A 4-day workweek improves employee well-being, work-life balance, and overall health.

The 4-day workweek reduces employee turnover, with 71% experiencing less burnout and 39% less stress.

80% of companies find it easier to recruit talent with a 4-day workweek.

The 4-day workweek has a positive environmental impact through reduced commuting and energy consumption.

The UK is leading the 4-day workweek trend with a 6-month trial involving 3,300 employees at 70 companies.

Implementing a 4-day workweek requires careful consideration of technical and logistical factors.

Clear rules and communication are essential for a successful 4-day workweek.

A 4-day workweek may reduce earning power, but provides around 50 extra days of personal time annually.

Larger companies may struggle with a 4-day workweek due to logistical challenges, while smaller companies can adopt it more easily.

Companies can maintain customer service levels with reduced hours, often with no negative impact.

A 4-day workweek can boost employee happiness and productivity, with companies like Bolt and Accu reporting increased efficiency.

A 4-day workweek trial with 2900 employees at 61 companies saw sharp drops in staff turnover and absenteeism, with most maintaining or increasing productivity.

Companies can adopt a 4-day workweek with 80% hours and 100% pay, with 91% continuing after a trial.

A UK-wide switch to a four-day working week could lower CO2 emissions by over 20 percent.

Some companies, like Unilever, have successfully introduced four-day weeks with minimal disruption.

Technology facilitates this transition, with 77% of employees believing automation can save time and increase productivity.

A 4-day workweek's success depends on company culture, employee buy-in, and effective use of technology.

Companies can improve satisfaction, increase productivity, and stay competitive by leveraging technology and flexible work arrangements.

A 4-day workweek improves employee well-being, work-life balance, and overall health.

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 ▼ ▼ ▼
+ 16

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

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

Increase in employee and customer satisfaction.

The 4-day workweek reduces employee turnover, with 71% experiencing less burnout and 39% less stress.

Title:

Content: The final results show that most companies will not return to the five-day working week, and have the advantages of rising revenue performance and a sharp reduction in turnover, the biggest change is a reduction in the proportion of employees tired, and an extra day of leave can be more balanced between life and work.
The project was carried out by researchers from the non-profit organization 4 Day Week Global, UK think tank Autonomy, Boston College, Cambridge and Oxford University, with 61 organizations and nearly 3,000 employees across industries such as banking, education, IT and retail.
Companies can choose to let employees take an extra day off or reduce their working hours to 80% of the original, but the salary and work output must be the same as the original standard.
As a result, 56 of the 61 companies were willing to maintain the three-day weekend, and 18 of them were willing to make the policy permanent.
Through this trial, up to 71% of employees have reduced their burnout rate, 39% of employees have been relieved of stress, and the probability of employees taking temporary leave has dropped by 65%. For employers, the revenue of some enterprises during the trial period has increased by more than one-third over the same period last year, and employee efficiency has improved.
The UK trial is similar to the results of smaller trials conducted in the US, Ireland and Australia in December, which have previously shown a rise in revenue and staff productivity, as well as a decline in absenteeism and turnover.
# 3 days off week # turnover rate # burnout # business # 4 days work

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

80% of companies find it easier to recruit talent with a 4-day workweek.

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 do employers in India think of 4-day workweek?

The 4-day workweek has a positive environmental impact through reduced commuting and energy consumption.

Title:

Content: 70 companies in the UK have started a four-day workweek.
Harbin News Agency / Nursultan / June 7 – According to the British "Guardian" reported by Chinanews.com, on the 6th local time, more than 3,300 employees in 70 British companies began to experiment with a four-day work week, with a trial period of six months.
This is the world ’ s largest attempt at this new model of work.
According to the report, the trial was conducted in a “100: 80: 100 ” model, in which participants received 100% of their salary and worked 80% of their time, but the output of their work was still 100%.
“As we emerge from the pandemic, more and more companies are realizing that the new frontier of competition is quality of life, and that a shorter, output-oriented way of working is a tool that gives them a competitive advantage, ” said Joe O ’ Connor, CEO of the nonprofit Global Four Day Workday.
The researchers will work with each participating organization to measure the impact of the trial on corporate productivity and employee well-being, as well as on the environment and gender equality.
Juliet Schor, a professor of sociology at Boston College and lead researcher on the project, called it a “historic experiment. ”
"We will analyze how employees respond to an extra day of rest, including stress and burnout, job and life satisfaction, health, sleep, energy use, travel and life," she said.
The government-backed four-day work week trial will also begin in Spain and elsewhere later this year.
I'm reading.

