# Comprehensive Report: Benefits and Barriers of a 4-Day Workweek

## Executive Summary

The 4-day workweek is emerging as a significant global trend in labor policy, with trials and implementations across multiple countries showing promising results.

This report examines the growing movement toward reduced working hours, highlighting documented benefits including improved employee well-being, maintained or increased productivity, and enhanced work-life balance.

It also addresses implementation challenges related to work intensity, equity concerns, and business continuity considerations.

The analysis draws on case studies from Iceland, the United Kingdom, Japan, and other regions to assess the feasibility of this model across different industries and cultural contexts.

## Global Trend Overview

The concept of a 4-day workweek has gained substantial momentum worldwide, particularly following the COVID-19 pandemic which accelerated reevaluation of traditional work structures.

Notable developments include:

- **Iceland**: Conducted the world's largest shortened workweek trial (2015-2019) involving approximately 1% of the country's working population (2,500 employees) across sectors including preschool education, social services, healthcare, and office work.

The results were described by UK think tank Autonomy as an "overwhelming success.

"

- **United Kingdom**: Companies like Atom Bank have implemented permanent 4-day workweeks without salary reduction.

The bank's CEO notably declared that "5-day work is a 19th-century industrial product that is now outdated.

" Additionally, major retailers Morrisons and M&S have introduced compressed 4-day work weeks as part of flexible working policies.

- **Japan**: The government has officially encouraged companies to adopt 4-day workweeks.

Major corporations including Panasonic, Hitachi, Mizuho Financial Group, and Uniqlo's parent company Fast Retailing have implemented such policies.

As of 2021, 8.

5% of Japanese companies surveyed had reached the standard of offering 4-day workweeks.

- **Other Regions**: The movement is gaining traction globally, with calls in various countries for serious discussion about transitioning to shorter workweeks, noting that digital technologies have dramatically increased productivity while working hours have remained largely unchanged for decades.

## Documented Benefits

### Employee Well-being and Work-Life Balance

- **Enhanced Personal Time**: Employees report having more opportunities to pursue personal interests, spend time with family, and achieve healthier work-life balance.

As noted by Atom Bank's CEO, this allows employees to work "in a more efficient, healthy, and happy way.

"

- **Reduced Burnout**: The 4-day model addresses common feelings of burnout experienced by full-time employees by providing additional recovery time.

This is particularly valuable in high-stress professions like law, which are known for overextended work weeks.

- **Improved Health and Happiness**: Iceland's trials demonstrated that paying people the same amount for fewer hours resulted in a "happier, healthier workforce.

" Employees showed higher enthusiasm and derived more pleasure from their work.

### Productivity and Business Performance

- **Maintained or Increased Productivity**: Contrary to concerns, multiple studies have shown that productivity remains stable or even increases with a 4-day workweek.

The Iceland trials found "similar or increased productivity" across most workplaces, while a UK study found "no lost productivity" according to participating employers.

- **Enhanced Employee Engagement**: Research consistently shows that happy employees are more productive.

One study involving 700 participants found that happy workers were up to 20% more productive than control groups.

The 4-day workweek appears to contribute to this happiness effect.

- **Improved Customer Experience**: Some employers report that the 4-day model has had a "positive impact on business productivity and customer experience," suggesting that the benefits extend beyond internal operations.

### Talent Attraction and Retention

- **Competitive Advantage**: Companies offering 4-day workweeks gain an edge in attracting talent, particularly among younger workers who prioritize work-life balance.

Japanese companies have adopted this model specifically to "attract more talent" and "avoid employee burnout and resignation.

"

- **Increased Loyalty**: While not directly quantified in the sources, the improved work-life balance and employee satisfaction associated with 4-day workweeks likely contribute to higher retention rates, addressing the low employee loyalty observed in regions like Hong Kong.

## Implementation Challenges

### Work Intensity and Stress

- **Risk of Increased Pressure**: Ben Willott of the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development cautioned that simply reducing working hours without other changes "can increase exposure to work intensity and stress," which is already a major cause of sickness absence.

The compressed nature of the workweek may lead to more demanding daily schedules.

- **Longer Daily Hours**: Some implementations, like Atom Bank's model, require longer daily work hours (8.

5 hours instead of 7.

5) to maintain total weekly output, which may not suit all employees.

### Equity and Compensation Concerns

- **Salary Reductions**: Some companies offer reduced compensation (around 80% of normal pay) for the 4-day workweek option, which may not be financially viable for all employees.

A Japanese survey found that 78.

5% of workers aged 20-50 would not want a 3-day weekend if it affected their salary.

- **Unequal Access**: The 4-day model may not be equally feasible across all roles and industries, potentially creating inequities within organizations.

In Japan, 60.

1% of workers thought it wouldn't be possible for them to work only 4 days a week.

### Business Continuity and Operational Challenges

- **Industry-Specific Barriers**: Certain sectors may face greater challenges in implementing reduced hours without compromising service quality or operational continuity.

Customer-facing industries, in particular, need to ensure consistent coverage.

- **Productivity Measurement**: As noted in one document, organizations need "current, measurable, and fair standards" to gauge productivity before implementing such changes.

Without proper metrics, it becomes difficult to assess the impact accurately.

- **Cultural Resistance**: In regions with traditionally long working hours, like Hong Kong (where the median weekly working hours is 45 hours), there may be cultural resistance to reducing work time despite potential benefits.

## Cross-Industry and Cross-Country Assessment

### Industry Variations

- **Technology and Financial Services**: Companies in these sectors, like Atom Bank (UK financial technology), have been early adopters, likely due to the nature of knowledge work that can be more easily compressed into fewer days.

- **Retail**: Major retailers like Morrisons and M&S have implemented compressed workweeks as part of flexible working policies, suggesting that even customer-facing industries can adapt with proper planning.

- **Public Sector**: Iceland's trials demonstrated that public sector organizations can successfully implement 4-day workweeks across various services including education, healthcare, and social services.

- **Professional Services**: High-intensity fields like law are identified as potentially benefiting from reduced workweeks, though implementation may require significant structural changes.

### Cultural and Regional Differences

- **Nordic Countries**: Iceland's success suggests that countries with strong social welfare systems and progressive labor policies may be more receptive to 4-day workweeks.

- **East Asia**: Japan has shown official support for the concept, but implementation faces challenges due to traditional work culture.

In Hong Kong, where work-life balance is particularly poor (ranking 45th out of 50 cities), employees strongly desire better balance but face structural barriers.

- **Western Countries**: The UK has seen significant private sector adoption, with companies recognizing the competitive advantages of offering improved work-life balance.

## Recommendations for Implementation

Based on the analysis, successful implementation of a 4-day workweek should consider:

1.

**Phased Approach**: Begin with trials similar to Iceland's model to assess feasibility and impact before full implementation.

**Productivity Focus**: Ensure smarter working practices and productivity improvements accompany reduced hours, rather than simply compressing the same amount of work into fewer days.

**Flexible Models**: Consider various approaches (e.

g.

, reduced daily hours, compressed weeks with longer days, or rotational schedules) to accommodate different roles and employee preferences.

**Equitable Compensation**: Maintain full pay where possible to maximize employee buy-in and well-being benefits.

**Industry-Specific Adaptations**: Tailor implementation approaches to address sector-specific challenges and requirements.

**Measurement and Evaluation**: Establish clear metrics to assess productivity, employee well-being, and business performance before and after implementation.

## Conclusion

The 4-day workweek represents a promising evolution in labor policy, with substantial evidence indicating benefits for both employees and organizations.

While challenges exist in implementation, particularly regarding work intensity and industry-specific adaptations, the growing global trend suggests that these barriers are surmountable with careful planning and innovative approaches.

As digital technologies continue to increase productivity, the rationale for maintaining traditional 5-day, 40-hour workweeks diminishes.

Organizations and policymakers should seriously consider this model as part of broader efforts to improve work-life balance, employee well-being, and sustainable productivity in the modern eco

# Comprehensive Report: Benefits and Barriers of a 4-Day Workweek

## Executive Summary

The 4-day workweek is emerging as a significant global trend in labor policy, with trials and implementations across multiple countries showing promising results.

