The 4-day workweek is gaining popularity worldwide as a means to improve employee well-being and productivity.

Iceland's 4-day workweek trial from 2015 to 2019 boosted productivity, with countries like Scotland, Spain, and Belgium also adopting or testing the model.

A 4-day workweek can increase productivity by 40% and reduce costs, such as Microsoft Japan's 20% savings on electricity and 50% on paper.

In 2022, 61 UK companies trialed a 4-day workweek, with 89% continuing and 51% permanently adopting it by 2023.

Employees' health improved and companies saw reduced turnover and better recruitment.

A 4-day workweek can involve reduced hours, and 78% of respondents reported less-stressed workers.

Implementing a 4-day workweek can be challenging and requires careful consideration of costs and benefits.

A 4-day workweek's success depends on planning, communication, and transparency, with a focus on employee-centric policies.

Digital tools and corporate culture are key to a successful 4-day workweek.

Companies like Bolt, Shopify, and Microsoft Japan have successfully implemented a 4-day workweek with positive results.

The 4-day workweek has benefits including reduced staff turnover, improved recruitment, and better mental and physical health, with 39% of employees reporting less stress and 37% improved physical health.

A third of America's companies are exploring 4-day workweeks, with over 300 already adopting them.

Both small and large companies may struggle to implement a four-day workweek due to various constraints.

The 4-day workweek has environmental benefits and has been adopted by companies in countries like the US, UK, Iceland, and New Zealand.

A 4-day workweek may not benefit all employees, especially lower-paid ones, and is often unsuitable for customer-facing roles.

The 4-day workweek is gaining popularity worldwide as a means to improve employee well-being and productivity.

Title:

Content: The four-day work week is welcome, but some challenges remain

This shift has thrown up interesting questions on macro and micro levels that over time will need answering

Beta V.1.0 - Powered by automated translation

The sin of presenteeism is shaping up as a pre-pandemic anachronism, and the principal reason for this is not just remote working but an emerging historic global shift towards a shorter working week.

The global headaches from supply constraints following Covid-19 disruption have overshadowed equally profound changes in the labour market. For some bosses, there is rationing not just of the number of workers but the time they are willing to work. As people reassess their work-life balance, responsible employers and some countries are looking at the advantages of compressed hours on the job.

The UAE is a trailblazer in this regard, with most emirates having formally adopted a 4.5-day working model. Sharjah has gone further by opting for a four-day model. Reporting last week in this newspaper found that its residents said they are healthier and happier, enjoying more weekend flexibility and having more time with their families.

Many forecasts over recent years have been very wide of the mark about the economic trajectory of the big developed economies. The Resolution Foundation, a UK-based think tank that looks at work, points out that in analysing the pandemic, “many feared a house price bust, expected the inflation spike to be small/short-lived, said unemployment/insolvencies for workers/firms respectively would surge and claimed this would be a ‘she-cession’. None happened”.

Technology is the driver of all this, and the trend may over time become irresistible

Analysis of Google searches in the UK from an employment agency recently reported the four-day work week had gained popularity among people on the hunt for their next job opportunity. “Google searches for "4 day week jobs" exploded a spectacular 1,011 per cent in early 2022, when compared to 2021,” according to the firm’s research.

One of Britain’s biggest and best-known corporate brands, the department store M&S, has hired a well-known female executive who is a prominent four-day week champion, Katie Bickerstaffe. She said her role was compatible with shorter hours, even though it is a round-the-clock operation.

“We’re a seven-days-a-week, 24-hour operation and that’s what you do, but I’ve always done that [four days] because it gives me the freedom to spend some downtime with my kids and not feel that I don’t have the opportunity to do that during the week,” she explained.

The news coincided with the announcement that 70 UK companies had voluntarily joined a scheme to alter the working week basis of their business. Signing on to a pledge to pay 100 per cent of wages for 80 per cent of the hours worked means much more than just creating new rotas. It means altering the internal working patterns of the business and finding new ways to accommodate latency in the workforce.

Not everyone is convinced this can deliver a kind of workplace nirvana.

The Centre for Policy Studies carried out some research last year that estimated that a four-day week would have a big cost to the economy if productivity levels remained constant. The annual shortfall to the economy would be £45 billion ($55.42bn). On more generous calculations, if a 6 per cent increase in productivity could be achieved in the first decade of the reform, the loss overall could be pared back to £17bn. The analyst behind the figures believes the evidence for productivity gains from compressing hours and having shorter working weeks is extremely limited.

That is not much of an argument for not experimenting with shorter weeks. Employees already job-share and expect work-from-home arrangements throughout the work force. In office-based roles or project work, the flexibility to complete the workload that comes with the job most obviously lends itself to working with a defined, shorter time frame.

There are hurdles for other jobs. Customer-facing roles or service functions will still need to be provided across a far longer time-frame than four days or 32 hours. Unlike in Sharjah, there is no clear directive in the UK for a common day that extends the weekend. Indeed, many people working four days chose a non-consecutive day, such as Wednesday, for the non-working option.

Without the government plumping for Friday as part of a three-day weekend, it is likely that businesses will experience co-ordination both internally and with clients and supplies if substantial numbers in the workforce are missing in action for part of the working week.