The UK is leading the 4-day workweek trend with a 6-month trial involving 3,300 employees at 70 companies.

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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Implementing a 4-day workweek requires careful consideration of technical and logistical factors.

Title:

Content: [Workplace Culture] Non-Profit Organization 4 Day Week Global Advocates for Corporate Transition to “4-Day Workday ”
Commercial 15: 09 2022 / 06 / 01
Share:
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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.
(Data Image)
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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What challenges will the companies with diverse workforce have for implementing 4-day workweek??

Complicated to roll out for large companies

Clear rules and communication are essential for a successful 4-day workweek.

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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A 4-day workweek may reduce earning power, but provides around 50 extra days of personal time annually.

Larger companies may struggle with a 4-day workweek due to logistical challenges, while smaller companies can adopt it more easily.

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??

Complicated to roll out for large companies

What companies are adopting 4-day workweek?

Mainly nonprofit and small tech companies under 1,000 employees

Companies can maintain customer service levels with reduced hours, often with no negative impact.

Title:

Content: Go to contents
"The company is like a study room"... the scenery of the change of the working day on Thursday
"The company is like a study room"... the scenery of the change of the working day on Thursday
Posted August.
03, 2022 07: 37
Updated August.
03, 2022 07: 37
한국어
“The company is like a study room.
The staff buried their heads in their work. ”
Gary Conroy, CEO of the British cosmetics manufacturing company "5 Squirrels", told CNN on the 1st that the company's internal landscape has changed after the implementation of the four-day working week.
In order to shorten the working hours of employees and improve work efficiency, Conroy designated two hours a day in the morning and afternoon to do not reply to emails, phone calls, company internal information, etc., also known as "deep working hours".
That is to say, the design can work less, but can focus on the "real thing to do" environment.
London advertising company Unity also implemented the four-day week early, after a chaotic adaptation period, quickly found a way out.
All meetings are limited to 5 minutes and customer meetings are limited to 30 minutes.
In addition, in order not to let unnecessary dialogue hinder the work, also introduced a "signal light system".
Every worker on the table is marked "don't talk" in red, "although busy, but there is time for dialogue" in yellow, "no relationship" in blue.
The British think tank Autonomy, in collaboration with research teams from Cambridge University, Oxford University and Boston University, started a four-day workweek demonstration operation in June with 3,300 workers from 70 companies. For six months, the workers have maintained 100% productivity, no wage cuts, and only 80% of their normal working hours.
“As of last month, the quality of life of Icelanders working 36 hours per week has improved dramatically in many ways, ” says Autonomy. The United States, Canada, Australia and other countries have also decided to implement a four-day week in the near future.
Shin Ya-heng reporter abro @ donga.com

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

Increase in employee and customer satisfaction.

A 4-day workweek can boost employee happiness and productivity, with companies like Bolt and Accu reporting increased efficiency.

Title:

Content: Interest in the four-day week has been on the rise in recent years with the Covid-19 pandemic accelerating the shift in how businesses organise their teams while employees are looking a6t how to achieve a better work life balance.

Currently, more than 3300 workers at 70 companies are working a four-day week with no loss of pay in the biggest ever four-day week pilot to take place anywhere in the world.

They are more than half way through the six-month trial, which started on June 6. It is based on the principle of the 100:80:100 model - 100% of the pay for 80% of the time, in exchange for a commitment to maintain at least 100% productivity.

Joe Ryle, director of the 4 Day Week Campaign, one of the organisations behind the campaign, said: “Companies should embrace the four-day week as a way of boosting productivity, improving wellbeing and to help with job retention. The 9-5, 5 day working week is outdated and no longer fit for purpose.”

At BusinessLive, we've been covering the trend for a number of years and for this article, we check in with firms from right across the UK to see how it's going.

From early adopters to businesses that have made the change in recent months, we find out how things are working out from both a business and employee perspective.

The responses are honest and explain the pros and cons.

We firmly believe the four-day week is the future of working life

Atom Bank

Durham

Challenger bank Atom last November became the largest UK business to move all employees to a four-day working week, with no change of salary.
The Durham business, which now has 480 staff, made the shift in recognition of people having longer working lives, the positive impact of technology, flexible working and the need to live and work more sustainably.
More than six months on, Atom has seen a noticeable positive impact that the shift has had on employees, customer service, and operations.