Title:

Content: New trend of preventing employees from leaving work three days a week
It is not that long working hours represent high efficiency, and more and more Japanese companies are beginning to accept it, and the implementation of the new three-day week off rule, which is not lack of many well-known large companies.
With this new benefit, in addition to attracting more talent, employees will also be prevented from leaving their jobs due to overwork.
Panasonic, one of the latest Japanese companies to work just four days a week, said in April that it would offer some employees the option of taking a 3-day week off in FY2022.
At the same time, the Japanese government also announced in 2021 that it would be good to encourage Japanese companies to work four days a week, because they can take an extra day off each week to spend more time with their families and do what they want to do.
In addition to Panasonic ’ s 3-day weekend program, Hitachi, Mizuho Financial Group, and Uniqlo ’ s parent company, Rapid Sales, are all working only four days a week. Recruit Works Institute, an independent research unit, believes that Japanese companies feel that they can use this benefit to keep their employees who have done their jobs and spend their time cultivating new employees.
The Japanese government found that in a survey of more than 4,000 companies, 8.5% of employees had paid vacation days as of 2021, up to the standard of just four days a week.
Shionogi & Co has been taking a 3-day weekly break since April, giving employees an extra day off each week to study, build connections and even create side jobs.
Yoneyi Pharmaceutical, which has applied for the approval of the new crown drug, pointed out that if you take a 3-day week off, the salary is only about 80% of the original, but you can work part-time.
In addition, Hitachi said in April that employees can take three days off a week as long as they reach the required number of working hours per month.
At the same time, the monthly salary will not be reduced.
Dai-ichi Life Research Institute (Dai-ichi Life Research Institute) believes that companies that can give employees three days off a week basically do not affect the financial structure.
Flexible working hours are becoming increasingly important as Japan ’ s population is ageing and the number of workers is expected to decrease in the future.
However, in the current situation of the job is generally difficult to find, Japanese labor bank Mynavi reported in February that 78.5% of workers aged 20 to 50 years old said that if it will affect wages, they will not want to take three days off a week.
At the same time, 60.1% said they were unlikely to work as long as four days a week.
However, the Recruit Works Institute believes that working four days a week should be a new global trend, and that large companies are taking the lead.
[00: 04: 45.560] and the time.
Extended reading
36,000 people diagnosed in a single day Japan ’ s Golden Week airport crowded
Core CPI increased by 7 in March, the largest day in 2 years
Japan plans fourth dose of vaccine to limit two types of people

Title:

Content: [Workplace benefits] British Bank changed to 4 days of work artificial unchanged CEO: 5 days of work is a product of the 19th century
Personal Value Added 18: 50 2021 / 12 / 07
Share:
When Hong Kong people were still working nine nights, seven days a week, five days a week, or even six days a week, some banks in the United Kingdom had already started to work four days a week.
Portugal ’ s new remote work law prohibits employers from contacting employees during off-hours: Click here
Atom Bank, a fintech bank in the United Kingdom, recently announced that it will let employees choose whether to work four days a week, and said that the company will not reduce employee pay, which is expected to benefit 430 employees.
However, under the four-day work, although the total working hours per week will be reduced from 37.5 hours to 34 hours, the daily working hours of employees will be extended by one hour to compensate for the extra day of vacation, that is, the daily working hours of employees will be increased from 7.5 hours to 8.5 hours.
According to Mark Mullen, CEO of Atom Bank, five-day work was an industrial necessity in the 19th century, and it is now obsolete. As the epidemic has completely changed the working model of many employees, companies have begun to consider how they can work more efficiently, healthily and happily, and in addition to promoting working from home, reducing the number of working days and hours is one of the new norm.
Iceland Trials 4-Day Job Productivity to Rise
In fact, four-day work is not new, there have been companies in the past, but mainly in European countries, and many people have questioned whether four-day work is more efficient than five-day work.
In the early days of Iceland, a pilot scheme was conducted between 2015 and 2019 to test whether a reduction in working days would lead to higher productivity, with 2,500 participants across pre-school education, social services, health care and office white-collar workers, accounting for more than 1% of the Icelandic workforce.
The testers worked 4 days on a trial basis, and the work week was reduced from 40 hours to 35 to 36 hours.
It was found that the productivity of most of the testers who adopted the four-day work system remained unchanged or even improved.
Lidl is the UK ’ s highest paid supermarket: Click Here
The median working week in Hong Kong is 45 hours.
According to the Quarterly Report of the General Household Survey for the third quarter of 2021 released by the Government, the median number of working hours per week for wage earners in Hong Kong is 45 hours, which is 10 hours more than in Iceland.
US mobile security technology company KISI earlier released the "2021 work-life balance city ranking", Hong Kong ranked 45th out of 50 statistical places, is the largest city in the world in the statistics of overworked population, nearly 3 adults appear overworked.
Hong Kong people are known to love to work again, do you think it is possible to implement a four-day work in Hong Kong?
Editor-in-Chief: Yan Heiman
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Title:

Content: Dunelm is the latest UK business to trial a shorter hybrid-working model that allows some employees to work four days a week.

According to Retail Week, the homewares retailer is testing different four-day work patterns for its employees in particular departments, with the possibility of expanding the initiative once the trial period is completed.

A memo to employees said those taking part in the limited trial can work from home or in the office.

Read More: Retailers urge Christmas shoppers to hit the high street ahead of Royal Mail strikes

Dunelm is not the only retailer that allows employees to work four-day weeks.

Sainsbury’s announced last week that employees at its headquarters, warehouses, and store managers in its 1,400 UK stores would be able to work a four-day week.

Need Career Advice? Get employment skills advice at all levels of your career

Morrisons and M&S have also introduced compressed four-day work weeks as part of their flexible working policy, which aims to help employees achieve a better work-life balance.

Source:   Retail Gazette

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Title:

Content:

Column

Bernie Sanders’ 32-hour work week should be the new normal

Chase Guttman | The Daily Orange

Our columnist argues that it is crucial for Americans to not allow work to define their lives. Their family, friends, hobbies and interests are just as important.

Get the latest Syracuse news delivered right to your inbox.
Subscribe to our newsletter here.

The average American will spend almost 90,000 hours working in their lifetime. Our jobs take up a third of our entire life.

The 40-hour work week has been the standard for full-time employees in the United States for decades since it became federal law in 1940, but many have noticed that this schedule leaves little time for family, friends and self-care. In response to this, Senator Bernie Sanders recently proposed the implementation of a 32-hour work week over a four-year period.

Sanders’ support of a 32-hour week, which would come without any decreases in pay or benefits, is centered around the idea that while Americans are more productive than ever, wages and work-life balance are at a low in the U.S. American full-time employees work 400 more hours than most of our European counterparts and other industrialized nations while falling behind in terms of mental well-being.

In the 2024 World Happiness Report, Generation Z and millennial Americans scored lower than the country’s older generations. Whether they’re entering the workforce or a few years in, young Americans feel a sense of hopelessness, depression and anxiety. As a whole, the U.S ranked 23rd, much lower than the rest of the industrialized world.

Sanders’ proposal cites a pilot program conducted in the United Kingdom – which currently ranks higher than the U.S. in the World Happiness Report – where several companies operated under a four-day work week, resulting in overall improvement in mental and physical health of workers.

Sanders is far from the first to speak out in favor of a shortened work week. Back in 1956, then-Vice President Richard Nixon advocated for a four-day work week that could allow American families to spend more time together and less time working.

Sanders’ legislation is also backed by several members of Congress, including Representative Mark Takano, who said many Americans are “reimagining their relationship to labor” and should be able to live fulfilling lives outside of work.

Following the pandemic, people became acutely aware of the 40-hour work week’s toll as they returned to offices and other in-person tasks. Today, some Americans would prefer an improved work-life balance over a higher salary.

Cindy Zhang | Digital Design Director

As the newest members of the workforce, Generation Z makes up much of this conversation. By next year, Gen Z will compose almost 30% of the workforce. As we immerse ourselves into the job market, the majority of Gen Z sees work-life balance as a major priority when looking at jobs with factors like company ethics and job security trailing right behind.

Kayla Jones, a graduate student in the School of Information Studies at Syracuse University, will start working eight-and-a-half hours for five days a week this summer. While she has always had an interest in the tech field, she’s concerned about finding time for her interests outside of work.

“An extra day would allow me to not be solely focused on work throughout the week and have time for work, dance and other activities,” Jones said. “Most people, myself included, find themselves unproductive and checked out by Friday anyways.”

Feelings of burnout by the end of the week are common among full-time employees. The majority of workers believe a four-day work week would boost productivity and allow them to devote more time to family and other household responsibilities. At the same time, the U.K. study found that the shortened work week, according to the participating employers, resulted in no lost productivity.

Lucio Maffei, a senior studying political philosophy and ethics, will be attending law school in the fall with plans to become a public defender. Like Jones, he’s worried about work-life balance and what it will look like in the future.