There are also concerns around the equality of the development. Can it be true that more flexibility would allow women, in particular, to better balance childcare obligations and thus erode the disadvantage with men?

And as the work-from-home phenomenon has shown, the higher-paid employees have snapped up the main benefits from structural changes in how people work. There is little to suppose that this trend would not emerge from the four-day week.

Technology is, of course, the driver of all this, and the trend may over time become irresistible.

Certainly, the difficulties of drawing an absolute boundary between the working day and your time revolve around the fact that your email is always in your pocket on the phone. That is double-edged. It would be difficult for employers to play another card: offering people four days’ pay, not the salaried five.

Published: June 13, 2022, 4:00 AM

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

The productivity  increased
The employees were happier

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

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

Increase in employee and customer satisfaction.

Iceland's 4-day workweek trial from 2015 to 2019 boosted productivity, with countries like Scotland, Spain, and Belgium also adopting or testing the model.

A 4-day workweek can increase productivity by 40% and reduce costs, such as Microsoft Japan's 20% savings on electricity and 50% on paper.

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

Title:

Content: Four days has become a reality.
In the UK conducted an important experiment – details
The length of the work week was significantly reduced.
In the UK, workers are transferred to a four-day working week. / Photo: Collage: Today
In the UK, a large-scale experiment has begun on the introduction of a four-day working week.
About 3.3 thousand employees from 70 companies will take part in the pilot program.
It is expected that the reduction of working days will increase the productivity of workers.
This is reported by Sky News.
Advertisement
The experiment involved companies from different industries: for example, the banking sector and the hotel business.
They must continue to pay workers 100% of their wages, provided that they maintain maximum productivity.
The duration of the experiment is 6 months.
During this time, the organizers of the study – 4 Day Week Global in partnership with the analytical center Autonomy and the campaign 4 Day Week UK – should measure the impact of reducing the number of working days on productivity and well-being of staff.
Ed Siegel, CEO of Charity Bank, said: “The concept of a five-day workweek of the 20th century is no longer appropriate for the business of the 21st century. ”
The organizers of the experiment believe that after the coronavirus pandemic, the approach to the length of the working week should change.
Advertisement
Why we need to reduce the working week
A four-day work week increases worker productivity.
This was proved in 2019 in the Japanese division of Microsoft and transferred employees to a new work schedule.
Friday was an extra weekend.
At the same time, people were not reduced wages and did not calculate days from vacation.
During the experiment, it turned out that the efficiency of workers who rest more increased by as much as 40 percent.
The company also saved money.
Because I started to spend 20 percent less electricity and print half as much paper.
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What has the implementation 4-day wrokweek in Dubai, UAE indicated?

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

In 2022, 61 UK companies trialed a 4-day workweek, with 89% continuing and 51% permanently adopting it by 2023.

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.
Is the overall efficiency of returning less than one day of work declining instead of rising?
Click to learn more ▼ ▼ ▼
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Title:

Content: [Retain talent] Enterprise test 4 days a week production efficiency improvement of employees: work pressure reduction and health improvement
Stock Market 07: 41 2023 / 02 / 22
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[Retain talent] Enterprise test 4 days a week production efficiency improvement
Do you want to work four days a week?
According to the Wall Street Journal, most of the British companies participating in the four-day work week test said that after six months of testing, the staff turnover rate and absenteeism rate fell sharply, which is the largest four-day work week test to date. 61 companies, including banks, fast food restaurants, marketing consultants, etc., involved 2900 employees. Eighteen companies said they would permanently implement the four-day workweek.
For decades, the market has been exploring the idea of working less than five days a week, or 40 hours a week, which has become a new opportunity under the pandemic, as home-based and mixed-work arrangements have become more widely accepted, and employers have also taken the opportunity to explore whether shortening work hours can improve employee happiness and loyalty.
Working days have become a retention and recruitment issue
Juliet Schor, an economist and sociologist at Boston College, said that it was initially due to the mental fatigue of wage earners during the epidemic, but it has now become a retention and recruitment problem.
Her team has helped conduct research around the world on a four-day workweek, including researchers from the UK think tank Autonomy and the University of Cambridge.
The research is being conducted around the world. Small tests in the United States and Canada are being led by research institutes in the United Kingdom, and similar tests are being conducted in Australia and Brazil. Unilever, an internationally renowned consumer goods company, is also participating in the tests.
Testing in Iceland, involving more than 2,500 employees in various industries, researchers found that most employees maintained or increased productivity, as well as reduced work stress.
Most companies that try 4-day work are small employers
Since most of the companies experimenting with four-day work are small employers, many large companies have yet to embrace the concept.
In the test, some employees reported that it was difficult to complete all the work during this time.
In a study conducted in the UK from June to November, most employees did not increase their work intensity, but bosses held fewer meetings to give employees more time to get their work done.
Finally, employers rated employee productivity and performance on an average of 7.5 on a scale from 0 (very negative) to 10 (very positive), and at half of the test, 46% of companies said their business productivity remained unchanged, while 34% reported a slight improvement and 15% reported a significant improvement.
20% of your time is wasted on unnecessary meetings
On the other hand, 39% of employees reported less stress at work, but half of employees reported no change in their index.
Nearly half of employees reported improved mental health and 37% reported improved physical health.
Claire Daniels, CEO of Trio Media, a digital marketing company with 13 employees in the UK, said she took part in the trial to see if she could improve productivity.
Before the test began, she analyzed with employees that 20% of their time was wasted on unnecessary meetings, business trips, and other inefficiencies.
"Very soon, we will know that we do not have to do any extra work in these four days," she said.
The productivity of the 4-day work was flat or slightly improved from the same period last year
Daniels pointed out that she would have employees work from Monday to Thursday, and Tuesday to Friday, and have employees take extra places to follow up on their colleagues ’ work during the holidays.
No longer do marathon daily team meetings with employees, in longer meetings involving customers and multiple presentations, employees will only attend part of the meeting based on necessity and then leave.
The hardest part, she says, is for employees to make sure they don ’ t go back to their old work mindset or habits. Overall, productivity was flat or slightly higher compared to the same period last year, with revenue up 47%.
She wants to continue experimenting for another six months before making a permanent change, “but I don ’ t think we ’ re going to go back to the typical five-day week. ”
If the four-day work week can improve production efficiency and the employees are happy, the bosses think that they can give it a try, or they think that the workload of five days can be completed in four days, so that the employees can continue to overcomplete their work on the fifth day.
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Employees' health improved and companies saw reduced turnover and better recruitment.