Anne-Marie Lister, chief people officer at Atom, said: “Over six months on from introducing our new four-day working week, it’s clear that it has been a huge success for our business and our people.
“People are rightly looking for a healthier work/life balance, and despite warnings from some sceptics, our metrics and people surveys show that this has not had a negative impact on employees or customer service. In fact, it has been the opposite, with happier, more efficient, and more productive people who are even more driven to help us change banking for the better.
“We firmly believe the four-day week is the future of working life and it is encouraging to now see the range of businesses across the UK embracing the four-day week trials."

One objective was to attract and retain talent more effectively and data reveals this has been a success, having seen a 500% surge in job applications following its launch.
Headcount has grown from 461 in November 2021 to 480 in June 2022, thanks also to a reduction in the number of departures. Atom said this has been vital, with the fight for talent becoming fiercely competitive following the widespread adoption of hybrid working following the pandemic.
Productivity levels have also been measured by each department, with metrics specific to each of the 10 departments. Data collated for the six months to April reveals that across all of the 165 departmental metrics tracked, the success rate has improved.
Employees are also more motivated working a four-day week too. Almost all (92%) report that they look forward to work, and there has been a 13% increase in people engagement between February 2022 and 12 months earlier. Days lost to sickness have also declined since the introduction of the new working structure, dropping from 100 in the month of November 2021, to 72 in June 2022.
Meanwhile, in terms of Atom’s impact on customer service, its Trust Pilot score has risen from 4.54 at the start of the new working structure to 4.82 in June.

What do Atom employees say?

As to how staff members use their time off, Paul, contact centre team leader, said: “I’ve been using my extra day off to do an advanced motorcyclist course so I can volunteer for Northumbria Blood Bikes as a rider, transporting blood from surgeries to hospitals.”
Jonathon, telephone business development manager, said: “The four-day working week has allowed me to spend some quality time with my three year old son Jack. Spending our time in the best soft plays & swimming pools Sunderland has to offer, before dropping him off & picking him up from nursery. Without this day off, I would rarely be able to have this quality time together during the week.”

In short, I’ve been a dad

Merthyr Valleys Homes

Merthyr Tydfil

Merthyr Valley Homes adopted a 30-hour week in the four day working week pilot scheme without loss of pay.

Some staff member are working a four day week and some are working shorter hours over five days to ensure service provision over five days.

The biggest challenge for the firm has been finding ways to work differently while ensuring services aren’t impacted, however it has tried out new approaches during the pilot and says it has found “some very quick wins”.

A spokesperson said: “We have been working on how best to measure success and we are developing a number of new performance measures as a direct result of participating in the trial.”

A positive outcome has been the cooperation between teams and directorates.

“The conversations around how to work more efficiently have been really interesting and it has given everyone a reason to take the time to look at this collectively.”

The company has also seen support for the scheme from its stakeholders and the housing sector in Wales, and has attracted a wide range of candidates to apply for its job vacancies.

Of the advice it would give to other businesses thinking of moving to a four day week, the firm says: “Don’t be too prescriptive and set too many rules - our colleagues have been our greatest asset in designing their own solutions.”

The employee perspective

Ross Williams is the tenant engagement lead for Merthyr Valleys Homes.

The 42-year-old, who is married with 2 children, says the four day working week has hugely improved his work-life balance.

“I feel working 80% of the hours has increased my output. And I realise that a huge reason for this is because of what I choose to do with the other 20%,” he said.

During his non-working day on a Thursday, Mr Williams says he will fit in some early morning exercise or catch up with friends before picking up his 3-year-old son from nursery at 11am. He will also collect his daughter from school.

“In short, I’ve been a dad,” he said. “I’ve been guilty in the past of prioritising work over family and I’m determined to ensure this time remains a space where I get to enjoy some of the simple pleasures.”

During work hours, Mr Williams says the four day working week pilot has also provided some real work benefits and encouraged practical changes within the business.

In meetings, he says discussions are pertinent and decisions are reached “as quickly as possible saving time for myself and colleagues”.

He said: “I feel so much more productive knowing that my work is planned, my non-working day is factored in and my diary ensures my team can access me to ensure they are able to retain the same level of productivity,” he said.