“Law is a very grueling and overworked profession and is known to have an overextended work week,” Maffei said. “Many companies ignore employee concerns over balance. With technology and remote work options, there should absolutely be conversations around and room for more flexibility and balance.”

It’s important to realize that we are all people outside of our work who have family, friends, hobbies, hopes and interests. What you do for a living should not prevent you from pursuing your passions and being with who you love. While one’s job can and should be a fulfilling and important aspect of your life, it should not be everything or all-consuming – we work to live, we should not live to work.

Shortening the work week, even just by eight hours, allows for work to not be the sole focus of one’s life.

Kaitlyn Paige is a junior studying Public Relations. Her column appears bi-weekly, and she can be reached at [email protected].

Top Stories

Column

Bernie Sanders' 32-hour work week should be the new normal

What you do for a living should not prevent you from pursuing your passions and being with who you love. While one’s job can and should be a fulfilling and important aspect of your life, it should not be everything or all-consuming – we work to live, we should not live to work. Read more »

Title:

Content: The country of Iceland has released the analysis of its 4-day work week experiment and the results speak for themselves.

The trials run by Reykjavík City Council and the national government took place from 2015 to 2019 and included about 1% of Iceland’s working population, making it the world’s largest shortened workweek trial to date. The findings show that paying people the same amount to work fewer hours per week results in a happier, healthier workforce with similar or increased productivity. Who knew?

Will Stronge, director of research at Autonomy, a UK think tank that co-conducted a study of the trials, said in a statement: “This study shows that the world’s largest-ever trial of a shorter working week in the public sector was by all measures an overwhelming success. It shows that the public sector is ripe for being a pioneer of shorter working weeks—and lessons can be learned for other governments.”

So what are those lessons we can learn?

1) There’s nothing magical about a 40-hour workweek.

Most of the workers in the trial reduced their hours from 40 […]

Read the Full Article

Title:

Content: The authorities of Germany and the Dominican Republic from February 1 launched a pilot program to transfer employees to a reduced working week.
In 2019, such an idea was put forward by the then head of the Russian government, Dmitry Medvedev.
What they think about the transition to four-day in Russia and the world - in the material RTVI.
In Russia
Yaroslav Nilov, Head of the State Duma Committee on Labor, Social Policy and Veterans Affairs
Commenting on the possibility of transferring Russians to a four-day working week, Yaroslav Nilov recalled that this initiative in 2019 was made by the then Prime Minister of Russia Dmitry Medvedev.
The deputy called the initiative implemented, but not in the near future and not for all spheres and industries.
“For someone there is already a four-day period, especially after the pandemic, after the practice of remote, mixed employment, we have workers who have not a five-day period, but a four-day period, and someone has a three-day period.
The most important thing is that there is no need to impose anything hard in the sphere of labor, no need to introduce strict regulations, no amendments.
Everything should be natural, synergistic and evolutionary.
This is a multifaceted issue, and the labor market should itself line up - taking into account new technologies, artificial intelligence, optimization solutions, "he said.
According to him, the task of reducing the working week is to make people rest more without reducing labor productivity and wages.
“It should be beneficial for both the employee and the employer.
If you shift the four-day period to the employer, this will lead to higher prices, to the closure of enterprises, and an increase in unemployment.
We don't need that.
If you do not shift, then this can lead to a loss in the salary of employees, especially since there is a piecework form of employment - payment depends on the volume of services provided or goods produced, "Nilov explained.
Dmitry Medvedev, Deputy Chairman of the Security Council
In 2019, former Russian Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev announced the possibility of switching to a four-day working week during his speech at the International Labour Conference in Geneva, timed to coincide with the 100th anniversary of the International Labour Organization.
“Technological progress leads to a reduction not only of jobs, but also of working time, to the expansion of leisure.
It is very likely that the future lies in a four-day working week as the basis of a social and labor contract, "Medvedev said.
Tatyana Golikova, Deputy Prime Minister
After Dmitry Medvedev ’ s statement, Tatyana Golikova said that the government is “analyzing the situation ” in the labor market as part of a discussion of the possible introduction of a four-day working week.
“These four days are just a possible response to the changing world of challenges, when some professions will die, others will come to replace them, ” she said.
According to Golikova, as a result of global digitalization in the future, the need for a large number of labor resources to be occupied “in a particular workplace ” may disappear.
She also noted that in implementing the transition to a shorter working week, it will be necessary to take into account the level of wages and social guarantees.
“What kind of salary they will receive: the same as when they were occupied for five days or a little more, or in a reduced form, the question remains open here, ” she explained.
Anton Kotyakov, Minister of Labour and Social Protection
Speaking about the possibility of shortening the working week, Anton Kotyakov said in 2021 that he considers the idea of switching to a four-day schedule irrelevant.
“Given the flexible forms of employment that we have now provided in the Labor Code, the need to switch to a four-day working week is mandatory for today is irrelevant, ” he said.
According to the minister, thanks to the spread of remote employment, employers have the opportunity to form a flexible schedule.
“And if necessary, you can do four-day work in the office, and three-day, and a couple of days with a certain mode of remote work, you can work because of the city, ” he said.
Valery Fadeev, Head of the Presidential Council on Civil Society Development and Human Rights
In 2021, Valery Fadeev said that he has nothing against reducing the working week, but recalled that the salary of more than half of working Russians is about 27 thousand rubles per month, and urged to think about increasing this amount.
“Work has come to be seen as a burden and as a yoke.
But in fact, work is almost the main thing in a person ’ s life.
A person should live for the sake of family, for the sake of children, for the sake of doing something in life.
Work should bring joy to man.
I can ’ t say that we have such a situation now in our country that everyone can find a job in joy.
Unfortunately, this is not the case, ” he stressed.
Mikhail Shmakov, Head of the Federation of Independent Trade Unions
Answering a question about the transfer of companies to a four-day schedule, Mikhail Shmakov said in 2023 that representatives of the trade union movement supported the idea of reducing the working week in Russia to 36 hours only while maintaining wages for employees.
At the same time, he suggested that in the conditions of a shortage in the labor market, this idea may not be relevant.
Svetlana Bessarab, member of the State Duma Committee on Labor, Social Policy and Veterans Affairs
In November 2023, Svetlana Bessarab promised to make a proposal to switch to a 36-hour working week after the completion of the military operation in Ukraine.
“I can promise that after the end of the SVO and our victory, I will make a proposal to reduce the working week to 36 hours without reducing wages.
This is how rural women now work: they have the right to a shorter working week with the same salary.
And, as practice has shown, we do not lose anything in productivity, ” she said.
In August 2023, Bessarab called for “talking seriously ” about the transition to a four-day working week.
In particular, she drew attention to the fact that labor productivity has increased many times thanks to the introduction of digital technologies, while workers continue to be treated the same way as 50 years ago.
In the world
Iceland
In 2021, the British research center Autonomy called the results of an experiment to shorten the working week in Iceland a “stunning success ”.
As part of this experiment, the working week of 2.5 thousand municipal employees was reduced by 4-5 hours, and those who worked five days a week had another day off.
Autonomy, in particular, praised performance and service delivery in most of the workplaces tested, where employees began to show a higher level of enthusiasm and also began to get more pleasure from the work process.
“As a result, about 86% of the working population will be able to switch to a reduced working schedule or demand a reduction in working hours, ” the study says.
Belgium
Belgian Prime Minister Alexander de Cros said in 2022 that citizens of the country can require their employers to transfer to a reduced working week.
In case of refusal to provide them with such an opportunity, the employer must justify his decision in writing.
“The goal is to allow people and companies to more freely manage their working hours.
If you compare our country with other countries, you will notice that we often act much less dynamically, ” he said.
Britannia
The largest experiment on the transfer of workers to a reduced working week began in Britain in June 2022.
As part of the experiment, 3,300 employees from 70 companies were given the opportunity to work four days a week with full pay.
For the participants of the experiment, a “100: 80: 100 ” model was developed, according to which 80% of working time is paid at 100%, and employees in return agree to show 100% productivity.
“We will study how project participants respond to the extra day off in terms of stress and burnout, life and work satisfaction, as well as overall health, sleep quality, energy expenditure, range of movements and a host of other aspects, ” explained Boston College sociology professor Juliet Shore, who leads the project ’ s research team.
In 2023, sociologists at the University of Cambridge recognized the results of the experiment as successful.
In their study, they pointed out that employees who worked four days a week had significantly reduced levels of stress and illness, as well as increased levels of loyalty to employers.
At the same time, the revenues of the companies that decided to take part in the experiment did not show a significant decrease, and 23 of them even noted a slight increase, the average figure of which was 1.4%.
Spain
In October 2023, a commission of independent experts evaluated the results of a test experiment for the introduction of a four-day working week in the Spanish city of Valencia, in which 360 thousand employees took part.
Experts pointed to a reduction in stress levels, as well as an improvement in the atmosphere by reducing the number of vehicles on the streets of the city.
Representatives of the tourism sector reported that during the experiments, they had increased the flow of customers, while retail chains noted a decrease in sales.
“We want the city to be friendly, healthy and take care of people.
We want people to work to live, not to live to work, ” said the mayor of the city, Joan Ribeau, at the start of the experiment.
Dominican Republic
The Dominican Republic was the first Latin American country to experiment with a four-day work week.
The experiment, which began on February 1, 2024, will last six months.
According to the government, it will last six months – for three months, employees will work on a reduced schedule and receive 100% of their wages, and for the next three months a special commission will collect and analyze information to understand how this change has affected the country ’ s economy.
The experiment was initiated by the Minister of Labor Luis Miguel de Camps.
He stressed that he considers the reduction of the working week not only an innovation in the labor market, but also a significant step towards a more harmonious and humane society.
“Priority is given to people, improving health and well-being, and promoting sustainable and environmentally friendly productivity, ” the official added.
Germany
In September 2023, Germany opened the reception of applications from organizations ready to take part in the experiment to shorten the working week.
Despite the statement of the Minister of Finance of the country Christian Lindner, who questioned the possibility of switching to a four-day working week, 45 companies in test mode transferred their employees to the new schedule from February 1, 2024.
German authorities have agreed to an experiment with a shortened working week amid a crisis associated with rising inflation and a shortage of trained personnel.
As Bloomberg notes, these factors led to the fact that German workers began to actively seek higher wages, as well as to fight for the flexibility and independence that they received during the pandemic.

