovative thinking and a sincere respect for diverse perspectives.

View source version on businesswire.com:https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20220707005308/en/

mediainquiries@wonderlic.com

KEYWORD: UNITED STATES NORTH AMERICA ILLINOIS

INDUSTRY KEYWORD: CONSULTING PROFESSIONAL SERVICES HUMAN RESOURCES

SOURCE: Wonderlic

Copyright Business Wire 2022.

PUB: 07/07/2022 09:00 AM/DISC: 07/07/2022 09:02 AM

http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20220707005308/en

Copyright Business Wire 2022.

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A 4-day workweek can improve health and relationships, and many who've tried it say they won't go back to 5 days.

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Content: news

11 Companies Adopting a 4-Day Workweek That Are Hiring Right Now

The four-day workweek is having a moment.

Several recent studies, including one that followed nearly 3,000 workers in the U.K., found when companies switched to a four-day workweek workers' productivity, health, relationships and even finances improved. California Representative Mark Takano recently reintroduced the 32-hour Workweek Act in Congress as well, which would change the definition of a workweek from its now 40 hours if passed.

"While the concept of a four-day workweek is not brand new, there is no denying that there is great momentum and interest in this model," says Doug Ebertowski, career expert at FlexJobs. The idea is gaining traction, he says, and "that coupled with the fact that employers have become much more creative in their approach to attracting great workers could mean that we may see the four-day work week here to stay."

Whatever the future holds for the trend becoming a norm, some companies are implementing it as their go-to schedule right now. FlexJobs, which focuses on remote and flexible roles, identified a number of companies that have or are planning to adopt a shorter workweek. And they're hiring. Here are 11 of those companies, including some of their open roles.

Augury

Augury is a software company that helps detect machine malfunctions through ultrasonic sensors.
Headquarters: Haifa, Israel
Open roles: enterprise customer success manager, regional controller, service engagement manager

Bolt Financial

Bolt Financial offers clients such as e-commerce merchants a payment platform for their online stores.
Headquarters: San Francisco, California
Open roles: principal software engineer, senior machine learning engineer

DNSFilter

DNSFilter helps IT professionals filter unsafe web content and protect against digital threats.
Headquarters: Washington, D.C.
Open roles: general counsel, senior manager of digital marketing

Do Big Things

Do Big Things is a creative digital agency that offers services such as website design and spokesperson training.
Headquarters: Mill Valley, California
Open roles: finance director, senior account executive

Kickstarter

Kickstarter is a crowdfunding platform whose projects span films to board games.
Headquarters: Fully remote
Open roles: senior social media manager, director of comics outreach, senior product designer

Merit America

Merit America is a nonprofit that creates pathways to careers in tech through technical training.
Headquarters: Washington, D.C.
Open roles: director of individual giving, revenue operations specialist

New Leaders

New Leaders provides equity-focused training to teachers, principals and other education figures.
Headquarters: New York, New York
Open roles: deputy chief officer of development

Panasonic

Panasonic is a global tech company with products that serve the energy, manufacturing and retail industries, among others.
Headquarters: Newark, New Jersey
Open roles: account manager of public safety, client relations specialist, field service technician

Poll Everywhere

Poll Everywhere creates online polling, surveys, quizzes and more on behalf of its clients.
Headquarters: San Francisco, California
Open roles: engineering manager, site reliability engineer

SambaSafety

SambaSafety sells software that keeps its clients and their communities' tech safe.
Headquarters: Denver, Colorado
Open roles: onboarding specialist, senior data governance analyst, Salesforce administrator

thredUP

thredUP is an online thrift store.
Headquarters: Oakland, California
Open roles: finance data analyst, chief of staff, clothing warehouse associate

As far as trends in the list go, "they're mainly nonprofit and tech companies," says Yolanda Owens, career expert at The Muse. With the exception of Panasonic, they're also smaller companies, "mainly under 1,000 employees," she says.

"With the smaller organizations, adopting a four-day workweek makes sense because it's easier to kind of put parameters around that," she says. "I think it would be a bit more difficult for larger organizations to do that just because of the scope and scale." The logistics of arranging that kind of flexibility for people in an array of roles could be tough, she says.

"I don't think you're going to see an Amazon adopting this anytime soon."

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What did  the trial of 4-day workwee in New Zealand show?

What did a survey on 4-day workweek conducted in Hong Kong show?

61% of respondents said employers could implement a four-day workweek to improve employees' mental health.

What did surveys conducted in London before and after the experiment of 4-day workweek  find?

54% of employees had better balance of work and home responsibilities

What has a Gallup Poll found out about the prospect of 4-day workweek?

77% of American employees believe that it will have a positive impact on their health

A 4-day workweek makes recruiting easier for over 80% of companies and gives employees 50 extra days off per year.