“I think I am more productive, more focused and more content in my role. I have become much more well prepared for the time off that the four day week gives me.”

You couldn’t pay me enough to go back to five days

Marketing Signals

Altrincham

Marketing Signals, moved to a four-day working week in May with staff working 32-hours with no loss of pay.

When Managing Director Gareth Hoyle explained the reasons behind his decision on Linkedin, his post went viral and he was inundated with questions from other business bosses keen to do the same.

Mr Hoyle said he is excited to be part of a new model of work.

"It focuses on quality not quantity and will revolutionise the future of work. A good work/life balance is the key to a happy and healthy workforce which leads to loyalty, ultimately helping our business grow.

“My motto has always been ‘don’t live to work and don’t work to live’, and if COVID-19 has taught us anything, it’s that it’s important we look after ourselves first. It’s important that my staff feel valued and understand life outside of work is just as important."

What do staff say?

Web developer and dad to a newborn Jack Darracott says that a shift to a four-day working week has transformed his life and made him more productive at work.

He works smarter, not harder, and the extra day off allows him to spend more time with his newborn son.

He said: “Since moving to the four-day working week, I’ve been able to spend more quality time with my son, and experience all of the first milestones that I would have missed out on had I been working a full week.”

The catalyst for the move to a four-day week came from the rise in cost of living, which led to Jack asking for a change in working hours due to rising childcare costs.

Jack explains: “The new model has also helped save money as I now don’t have to spend more of my wages on additional childcare fees. This is especially important with the rise in the cost of living. The extra day off also offers breathing room for any curve balls that life may throw at me.”

The four-day trial was met with some scepticism as many people questioned whether it would actually work. However, Jack says it has improved his productivity and efficiency, and that he even feels more energised when he’s back in.

Jack said: adds: “Not only has it helped with my home life, but my work has also improved. My day off serves as a ‘reset day’, so when I’m back in I can look at work with a fresh pair of eyes and I feel more refreshed.”

“You couldn’t pay me enough to go back to five days.”

There have been a number of lessons along the way

Tyler Grange

London, Birmingham, Manchester, Bristol, Exeter and Cirencester

The landscape planning, ecology and arboriculture consultancy became the first in its industry to sign up to the UK pilot in June. Its 80-strong nationwide team does not work Fridays with no loss of income.

The firm is reporting promising results producing the same amount of work so far during the pilot - from June to August – as it did in the same period last year. This is a measurement ratio of productive time versus direct costs, which means the company is, as planned, 100% productive in 80% of the time.

At the pilot’s halfway point, Simon Ursell, Managing Director at Tyler Grange, shares his seven key pieces of advice on how to make the transition from five to four as seamless – and successful - as possible.

Preparation is vital

I can’t stress enough how important it is to prepare for the switch from five working days to four. To enjoy a better work-life balance and to have more time to spend doing what we love. This just can’t be switched on overnight.

Talk to your clients and customers

The most common concern, of course, was ‘what if we need you on a Friday?’ but the vast majority congratulated us for showing such innovation, yet again, and are keen to be kept up to date on how it’s going.

Talk to your team and be ready to realise that a four-day working week isn’t for everyone

It’s essential to engage with your team but it’s also important to realise that working a four-day week isn’t for everyone.

Once the pilot began, and we became more accustomed to our new systems and way of working – which removed lots of lengthy admin and unnecessary meetings and reporting from our day - they soon got their heads around it.

Take different job roles and departments into consideration

Some of our work is very seasonal so, for those teams that are very busy during summertime, we’ve delayed the implementation of some new processes until the autumn.

You need to give people time to learn how to work differently – and it may not be the same for everyone.

If you’re looking to sell your business, a four-day week might not be for you

We used to receive a number of approaches by companies looking to buy us. But interesting, since trialling the four-day week, they’ve stopped.

So, for any potential owners who are sceptical that cutting hours could increase productivity, working a four-day week probably feels like too great a gamble to get locked into.

Bite the bullet and only have one company-wide day off

In some companies, the potential impact of the four-day week is being mitigated by covering all days but with reduced colleagues. We wouldn’t recommend this, despite it perhaps seeming to be an easier option at first.

It can sometimes be more intense and tiring

Most jobs are intense from time to time, and we know that working four days rather than five can exacerbate this on occasions. The adoption of our Alertness App – means we can get a real handle on any tiredness early and can react straight away.