Title:

Content: DH Latest NewsDH NEWSLatest NewsNEWS

India’s new labour codes likely in 2022; 4-day work-week, reduced salary and more

According to a senior official, the four labour regulations covering salary, social security, occupational safety, industrial relations, health and working conditions are expected to be enacted by the following fiscal year. Working hours, wage restructure, and PF contribution, to name a few, would all be affected by the new wage law once it is enacted. At least 13 states have pre-published draft rules on these laws, according to the official, and the Centre completed the process of finalising the draft regulations on these codes in February 2021.

The central government announced 4 labour rules on August 8, 2019: the Code on Social Security, the Industrial Relations Code,2020, the Wage code, 2019 and the Code on Occupational Safety, Health, and Working Conditions, 2020. Because labour is a concurrent subject, the Centre wants the states to accept it all at once, according to the source. Employees’ take-home pay for the following fiscal year, i.e. April 2021, may be reduced as a result of the government’s Code on Wages, however components such as PF and Gratuity may increase. This is because the new pay rule stipulates that an employee’s basic income must equal at least 50% of their net monthly CTC. As a result, if this provision is implemented, employees will be unable to earn more than 50% of their net monthly compensation in the form of an allowance. As a result, the employee’s gratuity and PF payment are likely to increase. As a result, while employees’ take-home pay may decrease, the Gratuity and PF component of their salary may increase.

Experts believe that the new draft will have an impact on employees’ working hours, with some news sources reporting that employees may be allowed a four-day workweek starting next year, however they will be required to work for 12 hours on those four days. The ministry of labour appears to have said unequivocally that a minimum of 48 hours weekly work is required.

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Title:

Content: Work life

Summer Fridays walked so the four-day workweek could run

Employees are now in favor of flexibility over temporary time off.

· 3 min read

Level up your career and your life with Sidekick

Career advice, productivity hacks, entertainment, and more. If it’s worth your time, it’s in here.

What’s top of mind at the water cooler.

The legend of the Summer Friday: Once upon a time, for three sacred months every year between Memorial Day and Labor Day, employees were allowed to clock out after lunch every Friday and head immediately to the bar.

It’s said that the tradition started in NYC in the ’60s as companies searched for ways to boost employee productivity and morale during the summer months. (There’s even a brand named after it!) If you were lucky enough to work somewhere that offered this perk (usually publishing or advertising), your weekend started with midday happy hours and early bird beach days while friends at less generous corporations smoldered with jealousy.

But with the push toward remote work, Summer Fridays have become a ghost of workplace past as they may have ushered in something even better: the four-day workweek.

As companies scrambled to deal with office closures during the pandemic, most work suddenly became remote. Facing Covid variant after variant and a resistance to returning to the office, some employers like tech companies Bolt and Buffer opted to permanently remove a day from the workweek to better suit employee needs. A jumbo Summer Friday! Perfect, right?

Unfortunately, the exact logistics of the four-day workweek have been tricky. Who can and can’t participate? Does the four-day workweek mean longer working hours? What happens if there’s still work to be done once Friday rolls around?

To get some insight, Sidekick spoke with Alicia Garcia, chief culture officer at MasterControl and Jes Osrow, diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) expert and founder of The Rise Journey consultancy, who had these thoughts to share:

  • Fixed schedules ≠ productivity. While a five-day, nine-to-five workweek has worked for most US-based companies, that doesn’t mean employees produce their best work during that time.
  • Flexibility is king. “The biggest issue with policies like the four-day workweek or Summer Fridays is that they’re still rigid. Whether it’s a four-day or five-day workweek, the exact days and times employees are required to work are fixed…When approached by employees, the most common request is ‘flexibility,’” said Garcia.
  • Flexibility isn’t an option for everyone. “We’re not thinking about essential workers, we’re not thinking about folks on the ground, and we’re not thinking about grocery store owners. It’s important to recognize that even though we do talk the big talk about a four-day workweek, it only applies to a small fraction of workers in the US and/or globally,” Osrow explained.

As the highly discussed ✨future of work✨ continues to develop, employees are looking for more flexibility. Whether that means working remotely from far-flung corners of the world or logging off a little early to go pick your children up from daycare—employers should take notes, not dictate them.—MW

Level up your career and your life with Sidekick

Career advice, productivity hacks, entertainment, and more. If it’s worth your time, it’s in here.

Title:

Content: Internationalisms
US congressman: 32 hours a week is key to happiness
California Rep. Mark Takano has again submitted to Congress his bill, which would impose 32 hours of work a week in the United States, to become a federal labor law.
Once passed, the number of working hours per week in the United States would be reduced from 40 to 32.
The law also includes a proposal for overtime pay for any work done after 32 hours, which will encourage companies to pay extra salaries to employees working longer hours, and encourage companies to hire more people.
The bill applies to workers in fields such as entertainment, hospitality, transportation, construction, manufacturing, wholesale and retail.
Insisting on the bill after it was first introduced in 2021, Takano told CNBC Make It that he wanted to stimulate debate in order to benefit and protect all workers as well as enhance their happiness and achieve what he called “social justice. ”
Nearly 3,000 UK workers from 61 companies have recently been experimented with four days a week for six months, with positive results including improved productivity, revenue, morale and team culture, as well as improved employee health and personal lives.
Related Articles
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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.

Link copied

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.

This report examines the growing movement toward reduced working hours, highlighting documented benefits including improved employee well-being, maintained or increased productivity, and enhanced work-life balance.

Title:

Content: Dunelm is the latest UK business to trial a shorter hybrid-working model that allows some employees to work four days a week.

According to Retail Week, the homewares retailer is testing different four-day work patterns for its employees in particular departments, with the possibility of expanding the initiative once the trial period is completed.

A memo to employees said those taking part in the limited trial can work from home or in the office.

Read More: Retailers urge Christmas shoppers to hit the high street ahead of Royal Mail strikes

Dunelm is not the only retailer that allows employees to work four-day weeks.

Sainsbury’s announced last week that employees at its headquarters, warehouses, and store managers in its 1,400 UK stores would be able to work a four-day week.

Need Career Advice? Get employment skills advice at all levels of your career

Morrisons and M&S have also introduced compressed four-day work weeks as part of their flexible working policy, which aims to help employees achieve a better work-life balance.

Source:   Retail Gazette

Follow us on YouTubeTwitterLinkedIn, and Facebook

Title:

Content: The country of Iceland has released the analysis of its 4-day work week experiment and the results speak for themselves.

The trials run by Reykjavík City Council and the national government took place from 2015 to 2019 and included about 1% of Iceland’s working population, making it the world’s largest shortened workweek trial to date. The findings show that paying people the same amount to work fewer hours per week results in a happier, healthier workforce with similar or increased productivity. Who knew?