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

Increase in employee and customer satisfaction.

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

Increase in employee and customer satisfaction.

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

Increase in employee and customer satisfaction.

A 4-day workweek can involve reduced hours, and 78% of respondents reported less-stressed workers.

Implementing a 4-day workweek can be challenging and requires careful consideration of costs and benefits.

Title:

Content: Linsay Moran On How We Need To Adjust To The Future Of Work

Flex time in a way that hasn’t been explored before. This will require trust between employees and employers. Working from remote locations and embracing the digital nomads who are contributing to work, but from a different location, and seeing that as a benefit, not a challenge. When it comes to designing the future of work, […]

Thrive invites voices from many spheres to share their perspectives on our Community platform. Community stories are not commissioned by our editorial team, and opinions expressed by Community contributors do not reflect the opinions of Thrive or its employees. More information on our Community guidelines is available here.

Flex time in a way that hasn’t been explored before. This will require trust between employees and employers. Working from remote locations and embracing the digital nomads who are contributing to work, but from a different location, and seeing that as a benefit, not a challenge.

When it comes to designing the future of work, one size fits none. Discovering success isn’t about a hybrid model or offering remote work options. Individuals and organizations are looking for more freedom. The freedom to choose the work model that makes the most sense. The freedom to choose their own values. And the freedom to pursue what matters most. We reached out to successful leaders and thought leaders across all industries to glean their insights and predictions about how to create a future that works.

As a part of our interview series called “How Employers and Employees are Reworking Work Together,” we had the pleasure to interview Linsay Moran.

Linsay Moran is the Co-Founder of Unwrapit, a digital gifting platform on a mission to help companies break free from the conventional thinking that surrounds corporate gift giving. An operational leader, committed to social impact businesses, Linsay had a career as an events director and more recently, played a key leadership role in a rapidly scaling engineering company prior to co-founding Unwrapit. Linsay is passionate about supporting, mentoring and amplifying women, in all stages of their career.

Thank you for making time to visit with us about the topic of our time. Our readers would like to get to know you a bit better. Can you please tell us about one or two life experiences that most shaped who you are today.

Thanks for the opportunity to connect!

It was one decision that defined two of my most significant life experiences.

At the age of 23, a fresh university graduate, I decided to pack my bags and move to London to work and live for a short period of time. My intention was to live in London for 6–8 weeks and spend a few additional weeks travelling throughout Europe.

The decision to embrace this “life experience” taught me a lesson, one that continues to shape who I am today. The lesson was fairly cliché and a variation on “things don’t always work out as you plan and as a result, stay open to opportunities”. Upon arriving in London I secured a short-term role as a PA (personal assistant). They needed someone in the position full-time but the agency placed me temporarily as they worked to secure their candidate.

Within a week the Founder/Owner of the business told the agency to cease the search and asked me to take on the full-time position. I would have never applied for the role, thinking I didn’t have the qualifications (nor did I plan to stay in London long-term). Instead, I demonstrated my ability to learn, leaned into my “roll up the sleeves” approach and realized it was something I could be good at. I went on to work for that company for about a year and learned so much about the corporate events industry in the UK.

During that time I understood the concept that life truly is too short. Just a few days after landing in the UK, I found out that one of my closest friends had been diagnosed with breast cancer at age 24. She fought for her life but in the end she passed away just five short months after diagnosis.

When I came back to Canada I was determined to do something in her honour. It led me to the world of nonprofit organizations and I’m grateful for that experience. I had the opportunity to work with individuals who had careers rooted in giving back. I learned an incredible amount in just a few years with strong leadership who took a chance on me and pushed me to get outside of my comfort zone and take on challenges I may not have initially felt prepared for . I try to do the same for other new team members as I recognize how much this shaped me.