Mr Ursell said: “I’d be surprised if we don’t adopt a permanent four-day working week post-pilot, but we still have three months to go.

“The UK has an unhealthy culture where it is seen as a badge of honour to be work all the time, the brilliant talent that we want to attract at all levels of the organisation - don’t want to be defined by a burnout life."

The worker's point of view

Helen Brittain, 54, is an administrator at Tyler Grange.

She lives with her husband, her son and daughter-in-law, and her two grandchildren - Henrietta, 5, and Florence, 7, - as well as their two dogs.

Helen said her productivity has improved enormously and the new working processes and systems encourage me help her to plan better.

She said: “In the past, work -life balance was always a bit of an issue for me. I felt like a two-day weekend didn’t enable me to enjoy enough of a homelife or to do necessary chores.

Now she is able to get on with chores and care for her grandchildren and find some time for herself.

She said: “I’ve also recently embarked on my own self-learning journey around mental health, as well as looking after my psychical health by working with a personal trainer and nutritionist.

“All of this is having enormous benefits on my personal health and wellbeing, which then has a real impact on my workplace performance and productivity.”

We're more productive and creative than ever before

Accu

Huddersfield

A Huddersfield-based tech-based firm that introduced a permanent four-day week to all 100 staff four months ago say the move has paid massive dividends.

Accu, which designs, manufactures and distributes engineering components worldwide, says it has seen a major boost in productivity, job applications, turnover, and orders from customers.

The firm's policy with no reduction in pay or obligation for staff to make the hours up.

From April-July, Accu has created 20 new jobs – a 25% increase in headcount. The number of applications per role has skyrocketed. One role, which previously got 40 applications, subsequently got 200 – a 400% increase. Similar numbers are being experienced across all vacancies.

Simultaneously, productivity is up, as the time it takes to respond to customer enquiries has improved by 46%. Order numbers and average values have increased by 15%, boosting turnover by 10% (quarter-on-quarter), meaning Accu is on track to hit £12m-plus turnover this year.

Company co-founder, Martin Ackroyd told YorkshireLive: "Giving people more personal time to enjoy the things they love has increased motivation, decreased the risk of burnout and has driven a renewed sense of purpose in our mission to help our customers build a better tomorrow. As a result, we're more productive and creative than ever before."

What do staff say?

Some staff have used their new spare time to pursue personal interests, such as home renovation and the arts, whilst others have used it to spend more time with their family or save on childcare costs.

Matt Ogden, community manager, said: "The longer weekends are very well received. With a longer break, it personally provides me with freedom to travel to London to enjoy and take part in the performing arts. In general, everyone feels more chilled, upbeat, happy, and refreshed.

"In terms of the business, we have seen a benefit across all areas – it was definitely a sound business decision."

Every Friday I enjoy not setting an alarm

Chilwell Products

Ilkeston, Derbyshire

Staff at the manufacturer of end bands for scaffold boards previously worked 39 hours over five days but this was reduced earlier this year by five hours, with all staff on duty Monday to Thursday.

Laura Clarke, managing director, said investment in new machinery improved overall capacity while giving back time to the team."

She said: "Initially, there were concerns around how our move would be received by customers but, when we ran our trial period, we managed to maintain lead times despite operating for five hours fewer.

"Many customers and suppliers have praised our move, even going as far to ask if they can have a job here.

She said the atmosphere at work had improved and there was something 'incredibly smug' about knowing you were halfway through the week on a Tuesday while team members had more autonomy over their lives and how they spent their free time, with some taking extra work elsewhere.

The hard numbers for the firm's manufacturing volumes and the first two financial quarters are positive despite the drop in hours.

She said: "I would advise others thinking of doing this to brainstorm, speak to various people within teams, gather information and look at the business from as many different angles as possible.

"It might not be something you can do in the next few months or even this year but you could start to make changes.

"Businesses need to think outside the box, we need to be innovative as we shape the working landscape moving forward."

How's work been?

Nicholas Wall is a 28-year-old toolroom assistant and press operator at Chilwell Products.

"It's nice to finish the working week on Thursday knowing you'll come in on Monday to a fresh slate.

"This also makes me feel like I'm giving something back to the company as I appreciate they've given us more time to spend however I want."

Nicholas said that, in previous roles with other employers, he felt he was rushing his evenings and weekends but had grown accustomed to it and had not noticed the effect this was having on him.