Will Stronge, director of research at Autonomy, a UK think tank that co-conducted a study of the trials, said in a statement: “This study shows that the world’s largest-ever trial of a shorter working week in the public sector was by all measures an overwhelming success. It shows that the public sector is ripe for being a pioneer of shorter working weeks—and lessons can be learned for other governments.”

So what are those lessons we can learn?

1) There’s nothing magical about a 40-hour workweek.

Most of the workers in the trial reduced their hours from 40 […]

Read the Full Article

Title:

Content: 4 Easy Ways To Maintain A Healthy Work-Life Balance

Balancing professional and personal life has become a major challenge especially since 2020 because the majority of us are working from home. For most people, work always takes preference over everything else in our lives, even our family and health. We become so desirable to achieve professional success that we keep ignoring other important things.

Maintaining harmony in both personal and professional life is very essential not only to improve our physical, emotional, and mental well-being but to perform well in our work. Regular stress from the never-ending workday can have negative effects on our personal relationships and overall happiness.

Considering the strong side effects of overworking many organizations have started incorporating flexible learning solutions in their work culture. Tools like Trainual help employees overcome the challenge of managing employee training along with their work.

While organizations are doing their bit to help employee’s build a healthy work-life balance, here are some of the ways employees can do it themselves:

  1. Set Work Hours

Try to set a boundary for your work hours and inform your colleagues, teammates, and even your manager about it to avoid burning the midnight oil. Inform them politely that you will not be accessible after your working hours unless it is very important. This will ensure they respect your boundaries and expectations.

Try to take your mind off your work after you clock out. Whether you are working from home or office, it is necessary to decide when to work and when to stop working; else, you will end up working late nights and even on weekends.

  1. Manage Your Priorities & Goals

Invest some time thoughtfully thinking about what is most important and relevant to you, and make a list of your top priorities. Then analyze it by asking yourself these key questions: What is most important and urgent? What do I need to start doing right now? What do I need to stop doing?

This will provide you with strong and measurable goals. Block some time from your busy schedule for activities that need urgent attention like a doctor’s appointment or running through some errands.

  1. Workout & Meditate

We are so busy with our lives that we have forgotten the power of exercise and meditation, and we either neglect it or procrastinate doing it. Exercising and meditation keep not only our physical health in check but also calm our minds, help us to make much better decisions in life, and reduce stress.

If you feel too lazy to exercise sometimes, try to add some easy habits to your lifestyle that will make a lot of difference. These habits are walking when you are on call, some stretching and face exercises while working, taking stairs instead of the lift whenever possible, and meditating for at least 5 mins in regular intervals.

  1. Take A Break

Overstretching yourself at work may give you professional success but you will lose a lot more valuable things in life like your physical health, mental health, and relationships. It is good to give yourself a break and take a day off when you have overworked someday and you feel that your brain is completely saturated.

Make some time for your loved ones, watch your favorite TV show, read, sleep, and do whatever you enjoy to relax your mind. Make use of your leaves and take a vacation once in a while.

CONCLUSION:

Having self-awareness about your own personal and professional priorities is very important. While we all need to work hard to achieve success in our careers, we also have to take into account that taking some time out for ourselves is very essential too. Having a healthy work-life balance can bring you satisfaction and allow you to stay more productive at work.

Title:

Content: Survey: 45% of Hong Kong workers would rather be unemployed than unhappy at work Staff loyalty is low
Author: Olivia Lin
Published: Updated:
Today, more and more employees pursue work-life balance (Work-Life Balance), human resources company Randstad released a job trend report today (15), showing that 40% of employees would rather be unemployed than unhappy at work, including 18 to 24 years old and agree with the proportion of employees as high as 60%.
In addition, the loyalty of Hong Kong employees to their employers is also lower than the global average. What do Hong Kong employees expect from their employees?
The survey was conducted from 21 February to 13 March this year, with a total of 1,000 Hong Kong employees aged 18 to 67.
The results showed that an average of 45% of respondents would rather be unemployed than unhappy at work. Among them, 60% of employees aged 18 to 24 agreed, followed by 25 to 34 years old.
Hong Kong employees' loyalty to employers is lower than global average
Compared to work, many employees attach more importance to their personal life and psychology, and if the work conflicts with their own expectations, the employee may choose to leave the job.
The survey also showed that only 52% of Hong Kong employees committed to remaining in their current company jobs, which is lower than the global average, while the proportion of mainland Chinese employees was as high as 87%.
Forty-four percent of respondents have quit their jobs because they don ’ t fit in with their personal lives, and things that make them happy include more freedom in where and how many hours they work, as well as a pay rise.
45% of employees attach importance to training and development but have not received training opportunities in the past year
On the other hand, many employees in the workplace also attach importance to personal development, and about 60% of the respondents agree with the importance of training and development, but only half of them have received new training opportunities in the past 12 months, which means that about 40% of the employees have not received training although they agree with the importance of training.
As for the types of training, about 5 adults each intend to improve their technical skills, soft skills, and growth in their current position.
The report points out that if companies actively invest in employee development, they will be better able to attract motivated talent.
You may be interested

Title:

Content: DH Latest NewsDH NEWSLatest NewsNEWS

India’s new labour codes likely in 2022; 4-day work-week, reduced salary and more

According to a senior official, the four labour regulations covering salary, social security, occupational safety, industrial relations, health and working conditions are expected to be enacted by the following fiscal year. Working hours, wage restructure, and PF contribution, to name a few, would all be affected by the new wage law once it is enacted. At least 13 states have pre-published draft rules on these laws, according to the official, and the Centre completed the process of finalising the draft regulations on these codes in February 2021.

The central government announced 4 labour rules on August 8, 2019: the Code on Social Security, the Industrial Relations Code,2020, the Wage code, 2019 and the Code on Occupational Safety, Health, and Working Conditions, 2020. Because labour is a concurrent subject, the Centre wants the states to accept it all at once, according to the source. Employees’ take-home pay for the following fiscal year, i.e. April 2021, may be reduced as a result of the government’s Code on Wages, however components such as PF and Gratuity may increase. This is because the new pay rule stipulates that an employee’s basic income must equal at least 50% of their net monthly CTC. As a result, if this provision is implemented, employees will be unable to earn more than 50% of their net monthly compensation in the form of an allowance. As a result, the employee’s gratuity and PF payment are likely to increase. As a result, while employees’ take-home pay may decrease, the Gratuity and PF component of their salary may increase.

Experts believe that the new draft will have an impact on employees’ working hours, with some news sources reporting that employees may be allowed a four-day workweek starting next year, however they will be required to work for 12 hours on those four days. The ministry of labour appears to have said unequivocally that a minimum of 48 hours weekly work is required.

shortlink

Back to top button

Title:

Content: Internationalisms
US congressman: 32 hours a week is key to happiness
California Rep. Mark Takano has again submitted to Congress his bill, which would impose 32 hours of work a week in the United States, to become a federal labor law.
Once passed, the number of working hours per week in the United States would be reduced from 40 to 32.
The law also includes a proposal for overtime pay for any work done after 32 hours, which will encourage companies to pay extra salaries to employees working longer hours, and encourage companies to hire more people.
The bill applies to workers in fields such as entertainment, hospitality, transportation, construction, manufacturing, wholesale and retail.
Insisting on the bill after it was first introduced in 2021, Takano told CNBC Make It that he wanted to stimulate debate in order to benefit and protect all workers as well as enhance their happiness and achieve what he called “social justice. ”
Nearly 3,000 UK workers from 61 companies have recently been experimented with four days a week for six months, with positive results including improved productivity, revenue, morale and team culture, as well as improved employee health and personal lives.
Related Articles
Go to the top button

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

It also addresses implementation challenges related to work intensity, equity concerns, and business continuity considerations.

The analysis draws on case studies from Iceland, the United Kingdom, Japan, and other regions to assess the feasibility of this model across different industries and cultural contexts.

Title:

Content: The country of Iceland has released the analysis of its 4-day work week experiment and the results speak for themselves.

The trials run by Reykjavík City Council and the national government took place from 2015 to 2019 and included about 1% of Iceland’s working population, making it the world’s largest shortened workweek trial to date. The findings show that paying people the same amount to work fewer hours per week results in a happier, healthier workforce with similar or increased productivity. Who knew?

Will Stronge, director of research at Autonomy, a UK think tank that co-conducted a study of the trials, said in a statement: “This study shows that the world’s largest-ever trial of a shorter working week in the public sector was by all measures an overwhelming success. It shows that the public sector is ripe for being a pioneer of shorter working weeks—and lessons can be learned for other governments.”