Let’s zoom out. What do you predict will be the same about work, the workforce and the workplace 10–15 years from now? What do you predict will be different?

Work will always play an important role in an individual’s life, by its very nature. But the notion of someone being defined by their work is shifting and changing. Life is full of uncertainties, especially during a global pandemic. And for many, the last two years have proven that nothing is permanent. This has been an awakening for many.

I think (hope) that individuals will still find meaningful relationships at work. With colleagues that they learn from and grow with. And there will of course be challenges that run alongside that. “Office politics” will still play a role in a virtual or in-person world with new challenges to overcome.

Another thing that is the same and evolving further is the idea that “work” isn’t just confined to your job or an office. People are connecting through LInkedIn, networking organizations and events in a way that they might not have before.

Additionally, I was chatting with our newest team member (Awurakua Anim) about this question and she offered some great insights regarding what would be different. Her objective view is interesting, as someone recently graduated from University and new to the workforce. We talked about companies further investing in their team and prioritizing transparent, employee-focused, policies. We saw this recently with the #showusyourleave movement that rocketed around LinkedIn over the last few weeks. She also noted that companies, our own included, need to further invest and prioritize building systems around their internal and external processes. And that this is particularly important when someone first starts a new role.

And of course, the shift to remote work will continue to drive innovation in tech platforms that connect people and teams. The tools available to us, many developed over the last two years, are allowing for efficiencies at work and fostering better remote connections. Something that most of us wouldn’t have thought was possible just a few years ago. I am not afraid to admit that I was guilty of thinking that an office and a company was defined by four walls and in-person presence. I also acknowledge that some companies will choose to be primarily in-person and bound by four walls. They’ll do this for a handful of rational reasons and it will be a reflection of their culture. We’re not sure at Unwrapit where we’ll land on the fully remote/fully in-person spectrum but we are open and flexible in our approach to it.

What advice would you offer to employers who want to future-proof their organizations?

Think bigger about employee attraction, engagement and retention. Gone are the days of providing great perks and calling it a day.

Many people want to do something that matters. And they want to do it for companies that care about them and their professional growth and personal well-being.

Whether companies like it or not, the next decade is going to require a wholesale transformation of how they do business in order to avoid runaway global warming. And the companies that understand that and get behind it with commitments to organizations like 1% for the Planet and BCorp, will attract talent that understand the importance of putting people and the planet first. With the climate crisis becoming more of a priority for consumers and employees, companies can’t afford to give lip service to sustainability.

On the employee side, creating an “open” environment, free of fear is critical. Where innovative conversations are encouraged and growth and learning are the result, without uncertainty for how it will be received. People want to know that their contributions matter. And that even if their ideas are not spot on this time, if they’re well-thought out and astute, they may be right for another moment.

What do you predict will be the biggest gaps between what employers are willing to offer and what employees expect as we move forward? And what strategies would you offer about how to reconcile those gaps?

As we continue to shape and create the new normal of remote work, we’ll continue to shape and create what is considered to be part of that reality. This will mean different things to different people. And it will mean different things to different sectors of the workforce. It will be imperative that employers don’t “paint all with the same brush” and assume that one policy or plan will work for everyone, or even everyone within one part of their team.

In order to minimize any gaps, or frankly, to even see that there are gaps in the first place, a company and its leaders need to operate with empathy towards their employees.

A recent Forbes article stated it like this, “According to the Harvard Business Review, businesses that put empathy and emotional intelligence ahead of everything else out perform other businesses by 20%. When a leader lacks empathy, everyone keeps their guard up and protects their own self-interest. This means employees don’t share ideas, issues or problems and leaders learn of their employee’s unhappiness only when that employee is walking out the door.”

Employers will also need to reconcile with:

Which roles can be fully remote & which ones can’t due to their nature

And, that hybrid work means different things to different people, there’s a risk of delivering the worst of in-person and the worst of virtual by combining the two and trying to please everyone (per a recent NYT article). We’re going to see more adjusting and revising of policies as hybrid and remote work become more common. Ultimately, we may end up going back to in-person events and offices, and instead, adopt a four-day workweek.

More companies are coming on board with the four-day workweek which is picking up popularity. As it does, it means that companies will need to shift the meaning of what a workweek looks like and how to make employees feel comfortable. This also means different things for different industries. There may be a gap in expectations for employees who want the four-day workweek but are drawn to companies that have chosen to stick with the five day work-week (or have to as a result of their sector). What that means is drawing clear boundaries, rules and expectations around a new, proposed work-week. As a result of tighter work schedules, employees will become better at emailing less, fewer meetings, and prioritizing their work and focusing on that work. There are plenty of success stories out there that support the four day work-week and prove that it alleviates a significant amount of stress for employees who now have more time to focus on their hobbies, families, and personal time.

We simultaneously joined a global experiment together last year called “Working From Home.” How will this experience influence the future of work?