He added: "Only now that I'm more relaxed do I realise how frantic and pressured my personal life was.

"Every Friday I enjoy not setting an alarm, naturally waking up then heading to the gym to get a workout in and get it out the way."

It's not an easy process, but one we're proud we took the time to implement

City to Sea

Bristol

Bristol-based environmental organisation City to Sea has moved to a four-day working week without any reduction in pay for staff.

The community interest company employs 19 people, who are all now working a 32-hour week, but are being paid the same salary as when they worked for five days. The organisation, which campaigns to reduce plastic pollution, confirmed the move after running a four-day week trial over six months, and receiving positive feedback from staff. Now, every employee has Friday off.

Natalie Fee, chief executive and founder, said the top three challenges of implementing the four-day week were staff members feeling overstretched, managing work patterns and difficulties adjusting to reduced hours.

“We also found calculations around bank holidays and implications of those weeks being three days difficult to navigate,” she said.

However, she said the positives were staff motivation and increased wellbeing.

“It creates a much more balanced, healthier working environment and has resulted in increased staff engagement and staff retention. It's not an easy process, but one we're proud we took the time to test and implement.”

On the frontline

Steve Hynd, policy manager at City to Sea, who is 36 and is married with two children under five, says the move has been “completely transformative”.

“It’s not just the four days a week but also offering flexible working, having a really supportive line manager, and a host of other positive HR policies. This all combined is allowing me to spend more time with my two young kids, giving back to my community as a local district councillor and crucially (and very rarely) even having a bit of time for myself. It has removed the sense of being constantly over-stretched and has improved my mental and physical health significantly.”

Read more of our coverage on the four-day week:

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

The employees were happier
The productivity  increased

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

Increase in employee and customer satisfaction.

Which company in San Francisco has announced a permanent 4-day workweek?

A 4-day workweek trial with 2900 employees at 61 companies saw sharp drops in staff turnover and absenteeism, with most maintaining or increasing productivity.

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

Companies can adopt a 4-day workweek with 80% hours and 100% pay, with 91% continuing after a trial.

Title:

Content: Ina Opperman
Business Journalist
3 minute read
26 Feb 2023
10:00 am

Largest 4-day week trial results good news for future of work

Ina Opperman

Will a 4-day workweek work? It seems that employees and employers are happy.

The results of the world’s largest 4-day week trial is good news for the future of work, with new research showing that these results are largely in line with existing global evidence, further demonstrating the benefits of reduced-hour, output-focused working.

The pilot programme conducted in the UK by non-profit 4 Day Week Global, the UK’s 4-Day Week Campaign and think tank Autonomy, guided over 60 companies and almost 3 000 workers through a six-month trial of a 4-day week, with no loss of pay for workers.

This brings the global campaign’s total number of completed pilot participants to 91 companies and approximately 3 500 employees. Lead researcher, professor Juliet Schor of Boston College, says overall results show that almost every organisation will stick to a 4-day week after the trial, with 91% definitely continuing or planning to continue and another 4% leaning towards continuing. Only 4% of participants are definitely not continuing.

Participating companies rated their overall experience of the trials at an average of 8.5/10, with business productivity and business performance each scoring 7.5/10. Revenue increased by 35% over the trial periods when compared to similar periods from the previous year, while hiring increased and absenteeism decreased.

ALSO READ: 28 SA companies to implement 4-day work week on 1 March

Improved employee wellbeing and health

During the trial it was also found that the health and wellbeing of employees also improved, with significant increases observed in physical and mental health, time spent exercising and overall life and job satisfaction. Rates of stress, burnout and fatigue all decreased along with problems with sleep.

Even the environmental outcomes were encouraging, with commuting time falling across the full sample by a half hour per week.

Schor says she observed an encouraging consistency in the data, with results largely steady across workplaces of varying sizes, demonstrating this is an innovation which works for many types of organisations.

“There are also some interesting differences. We found that employees in non-profits and professional services had a larger average increase in time spent exercising, while those in construction and manufacturing enjoyed the largest reductions in burnout and sleep problems.”

Behavioural scientist and new CEO of 4-Day Week Global, Dr Dale Whelehan, explained the sample produced interesting differences in gender outcomes. “While men and women benefit from a 4-day week, women’s experience is generally better for burnout, life and job satisfaction, mental health and reduced commuting time.”