So what are those lessons we can learn?

1) There’s nothing magical about a 40-hour workweek.

Most of the workers in the trial reduced their hours from 40 […]

Read the Full Article

## Global Trend Overview

The concept of a 4-day workweek has gained substantial momentum worldwide, particularly following the COVID-19 pandemic which accelerated reevaluation of traditional work structures.

Title:

Content: Dunelm is the latest UK business to trial a shorter hybrid-working model that allows some employees to work four days a week.

According to Retail Week, the homewares retailer is testing different four-day work patterns for its employees in particular departments, with the possibility of expanding the initiative once the trial period is completed.

A memo to employees said those taking part in the limited trial can work from home or in the office.

Read More: Retailers urge Christmas shoppers to hit the high street ahead of Royal Mail strikes

Dunelm is not the only retailer that allows employees to work four-day weeks.

Sainsbury’s announced last week that employees at its headquarters, warehouses, and store managers in its 1,400 UK stores would be able to work a four-day week.

Need Career Advice? Get employment skills advice at all levels of your career

Morrisons and M&S have also introduced compressed four-day work weeks as part of their flexible working policy, which aims to help employees achieve a better work-life balance.

Source:   Retail Gazette

Follow us on YouTubeTwitterLinkedIn, and Facebook

Title:

Content: The country of Iceland has released the analysis of its 4-day work week experiment and the results speak for themselves.

The trials run by Reykjavík City Council and the national government took place from 2015 to 2019 and included about 1% of Iceland’s working population, making it the world’s largest shortened workweek trial to date. The findings show that paying people the same amount to work fewer hours per week results in a happier, healthier workforce with similar or increased productivity. Who knew?

Will Stronge, director of research at Autonomy, a UK think tank that co-conducted a study of the trials, said in a statement: “This study shows that the world’s largest-ever trial of a shorter working week in the public sector was by all measures an overwhelming success. It shows that the public sector is ripe for being a pioneer of shorter working weeks—and lessons can be learned for other governments.”

So what are those lessons we can learn?

1) There’s nothing magical about a 40-hour workweek.

Most of the workers in the trial reduced their hours from 40 […]

Read the Full Article

Title:

Content: DH Latest NewsDH NEWSLatest NewsNEWS

India’s new labour codes likely in 2022; 4-day work-week, reduced salary and more

According to a senior official, the four labour regulations covering salary, social security, occupational safety, industrial relations, health and working conditions are expected to be enacted by the following fiscal year. Working hours, wage restructure, and PF contribution, to name a few, would all be affected by the new wage law once it is enacted. At least 13 states have pre-published draft rules on these laws, according to the official, and the Centre completed the process of finalising the draft regulations on these codes in February 2021.

The central government announced 4 labour rules on August 8, 2019: the Code on Social Security, the Industrial Relations Code,2020, the Wage code, 2019 and the Code on Occupational Safety, Health, and Working Conditions, 2020. Because labour is a concurrent subject, the Centre wants the states to accept it all at once, according to the source. Employees’ take-home pay for the following fiscal year, i.e. April 2021, may be reduced as a result of the government’s Code on Wages, however components such as PF and Gratuity may increase. This is because the new pay rule stipulates that an employee’s basic income must equal at least 50% of their net monthly CTC. As a result, if this provision is implemented, employees will be unable to earn more than 50% of their net monthly compensation in the form of an allowance. As a result, the employee’s gratuity and PF payment are likely to increase. As a result, while employees’ take-home pay may decrease, the Gratuity and PF component of their salary may increase.

Experts believe that the new draft will have an impact on employees’ working hours, with some news sources reporting that employees may be allowed a four-day workweek starting next year, however they will be required to work for 12 hours on those four days. The ministry of labour appears to have said unequivocally that a minimum of 48 hours weekly work is required.

shortlink

Back to top button

Title:

Content: Work life

Summer Fridays walked so the four-day workweek could run

Employees are now in favor of flexibility over temporary time off.

· 3 min read

Level up your career and your life with Sidekick

Career advice, productivity hacks, entertainment, and more. If it’s worth your time, it’s in here.

What’s top of mind at the water cooler.

The legend of the Summer Friday: Once upon a time, for three sacred months every year between Memorial Day and Labor Day, employees were allowed to clock out after lunch every Friday and head immediately to the bar.

It’s said that the tradition started in NYC in the ’60s as companies searched for ways to boost employee productivity and morale during the summer months. (There’s even a brand named after it!) If you were lucky enough to work somewhere that offered this perk (usually publishing or advertising), your weekend started with midday happy hours and early bird beach days while friends at less generous corporations smoldered with jealousy.

But with the push toward remote work, Summer Fridays have become a ghost of workplace past as they may have ushered in something even better: the four-day workweek.

As companies scrambled to deal with office closures during the pandemic, most work suddenly became remote. Facing Covid variant after variant and a resistance to returning to the office, some employers like tech companies Bolt and Buffer opted to permanently remove a day from the workweek to better suit employee needs. A jumbo Summer Friday! Perfect, right?

Unfortunately, the exact logistics of the four-day workweek have been tricky. Who can and can’t participate? Does the four-day workweek mean longer working hours? What happens if there’s still work to be done once Friday rolls around?

To get some insight, Sidekick spoke with Alicia Garcia, chief culture officer at MasterControl and Jes Osrow, diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) expert and founder of The Rise Journey consultancy, who had these thoughts to share:

  • Fixed schedules ≠ productivity. While a five-day, nine-to-five workweek has worked for most US-based companies, that doesn’t mean employees produce their best work during that time.
  • Flexibility is king. “The biggest issue with policies like the four-day workweek or Summer Fridays is that they’re still rigid. Whether it’s a four-day or five-day workweek, the exact days and times employees are required to work are fixed…When approached by employees, the most common request is ‘flexibility,’” said Garcia.
  • Flexibility isn’t an option for everyone. “We’re not thinking about essential workers, we’re not thinking about folks on the ground, and we’re not thinking about grocery store owners. It’s important to recognize that even though we do talk the big talk about a four-day workweek, it only applies to a small fraction of workers in the US and/or globally,” Osrow explained.

As the highly discussed ✨future of work✨ continues to develop, employees are looking for more flexibility. Whether that means working remotely from far-flung corners of the world or logging off a little early to go pick your children up from daycare—employers should take notes, not dictate them.—MW

Level up your career and your life with Sidekick

Career advice, productivity hacks, entertainment, and more. If it’s worth your time, it’s in here.

Title:

Content: Internationalisms
US congressman: 32 hours a week is key to happiness
California Rep. Mark Takano has again submitted to Congress his bill, which would impose 32 hours of work a week in the United States, to become a federal labor law.
Once passed, the number of working hours per week in the United States would be reduced from 40 to 32.
The law also includes a proposal for overtime pay for any work done after 32 hours, which will encourage companies to pay extra salaries to employees working longer hours, and encourage companies to hire more people.
The bill applies to workers in fields such as entertainment, hospitality, transportation, construction, manufacturing, wholesale and retail.
Insisting on the bill after it was first introduced in 2021, Takano told CNBC Make It that he wanted to stimulate debate in order to benefit and protect all workers as well as enhance their happiness and achieve what he called “social justice. ”
Nearly 3,000 UK workers from 61 companies have recently been experimented with four days a week for six months, with positive results including improved productivity, revenue, morale and team culture, as well as improved employee health and personal lives.
Related Articles
Go to the top button

Notable developments include:

- **Iceland**: Conducted the world's largest shortened workweek trial (2015-2019) involving approximately 1% of the country's working population (2,500 employees) across sectors including preschool education, social services, healthcare, and office work.

Title:

Content: The country of Iceland has released the analysis of its 4-day work week experiment and the results speak for themselves.

The trials run by Reykjavík City Council and the national government took place from 2015 to 2019 and included about 1% of Iceland’s working population, making it the world’s largest shortened workweek trial to date. The findings show that paying people the same amount to work fewer hours per week results in a happier, healthier workforce with similar or increased productivity. Who knew?

Will Stronge, director of research at Autonomy, a UK think tank that co-conducted a study of the trials, said in a statement: “This study shows that the world’s largest-ever trial of a shorter working week in the public sector was by all measures an overwhelming success. It shows that the public sector is ripe for being a pioneer of shorter working weeks—and lessons can be learned for other governments.”

So what are those lessons we can learn?

1) There’s nothing magical about a 40-hour workweek.