This was another one that I talked to my new (younger!) colleague about and we both agreed that it was quite the experiment. The first words that came to her mind when I asked her this question were, “Flexibility and productivity, with a mutual shared experience of resilience.” I couldn’t have said it better myself.

Despite the significant efficiency we’ve found in many areas of this “experiment”, we’ve also proven that it can be tough to replace authentic, face-to-face connections with colleagues, if only for the purpose of getting to know one another better. But the world of work (and therefore the future of work) has changed materially and so have our collective expectations of it. We have experienced a blurring of lines, the convergence of our work and home and the reality that one can affect the other. We see individuals becoming more comfortable with this nuance, talking about it on LinkedIn and unapologetically showcasing kids and pets and partners on screen.

And related to that, I think we’re all worrying less about where a person lives and more about what they can bring to the business. Distributed teams will be the norm, not the anomaly as we go forward. We’ll focus less on time at our desks and more on execution and ideas. .

It must be said that we are talking about a specific subsection of businesses and employees as not all sectors will be affected in the same way. For example, those in manufacturing will still go to their job each day in person. And therefore the “future of work” may not look that different to all.

We’ve all read the headlines about how the pandemic reshaped the workforce. What societal changes do you foresee as necessary to support a future of work that works for everyone?

A mental shift as alluded to earlier. Individuals are less defined by their jobs and more so defined by their place in the world. The pandemic forced a pause for many people and it also shone a light on some or our biggest cracks. Childcare. Healthcare. “Hustle culture”. And more. It will be many years before we fully comprehend the collective impact of all of these things.

What is your greatest source of optimism about the future of work?

That two years into this “experiment” so many companies are thriving in the new paradigm and it’s allowed people additional flexibility and the opportunity to focus on quality over quantity.

Our collective mental health and wellbeing are now considered collateral as we consider the future of work. What innovative strategies do you see employers offering to help improve and optimize their employee’s mental health and wellbeing?

This will be the biggest hurdle to overcome , but I don’t think that it’s entirely on employers. Of course, they have an important role to play. Generally individuals that take better control of their own mental health and if they are also supported by their employers, create a winning strategy.

Perhaps controversially, I might note that the old saying, “you can lead a horse to water, but you can’t force it to drink” is applicable in this instance. An employee needs to feel that there are supports in place and feel safe enough in their role to make use of them. But they also need to take responsibility for their own wellbeing (and ensure that they take the drink!).

Through Unwrapit we’ve seen employers embracing some unique strategies including ‘just because’ that includes health and mental wellness gift options. We’ve worked with a vendor who offers remote wellness for teams and she’s used our platform to enhance the experience by adding a fun “lunch on us”. We’ve also seen employers investing in significant mental health support and offering training for things like JEDI if that’s of interest to their teams.

It seems like there’s a new headline every day. ‘The Great Resignation’. ‘The Great Reconfiguration’. And now the ‘Great Reevaluation’. What are the most important messages leaders need to hear from these headlines? How do company cultures need to evolve?

I stated it above and I think it’s worth noting again. For many, the “Great Reevaluation” is about where they are putting their energy, and what they are prioritizing. Many people are asking themselves, is this a company that only cares about the bottom line and keeping their shareholders happy at the end of the fiscal year? Or a company that has a healthy bottom line, happy shareholders, and puts people and planet first.

It isn’t a stretch to understand that the latter is where most people want to work, and as we’re seeing with the Great Resignation, more people have more choices. Employers that don’t see this message in the current shifts taking place will be challenged by high turnover and burned out, unhappy employees.

Let’s get more specific. What are your “Top 5 Trends To Track In the Future of Work?”

  1. Empathetic tech — It’s no longer enough for online tools and services to be functional. Every generation inevitably spends more time on digital. We are now reaching the point where online is the norm, and people are forming their communities and identities within digital environments. This means that the tools we build as technology companies need to adapt to the human aspects of online communities and identities. Just like the progression we’ve seen in architectural design — from the brutalist and modernist mid-20th century buildings to the empathetic and human-centered design of the 21st century –tech companies have to employ empathy to make it comfortable and enjoyable to use tools online.
  2. Putting people and planet first — BLab (the certifying body behind the BCorp Certification) has seen an incredible increase in applicants throughout the pandemic. It seems that the movement has sparked, and companies understand the value of a designation like this. Further, we’ve had job applicants approach us using the 1% for the Planet Membership Database as a “ job search portal”, focusing only on companies who have sought out and completed their certification.
  3. Flex time in a way that hasn’t been explored before. This will require trust between employees and employers. Working from remote locations and embracing the digital nomads who are contributing to work, but from a different location, and seeing that as a benefit, not a challenge.
  4. Parental support. #shareyourleave was a great recent example of this, providing better support to working parents and in particular, women, who have been disproportionately affected by the pandemic.
  5. Recognition (done the right way). This isn’t the old school way of recognizing teams. It’s about meeting people where they are, providing them with choice, making it spontaneous sometimes.

I keep quotes on my desk and on scraps of paper to stay inspired. What’s your favorite “Life Lesson Quote”? And how has this quote shaped your perspective?