ALSO READ: 4-day work week pilot so successful, all participating companies sticking to it

4-day workweek also balances home tasks

Encouragingly, the research also showed that the burden of non-work duties appears to be balancing out, with more men taking on a greater share of housework and childcare.

Co-founder and MD of 4-Day Week Global, Charlotte Lockhart, says her team is delighted to be expanding the arguments in favour of a 4-day week with this new world-class academic research. “We look forward to adding our Australasian pilot results to this data set in the coming weeks and our European, South African, Brazilian and North American results in the coming months.”

4-Day Week Global was founded in New Zealand by entrepreneurs and philanthropists, Andrew Barnes and Charlotte Lockhart, following the world-renowned success of their pioneering trial of the 4-day week in Perpetual Guardian.

Their approach is based on the 100-80-100™ model designed by Lockhart alongside the Perpetual Guardian trial in 2018. That means 100% of the pay, for 80% of the time, in exchange for a commitment to deliver 100% of the output.

4-Day Week Global’s ambition is to make a 4-day week the new default and reduced working time the new standard.

A UK-wide switch to a four-day working week could lower CO2 emissions by over 20 percent.

Title:

Content: Rise of the four day week? Bank becomes largest British company to slash hours for staff

DIGITAL bank Atom has become the largest company in the UK to introduce a four day week without cutting pay for any of its staff.

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Home working is ‘regressive’ for women claims Rachel Johnson

The app based bank has confirmed it introduced the new four day week on November 1 for all of its 430 employees with the majority choosing to adopt it. Previously Atom employees worked a 37.5 hour week across five days but this will now reduce to a 34 hour week spread over four days. Staff taking up the reduced hours option will see their shifts lengthen slightly, working 8.5 hours instead of 7.5. It is expected most employees will take Monday or Friday as the default day off apart from those in operational or services roles whose days will vary to allow seven day a week customer support. Mark Mullen, CEO of Atom, explained experiences during the pandemic had "exploded many of the myths of the modern workplace" with changes not needing to stop at working from home.

Mr Mullen said: “A four-day week will provide our employees with more opportunities to pursue their passions, spend time with their families, and build a healthier work/life balance.

"We firmly believe that this will prove beneficial for our employees’ wellbeing and happiness and that it will have an equally positive impact on business productivity and customer experience."

Ben Willmott, Head of Public Policy at the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development cautioned a shorter working week would only be sustainable by smarter working to improve productivity.

Mr Willmott explained: "“It is undoubtedly a positive move for employers to seek to reduce people's working hours without compromising pay.

"However, the challenge of simply reducing people’s working hours without other changes is that you can increase exposure to work intensity and stress, which is already one of the main causes of working time lost to sickness absence."

Workers will see hours cut but not salaries (Image: Getty)

Atom CEO Mark Mullen (Image: Atom )

Atom points to the evolving history of working patterns as evidence for the need to change.

The standard five day working week was first popularised by US carmaker Henry Ford in the 1920s and subsequently taken up by Boots in the UK in 1934.

From there most other companies began to follow suit whereas previously a six day week had been more common.

In Iceland a trial was run by Reykjavik City Council this year to introduce four day weeks to workplaces such as preschools, social services and hospitals.

The five day week was introduced by carmaker Henry Ford in the 1920s (Image: Getty)

Widely reported to be a success trials are also now taking place by consumer giant Unilever in New Zealand.

The idea of a four day week has not always worked for all sectors though.

In 2019 the Wellcome trust shelved its plans to try out four day working after concluding it was "too operationally complex to implement."

Mr Mullen commented: “While we appreciate a four-day working week will not be right for all workplaces, the move to working from home has proved that working practices that may have seemed years away can be introduced rapidly."

"We are proud to be one of the first businesses to introduce a four-day week for all our employees, and we hope many others follow suit."

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Iceland has been trialling a four day week (Image: Getty)

As well as benefits to employee welfare Atom also believe a shorter working week could reduce the environmental impact of companies.

The group cites a 2021 study by environmental organisation Platform London which found a UK wide switch to four day working by 2025 could lower CO2 emissions by over 20 percent.

Atom was launched in 2016 as the UK's first app based bank offering savings accounts, mortgages and business loans.

Some companies, like Unilever, have successfully introduced four-day weeks with minimal disruption.

Technology facilitates this transition, with 77% of employees believing automation can save time and increase productivity.