Most of the workers in the trial reduced their hours from 40 […]

Read the Full Article

Title:

Content: Internationalisms
US congressman: 32 hours a week is key to happiness
California Rep. Mark Takano has again submitted to Congress his bill, which would impose 32 hours of work a week in the United States, to become a federal labor law.
Once passed, the number of working hours per week in the United States would be reduced from 40 to 32.
The law also includes a proposal for overtime pay for any work done after 32 hours, which will encourage companies to pay extra salaries to employees working longer hours, and encourage companies to hire more people.
The bill applies to workers in fields such as entertainment, hospitality, transportation, construction, manufacturing, wholesale and retail.
Insisting on the bill after it was first introduced in 2021, Takano told CNBC Make It that he wanted to stimulate debate in order to benefit and protect all workers as well as enhance their happiness and achieve what he called “social justice. ”
Nearly 3,000 UK workers from 61 companies have recently been experimented with four days a week for six months, with positive results including improved productivity, revenue, morale and team culture, as well as improved employee health and personal lives.
Related Articles
Go to the top button

The results were described by UK think tank Autonomy as an "overwhelming success.

Title:

Content: The country of Iceland has released the analysis of its 4-day work week experiment and the results speak for themselves.

The trials run by Reykjavík City Council and the national government took place from 2015 to 2019 and included about 1% of Iceland’s working population, making it the world’s largest shortened workweek trial to date. The findings show that paying people the same amount to work fewer hours per week results in a happier, healthier workforce with similar or increased productivity. Who knew?

Will Stronge, director of research at Autonomy, a UK think tank that co-conducted a study of the trials, said in a statement: “This study shows that the world’s largest-ever trial of a shorter working week in the public sector was by all measures an overwhelming success. It shows that the public sector is ripe for being a pioneer of shorter working weeks—and lessons can be learned for other governments.”

So what are those lessons we can learn?

1) There’s nothing magical about a 40-hour workweek.

Most of the workers in the trial reduced their hours from 40 […]

Read the Full Article

"

- **United Kingdom**: Companies like Atom Bank have implemented permanent 4-day workweeks without salary reduction.

Title:

Content: [Workplace benefits] British Bank changed to 4 days of work artificial unchanged CEO: 5 days of work is a product of the 19th century
Personal Value Added 18: 50 2021 / 12 / 07
Share:
When Hong Kong people were still working nine nights, seven days a week, five days a week, or even six days a week, some banks in the United Kingdom had already started to work four days a week.
Portugal ’ s new remote work law prohibits employers from contacting employees during off-hours: Click here
Atom Bank, a fintech bank in the United Kingdom, recently announced that it will let employees choose whether to work four days a week, and said that the company will not reduce employee pay, which is expected to benefit 430 employees.
However, under the four-day work, although the total working hours per week will be reduced from 37.5 hours to 34 hours, the daily working hours of employees will be extended by one hour to compensate for the extra day of vacation, that is, the daily working hours of employees will be increased from 7.5 hours to 8.5 hours.
According to Mark Mullen, CEO of Atom Bank, five-day work was an industrial necessity in the 19th century, and it is now obsolete. As the epidemic has completely changed the working model of many employees, companies have begun to consider how they can work more efficiently, healthily and happily, and in addition to promoting working from home, reducing the number of working days and hours is one of the new norm.
Iceland Trials 4-Day Job Productivity to Rise
In fact, four-day work is not new, there have been companies in the past, but mainly in European countries, and many people have questioned whether four-day work is more efficient than five-day work.
In the early days of Iceland, a pilot scheme was conducted between 2015 and 2019 to test whether a reduction in working days would lead to higher productivity, with 2,500 participants across pre-school education, social services, health care and office white-collar workers, accounting for more than 1% of the Icelandic workforce.
The testers worked 4 days on a trial basis, and the work week was reduced from 40 hours to 35 to 36 hours.
It was found that the productivity of most of the testers who adopted the four-day work system remained unchanged or even improved.
Lidl is the UK ’ s highest paid supermarket: Click Here
The median working week in Hong Kong is 45 hours.
According to the Quarterly Report of the General Household Survey for the third quarter of 2021 released by the Government, the median number of working hours per week for wage earners in Hong Kong is 45 hours, which is 10 hours more than in Iceland.
US mobile security technology company KISI earlier released the "2021 work-life balance city ranking", Hong Kong ranked 45th out of 50 statistical places, is the largest city in the world in the statistics of overworked population, nearly 3 adults appear overworked.
Hong Kong people are known to love to work again, do you think it is possible to implement a four-day work in Hong Kong?
Editor-in-Chief: Yan Heiman
= = = = =
If you want to have financial freedom and retire early, download the Hong Kong Economic Times App for free now.
Column: Workplace Encyclopedia
Follow the latest financial news analysis, like hket Facebook
Subscribe to the Hong Kong Economic Times email newsletter
Receive first-hand financial news Learn more about investment and financial knowledge Submit my consent to receive promotional messages from Hong Kong Economic Times Group. You may also check the privacy policy of this website Terms of Use

Title:

Content: Dunelm is the latest UK business to trial a shorter hybrid-working model that allows some employees to work four days a week.

According to Retail Week, the homewares retailer is testing different four-day work patterns for its employees in particular departments, with the possibility of expanding the initiative once the trial period is completed.

A memo to employees said those taking part in the limited trial can work from home or in the office.

Read More: Retailers urge Christmas shoppers to hit the high street ahead of Royal Mail strikes

Dunelm is not the only retailer that allows employees to work four-day weeks.

Sainsbury’s announced last week that employees at its headquarters, warehouses, and store managers in its 1,400 UK stores would be able to work a four-day week.

Need Career Advice? Get employment skills advice at all levels of your career

Morrisons and M&S have also introduced compressed four-day work weeks as part of their flexible working policy, which aims to help employees achieve a better work-life balance.

Source:   Retail Gazette

Follow us on YouTubeTwitterLinkedIn, and Facebook

Title:

Content: Internationalisms
US congressman: 32 hours a week is key to happiness
California Rep. Mark Takano has again submitted to Congress his bill, which would impose 32 hours of work a week in the United States, to become a federal labor law.
Once passed, the number of working hours per week in the United States would be reduced from 40 to 32.
The law also includes a proposal for overtime pay for any work done after 32 hours, which will encourage companies to pay extra salaries to employees working longer hours, and encourage companies to hire more people.
The bill applies to workers in fields such as entertainment, hospitality, transportation, construction, manufacturing, wholesale and retail.
Insisting on the bill after it was first introduced in 2021, Takano told CNBC Make It that he wanted to stimulate debate in order to benefit and protect all workers as well as enhance their happiness and achieve what he called “social justice. ”
Nearly 3,000 UK workers from 61 companies have recently been experimented with four days a week for six months, with positive results including improved productivity, revenue, morale and team culture, as well as improved employee health and personal lives.
Related Articles
Go to the top button

The bank's CEO notably declared that "5-day work is a 19th-century industrial product that is now outdated.

Title:

Content: [Workplace benefits] British Bank changed to 4 days of work artificial unchanged CEO: 5 days of work is a product of the 19th century
Personal Value Added 18: 50 2021 / 12 / 07
Share:
When Hong Kong people were still working nine nights, seven days a week, five days a week, or even six days a week, some banks in the United Kingdom had already started to work four days a week.
Portugal ’ s new remote work law prohibits employers from contacting employees during off-hours: Click here
Atom Bank, a fintech bank in the United Kingdom, recently announced that it will let employees choose whether to work four days a week, and said that the company will not reduce employee pay, which is expected to benefit 430 employees.
However, under the four-day work, although the total working hours per week will be reduced from 37.5 hours to 34 hours, the daily working hours of employees will be extended by one hour to compensate for the extra day of vacation, that is, the daily working hours of employees will be increased from 7.5 hours to 8.5 hours.
According to Mark Mullen, CEO of Atom Bank, five-day work was an industrial necessity in the 19th century, and it is now obsolete. As the epidemic has completely changed the working model of many employees, companies have begun to consider how they can work more efficiently, healthily and happily, and in addition to promoting working from home, reducing the number of working days and hours is one of the new norm.
Iceland Trials 4-Day Job Productivity to Rise
In fact, four-day work is not new, there have been companies in the past, but mainly in European countries, and many people have questioned whether four-day work is more efficient than five-day work.
In the early days of Iceland, a pilot scheme was conducted between 2015 and 2019 to test whether a reduction in working days would lead to higher productivity, with 2,500 participants across pre-school education, social services, health care and office white-collar workers, accounting for more than 1% of the Icelandic workforce.
The testers worked 4 days on a trial basis, and the work week was reduced from 40 hours to 35 to 36 hours.
It was found that the productivity of most of the testers who adopted the four-day work system remained unchanged or even improved.
Lidl is the UK ’ s highest paid supermarket: Click Here
The median working week in Hong Kong is 45 hours.
According to the Quarterly Report of the General Household Survey for the third quarter of 2021 released by the Government, the median number of working hours per week for wage earners in Hong Kong is 45 hours, which is 10 hours more than in Iceland.
US mobile security technology company KISI earlier released the "2021 work-life balance city ranking", Hong Kong ranked 45th out of 50 statistical places, is the largest city in the world in the statistics of overworked population, nearly 3 adults appear overworked.
Hong Kong people are known to love to work again, do you think it is possible to implement a four-day work in Hong Kong?
Editor-in-Chief: Yan Heiman
= = = = =
If you want to have financial freedom and retire early, download the Hong Kong Economic Times App for free now.
Column: Workplace Encyclopedia
Follow the latest financial news analysis, like hket Facebook
Subscribe to the Hong Kong Economic Times email newsletter
Receive first-hand financial news Learn more about investment and financial knowledge Submit my consent to receive promotional messages from Hong Kong Economic Times Group. You may also check the privacy policy of this website Terms of Use