“Lighten up on yourself. No one is perfect. Gently accept your humanness.” — (Deborah Day)

I am always a work in progress. I’ve made mistakes, I think it’s healthy to accept that. I used to say I was a recovering perfectionist but I think I am now recovered (for the most part). I now embrace “progress over perfection” and recognize that in order to move things forward, sometimes it just has to be good enough. I had someone that really pushed me out of my comfort zone on this, and I’m grateful to him for the mindset shift.

We are very blessed that some of the biggest names in Business, VC funding, Sports, and Entertainment read this column. Is there a person in the world, or in the US, with whom you would love to have a private breakfast or lunch, and why? He, she, or they might just see this if we tag them.

I’d love the opportunity to connect with Alexis Ohanian. Right front and centre, first line of his personal site he makes this statement, “I’m a technology entrepreneur and investor. I want to be known for making this world better — much better.” And he means that. It’s clear by his actions. We want to do the same thing! It would be amazing to talk to him. He offers his number on the site — maybe I should just text him!

Our readers often like to continue the conversation with our featured interviewees. How can they best connect with you and stay current on what you’re discovering?

We’d love for people to follow us on LinkedIn! We’re active there and talk about social impact, corporate gifting, leadership and much more!

Thank you for sharing your insights and predictions. We appreciate your time and wish you continued success and good health.

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What are the views that object 4-day workweek?

It may lead to a large increase in labor costs

What challenges will the companies with diverse workforce have for implementing 4-day workweek??

Complicated to roll out for large companies

A 4-day workweek's success depends on planning, communication, and transparency, with a focus on employee-centric policies.

Digital tools and corporate culture are key to a successful 4-day workweek.

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Yuehong Yang, a playful leader, builds Taiwan 's successor team in Silicon Valley
Image / Sichuan forest fire more than 400 kilometers away in Chengdu "the sky is yellow"
The development of AI technology may accelerate the dream of a three-day weekend
After many companies in the Covid-19 era tried and achieved positive results, it began to be implemented in countries such as the United Kingdom, Iceland and Portugal; some experts point out that as artificial intelligence (AI) becomes more popular, it will help companies speed up the implementation of the three-day weekend.
Tech.co surveyed more than 1,000 U.S. business leaders at the end of last year to ask how technology will impact the workplace in 2024, the BBC reported.
The researchers found that 29% of companies that took a three-day break used AI extensively in their operations, relying on programs such as ChatGPT to streamline operations, compared with only 8% of companies that took a two-day break.
From another perspective, 93% of companies that apply AI are willing to let their employees work for only four days; less than half of companies that use AI less are willing.
Shayne Simpson, general manager of TechNET IT Recruitment, a British technology agency, said that AI is the foundation of the company ’ s success on a three-day weekend, and AI tools can save 21 hours per week per HR consultant by automating repetitive manual tasks such as data entry, email confirmation, resume screening, and candidate expansion.
Not only does this increase productivity and morale, Simpson says, but it also keeps talent: senior professionals are attracted to streamlined processes, while novices are eager to try new tools.
Digital design firm Driftime co-founder Abb-d Taiyo (Abb-d Taiyo) said that before the process was slow and wasted a lot of valuable time, now can give simple tasks to AI tools such as Modyfi, the production of graphics are real-time and modifiable, designers can create concepts and ideas more easily and faster, the workload of four days has not decreased, and the quality of work and employee satisfaction is high.
But advanced technology alone may not bring about institutional change.
Na Fu, professor of human resources management at Trinity Business School in Ireland, said that the key to the success of the three-day weekend is corporate culture and values, such as whether the company has a high degree of trust in its employees and is willing to try innovative work structures. Is the director supportive?
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Companies like Bolt, Shopify, and Microsoft Japan have successfully implemented a 4-day workweek with positive results.

Title:

Content: Jump directly to the content
HAPPY WEEKEND

List of US companies with four-day work weeks – and some are recruiting now

GETTING blessed with a three-day weekend doesn’t happen often for many– but that might start to become more of a reality soon.

And one company just made a four-day workweek permanent after a three-month experiment.

That’s tech and e-commerce startup Bolt, which has been said to be seeking a $14billion valuation.

Chief executive officer Ryan Breslow disclosed in a tweet that the San Francisco-based firm found that 94% of its employees wanted to continue with the four-day workweek.

In addition, the survey found that 84% have improved productivity and work-life balance.

Major companies including Shopify and Microsoft Japan have implemented this work strategy outside of the US.

Also, the UK has a big list of companies that offer four-day workweeks.

But along with Bolt, there are other firms based in the US, or have operations in the country, that have imposed those work schedules.

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Americans can claim $1,800 in child tax credit money on 2021 tax returns

Abstract

The design workflow platform offers “alternating four-day weekends.”

Currently, there are no openings at Abstract.

Bit.io

The early-stage data firm offers four-day eight-hour shifts with “unlimited” paid time off.

The San Francisco-based company has three job openings currently.

GooseChase

The online platform allows you to control real-life scavenger hunts.

GooseChase offers a 32-hour four-day workweek to its fully remote team in the US, Canada, and Hungary.

Currently, it has two job openings.

Kickstarter

The crowd-funding platform announced that it would implement its four-day workweek in 2022.