Title:

Content: Slack: Companies still aren't making the most out of hybrid working technology

A new study from Slack has uncovered the shocking reality about productivity that is costing businesses money.

The company's latest State of Work Report surveyed more than 18,000 workers across the world, finding companies are still failing to supply employees with sufficient productivity tools, and highlights the growing need for businesses to adopt AI in order to achieve their best results.

As well as leading to fewer profits, IT decision-makers’ apparent reluctance to distribute software designed to support remote workers is leading to company-wide dissatisfaction that could be losing businesses their talent.

Should my business use AI?

Around one-quarter (27%) of the companies Slack surveyed were using AI tools to help productivity and efficiency despite more than three-quarters (77%) of employees believing that automation could help them save time, thus increasing productivity.

Those study participants who had adopted some type of AI or automation were found to have reported productivity levels up to 90% higher than those who hadn’t, strengthening the case for the relatively new technology.

In fact, Slack’s blanket statement that “new technologies, such as AI and automation, are largely not implemented” indicates a large-scale trend that companies and their ITDMs are slow to react, risking leaving them in the dust as the small handful of companies that are willing to experiment leap ahead.

More broadly, four in five workers said that having the right technology to get the job done would improve their productivity.

It’s not just about having the right technology, though. The report briefly looks at the physical office, where quiet libraries, collaboration spaces, and larger social lounges could all play a pivotal role in how workers engage.

Finally, a wider look at wellness is in order too, according to the findings, in order to help workers establish a better work-life balance where they are able to switch off from work outside of regular hours.

“The workplace is continuously evolving – and never more so than in the past few years. Companies must rethink the employee experience to increase productivity today,” said Brent Hyder, President and Chief People Officer at Salesforce. “Organizations that embrace new ways of working, such as flexibility, automation and AI, and collaboration tools will help their employees – and ultimately their customers – find greater success.”

With several years’ experience freelancing in tech and automotive circles, Craig’s specific interests lie in technology that is designed to better our lives, including AI and ML, productivity aids, and smart fitness. He is also passionate about cars and the decarbonisation of personal transportation. As an avid bargain-hunter, you can be sure that any deal Craig finds is top value!

A 4-day workweek's success depends on company culture, employee buy-in, and effective use of technology.

Companies can improve satisfaction, increase productivity, and stay competitive by leveraging technology and flexible work arrangements.

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Mao Zedong ’ s daughter-in-law Liu Siqi has died at the age of 92.
A Texas mom who was diagnosed with his son's infection in the car pulled him into the back of the car.
San Francisco Startup Permanently Implemented Employees: Increased Efficiency
San Francisco unicorn startup Bolt announces new employee benefits: a permanent four-day workweek.
The e-commerce development company trialed the system last fall, and the results were very positive.
“I can ’ t think of a better way to run this company, ” said Ryan Breslow, founder and CEO.
Breslow said that with the implementation of the program, the company has increased productivity, streamlined workflows, and employees are happy.
At the end of the three-month pilot program, Bolt conducted an opinion survey and 94% of employees and 91% of management wanted the program to continue.
In addition, 84% of employees reported increased productivity, 86% reported increased productivity, and 84% found a better work-life balance.
Breslow noted that the idea is not to increase the number of hours employees work, but to increase their productivity.
After the implementation of the plan, the concentration of employees during working hours has increased significantly.
“Many companies are like ‘ theater ’ where people care more about appearances than the work itself, so there are endless meetings and endless reports, ” Breslow added.
In this case, it is impossible to exclude noise from the core of the problem. "
With 550 full-time employees, Bolt is one of the few companies in the United States to implement a four-day workweek.
Supporters of the system hope that this approach will be adopted by more businesses, especially at a time when the focus is on attracting and retaining employees.
Millions of people in the United States have quit their jobs in the Great Resignation over the past few months, a record 4.5 million last November alone.
Joe O ’ Connor, Global Experiment Program Manager at 4 Day Week Global, said: “The companies we ’ ve helped transition to a four-day week say it ’ s significantly broadened the pool of potential candidates. ”
In fact, in July last year, Members of the United States introduced a bill to reduce the working week from the standard 40 hours to 32 hours, but no progress has been made.
The four-day work week is not applicable to all businesses, because the business model of each company is different.
“It should be seen as a starting point for how companies can work smarter and more efficiently, ” O ’ Connor said.
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