Brooklyn, NY-based Kickstarter has four job openings currently.

Monograph

The software firm has been offering a four-day workweek since its founding in 2016.

It has one job opening currently.

Nectafy

The content marketing company offers a fully remote job with its four-day workweek.

Nectafy is hiring for just one position right now.

PDQ

The software company offers a four-day 36-hour workweek to its employees.

However, the company is not hiring at this time.

Starship

Starship, which specializes in health savings accounts and finance, said that it would move to a four-day workweek starting in 2022.

The New York-based company is hiring for four positions currently.

The Financial Diet

In 2021, money website The Financial Diet switched to a four-day workweek.

CEO Chelsea Fagan noted in a tweet that employees are happier and that it would never revert back to its past hours.

There are no job openings at the company right now.

The Wanderlust Group

The outdoor tech firm relates to the rest of the world that despises Mondays.

In fact, they ask their employees to take off most Mondays unless there is a major customer or company event.

No jobs are available at Wanderlust currently.

Uplift

The software development firm is flexible when it comes to its hours and includes four-day workweeks.

There are five job openings currently at Uplift.

Volt Athletics

Volt Athletics is a workout app that provides workout programs to users globally.

In 2020, it switched to a four-day workweek – offering Friday as the flex day, according to Dan Giuliani, the CEO, and co-founder of the company.

Employees at the company are able to use Fridays to complete any outside work activities they would like as long as they keep up with productivity when on the clock.

There are currently no positions open at Volt Athletics.

Wonderlic

The software company, which helps employers pick out the best applicants, has implemented a four-day 32-hour workweek after a three-month experiment over the summer.

Wonderlic has 7 jobs currently available.

For a wider search range, you can use 4/day week’s search tool to find the best job for you.

This allows you to search by location and job title.

These 21 states are increasing the minimum wage this month.

We explain how much Target, Home Depot, Amazon, and other major employers pay their workers.

Plus, these retailers will pay your college tuition.

Molly-Mae Hague horrified as she’s told to work a 12 hour shift in video before she boasted about hard work

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The 4-day workweek has benefits including reduced staff turnover, improved recruitment, and better mental and physical health, with 39% of employees reporting less stress and 37% improved physical health.

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

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

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

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

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

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

A third of America's companies are exploring 4-day workweeks, with over 300 already adopting them.

Title:

Content: Less work for the same pay won’t fly – but here’s a four-day week that might

According to CNN “4-day workweeks may be around the corner. A third of America’s companies are exploring them.” CNBC says: “This US company tested a 4-day workweek – and says it made workers happier and more productive.” Newsweek tells us: “Millennials Are Ready For a Four-Day Week.” So why do all of my clients say nope?

According to an advocacy organization, more than 300 companies have four-day workweeks and, per the reports above, many others are apparently “testing” the concept. I admit that I’ve spoken to none of these companies but I’m not sure I have to. I spend my life working with small and mid-sized businesses and I know a PR stunt when I see one. Hey, good for them. In these times of tight labor - it’s a great marketing campaign. “People! Come work for us except you don’t have to do as much work and we’ll still pay you the same!” Now that’s a company I want to work for.

Related: Yes, inflation has slowed, but business is still paying the price – and so are you

But ask any business owner about the four-day workweek and you’ll get the eye-roll. No employer who’s currently paying a worker $1,000 a week for 40 hours is going to agree to pay that same worker the same amount for a 32-hour week.

My firm has 600 clients. These companies slit paper, coat films, design strip malls, buy and sell auto parts online, mow lawns and repair roofs. They’re mostly owned by people who wake up at 5am and work till 7pm. They don’t have enough people to do the work needed. They don’t have enough money to pay for good health insurance, let alone a robot. Their parking lots need resurfacing, their internet needs upgrading and their coffee pots need to be replaced by Keurigs.

These businesses – like most their size - suffer when a single person calls out sick. Their owners are battling customers who don’t pay, suppliers who don’t deliver and services that don’t function. My little subset of clients – who represent a tiny sliver of the country’s 30m businesses – can’t fathom a four-day workweek. To them, this is a fairytale, a dream, a misguided workplace concept driven by media interest that is so unrealistic that few even pay attention to the stories about it.

But that doesn’t mean there isn’t a place for the four-day workweek. All this idea needs is a little bit of rebranding.

If you’re an advocate of the four-day workweek you’re going about this all wrong. Instead of working fewer hours for the same pay – which, again let me confirm, is never going to happen – you should be pushing for changes in work schedules. Many industries – like healthcare, home services and retail – allow flexibility in scheduling so that workers put in four 10-hour days and then have three days off. I know younger workers who have this arrangement at their employers and they love it. Working a 10-hour shift isn’t that much different than an eight-hour shift, but having three days off in a week makes a big difference.

This is the kind of four-day workweek an employer should embrace. Allowing your people more flexibility in their scheduling satisfies a very reasonable (and admirable) value championed by today’s younger generations to have a better work-life balance. They’re right about this and smarter than my generation. By adopting a more flexible 10-hour-day schedule your company can tout its own “four-day workweek” program to current and prospective employees and leverage the current news cycle to help retain and attract more talent.

There will always be wily politicians who will take up silly causes like the four-day workweek to fire up their base. There will always be companies aiming to grab the headlines. But here’s the reality: workers who think that corporate America is going to a four-day workweek anytime soon are dreaming. It’s not going to happen. Not in the foreseeable future. Probably not ever. It simply doesn’t make economic sense. But employers can be more flexible and should be if they want to recruit the best talent. That’s the kind of “four-day” workweek that does make sense to a businessperson.

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How many large American companies may implement 4-day workweek according to a survey of CEOs by KPMG?

Both small and large companies may struggle to implement a four-day workweek due to various constraints.

Title:

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."

Check out:

The biggest ever four-day workweek trial has reached its halfway point. But what are the shorter weeks really like?

Workers who tested 4-day workweek say they'll never return to 5 days—or only with a huge pay bump

10 companies that will let you work from anywhere and are hiring now

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What challenges will the companies with diverse workforce have for implementing 4-day workweek??

Lack of resouces to support shift for sall comppanies

Complicated to roll out for large companies

What challenges will the companies with diverse workforce have for implementing 4-day workweek??

Lack of resouces to support shift for sall comppanies

Complicated to roll out for large companies

The 4-day workweek has environmental benefits and has been adopted by companies in countries like the US, UK, Iceland, and New Zealand.

Title:

Content: More vacations, less time, higher productivity.
American companies are testing their four-day job.
In an effort to retain competencies and balance work and personal life
In an effort to retain competent employees, offer incentives not to give them away to other competitors, and to balance work and personal life, many American companies have begun experimenting with a new work system that is perpetually only four days a week instead of five.
Participants in this experiment were asked to apply it for six months, with working hours reduced from forty hours a week to thirty-two hours, without prejudice to the financial entitlements of the employees.
Experiments from several US companies have found that employees who worked only four days a week were more productive and happier.
One of the advantages of working only four days a week, according to these experiences, as reported by Sky News Arabia, is that it made employees stick to their work more, which achieves a balance in the difficult equation between the professional and personal life of the employee.
Commenting on the experience, David Leventhal, chief economic editor at Business Insider, said: “In the United States, the coronavirus epidemic has changed everything, including employees who have worked from home for months, but so far there has been no move by the federal government to work for just four days.
Nick Loris, a researcher in the clean energy and climate sector, said: “Working just four days will be very important in terms of its environmental impact, as it will reduce the traffic jams that come with going to and from work at the same time for many people, especially in large cities, thus reducing emissions later. ”
The most prominent sectors that tried this approach were health and technology, and it came as an attempt by employers to retain qualified employees and offer them incentives not to give them away to other competitors.
On the other hand, there are those who have registered their objection to this career approach, pointing out that it may cause challenges that are difficult to resolve in terms of conflicting work schedules and scheduling.
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A 4-day workweek may not benefit all employees, especially lower-paid ones, and is often unsuitable for customer-facing roles.

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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4 days a week, depending on the occupation, some of the advantages of recruitment, some afraid of being forced to work overtime.
Increasingly, companies are trying to work four days a week, but employees and bosses who have tried this are divided about how effective it is to work one day less per week.
The Wall Street Journal reported on the 25th that Brian McNaboe, a consultant at Harvard Business School, said he found that reducing the weekly hours can maintain overall efficiency.
He was previously CTO at Volt Athletics, a Seattle-based startup that provides virtual personal training, and the team successfully adopted the “Flexible Friday ” approach, where employees can choose to work or not work on Fridays.
“From a productivity standpoint, it was very successful and very popular, and the company decided to make it permanent and a recruiting advantage, ” Mr. McNabb said.
However, for some industries, reducing the number of working days per week may not be worth it.
Among them, Jennifer Newman, a former employee who worked for large advertising companies, said that former employers switched to four eight-hour shifts a week during the epidemic, but most employees had to work overtime to meet the deadline.
“I ’ m a little skeptical of those who say it ’ s ‘ employee benefits, ’ ” Newman said.“ It ’ s basically a five-day workload into four days. ”
Advertisers may think, like Newman, that it is very difficult to cut time and do the job well, and even more impossible for the consumer-facing service industry.
Mike Groves, CEO of Federal Lock & Safe in Arlington, Virginia, said, “It ’ s hard for the service industry to do that.
Groves was adamant that the company had to open five days a week, but he allowed employees to strike a more work-life balance: the company worked seven hours a day, with employees arriving at 6 a.m. and leaving around 1 p.m.
Shorter working hours per day, while improving retention and productivity.
According to the Wall Street Journal, based on their experience of receiving hundreds of shortened working days, although many workers believe that "productivity" should be the only important indicator, many bosses still stress that "hours of work" is an important measure of productivity.
Roy Eriksson, president and CEO of engineering firm Alickson in Tampa, Fla., says measuring work is hard to move away from hours.
Wages and productivity must be combined, he said, and the current representation is the number of hours worked.
“You can ’ t casually reduce the number of hours your employees work, ” he said.“ Working hours translate into productivity, which is needed for pay and benefits. ”
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