" Additionally, major retailers Morrisons and M&S have introduced compressed 4-day work weeks as part of flexible working policies.

Title:

Content: Dunelm is the latest UK business to trial a shorter hybrid-working model that allows some employees to work four days a week.

According to Retail Week, the homewares retailer is testing different four-day work patterns for its employees in particular departments, with the possibility of expanding the initiative once the trial period is completed.

A memo to employees said those taking part in the limited trial can work from home or in the office.

Read More: Retailers urge Christmas shoppers to hit the high street ahead of Royal Mail strikes

Dunelm is not the only retailer that allows employees to work four-day weeks.

Sainsbury’s announced last week that employees at its headquarters, warehouses, and store managers in its 1,400 UK stores would be able to work a four-day week.

Need Career Advice? Get employment skills advice at all levels of your career

Morrisons and M&S have also introduced compressed four-day work weeks as part of their flexible working policy, which aims to help employees achieve a better work-life balance.

Source:   Retail Gazette

Follow us on YouTubeTwitterLinkedIn, and Facebook

Title:

Content: Work life

Summer Fridays walked so the four-day workweek could run

Employees are now in favor of flexibility over temporary time off.

· 3 min read

Level up your career and your life with Sidekick

Career advice, productivity hacks, entertainment, and more. If it’s worth your time, it’s in here.

What’s top of mind at the water cooler.

The legend of the Summer Friday: Once upon a time, for three sacred months every year between Memorial Day and Labor Day, employees were allowed to clock out after lunch every Friday and head immediately to the bar.

It’s said that the tradition started in NYC in the ’60s as companies searched for ways to boost employee productivity and morale during the summer months. (There’s even a brand named after it!) If you were lucky enough to work somewhere that offered this perk (usually publishing or advertising), your weekend started with midday happy hours and early bird beach days while friends at less generous corporations smoldered with jealousy.

But with the push toward remote work, Summer Fridays have become a ghost of workplace past as they may have ushered in something even better: the four-day workweek.

As companies scrambled to deal with office closures during the pandemic, most work suddenly became remote. Facing Covid variant after variant and a resistance to returning to the office, some employers like tech companies Bolt and Buffer opted to permanently remove a day from the workweek to better suit employee needs. A jumbo Summer Friday! Perfect, right?

Unfortunately, the exact logistics of the four-day workweek have been tricky. Who can and can’t participate? Does the four-day workweek mean longer working hours? What happens if there’s still work to be done once Friday rolls around?

To get some insight, Sidekick spoke with Alicia Garcia, chief culture officer at MasterControl and Jes Osrow, diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) expert and founder of The Rise Journey consultancy, who had these thoughts to share:

  • Fixed schedules ≠ productivity. While a five-day, nine-to-five workweek has worked for most US-based companies, that doesn’t mean employees produce their best work during that time.
  • Flexibility is king. “The biggest issue with policies like the four-day workweek or Summer Fridays is that they’re still rigid. Whether it’s a four-day or five-day workweek, the exact days and times employees are required to work are fixed…When approached by employees, the most common request is ‘flexibility,’” said Garcia.
  • Flexibility isn’t an option for everyone. “We’re not thinking about essential workers, we’re not thinking about folks on the ground, and we’re not thinking about grocery store owners. It’s important to recognize that even though we do talk the big talk about a four-day workweek, it only applies to a small fraction of workers in the US and/or globally,” Osrow explained.

As the highly discussed ✨future of work✨ continues to develop, employees are looking for more flexibility. Whether that means working remotely from far-flung corners of the world or logging off a little early to go pick your children up from daycare—employers should take notes, not dictate them.—MW

Level up your career and your life with Sidekick

Career advice, productivity hacks, entertainment, and more. If it’s worth your time, it’s in here.

Title:

Content: Internationalisms
US congressman: 32 hours a week is key to happiness
California Rep. Mark Takano has again submitted to Congress his bill, which would impose 32 hours of work a week in the United States, to become a federal labor law.
Once passed, the number of working hours per week in the United States would be reduced from 40 to 32.
The law also includes a proposal for overtime pay for any work done after 32 hours, which will encourage companies to pay extra salaries to employees working longer hours, and encourage companies to hire more people.
The bill applies to workers in fields such as entertainment, hospitality, transportation, construction, manufacturing, wholesale and retail.
Insisting on the bill after it was first introduced in 2021, Takano told CNBC Make It that he wanted to stimulate debate in order to benefit and protect all workers as well as enhance their happiness and achieve what he called “social justice. ”
Nearly 3,000 UK workers from 61 companies have recently been experimented with four days a week for six months, with positive results including improved productivity, revenue, morale and team culture, as well as improved employee health and personal lives.
Related Articles
Go to the top button

- **Japan**: The government has officially encouraged companies to adopt 4-day workweeks.

Title:

Content: New trend of preventing employees from leaving work three days a week
It is not that long working hours represent high efficiency, and more and more Japanese companies are beginning to accept it, and the implementation of the new three-day week off rule, which is not lack of many well-known large companies.
With this new benefit, in addition to attracting more talent, employees will also be prevented from leaving their jobs due to overwork.
Panasonic, one of the latest Japanese companies to work just four days a week, said in April that it would offer some employees the option of taking a 3-day week off in FY2022.
At the same time, the Japanese government also announced in 2021 that it would be good to encourage Japanese companies to work four days a week, because they can take an extra day off each week to spend more time with their families and do what they want to do.
In addition to Panasonic ’ s 3-day weekend program, Hitachi, Mizuho Financial Group, and Uniqlo ’ s parent company, Rapid Sales, are all working only four days a week. Recruit Works Institute, an independent research unit, believes that Japanese companies feel that they can use this benefit to keep their employees who have done their jobs and spend their time cultivating new employees.
The Japanese government found that in a survey of more than 4,000 companies, 8.5% of employees had paid vacation days as of 2021, up to the standard of just four days a week.
Shionogi & Co has been taking a 3-day weekly break since April, giving employees an extra day off each week to study, build connections and even create side jobs.
Yoneyi Pharmaceutical, which has applied for the approval of the new crown drug, pointed out that if you take a 3-day week off, the salary is only about 80% of the original, but you can work part-time.
In addition, Hitachi said in April that employees can take three days off a week as long as they reach the required number of working hours per month.
At the same time, the monthly salary will not be reduced.
Dai-ichi Life Research Institute (Dai-ichi Life Research Institute) believes that companies that can give employees three days off a week basically do not affect the financial structure.
Flexible working hours are becoming increasingly important as Japan ’ s population is ageing and the number of workers is expected to decrease in the future.
However, in the current situation of the job is generally difficult to find, Japanese labor bank Mynavi reported in February that 78.5% of workers aged 20 to 50 years old said that if it will affect wages, they will not want to take three days off a week.
At the same time, 60.1% said they were unlikely to work as long as four days a week.
However, the Recruit Works Institute believes that working four days a week should be a new global trend, and that large companies are taking the lead.
[00: 04: 45.560] and the time.
Extended reading
36,000 people diagnosed in a single day Japan ’ s Golden Week airport crowded
Core CPI increased by 7 in March, the largest day in 2 years
Japan plans fourth dose of vaccine to limit two types of people

Title:

Content: Dunelm is the latest UK business to trial a shorter hybrid-working model that allows some employees to work four days a week.

According to Retail Week, the homewares retailer is testing different four-day work patterns for its employees in particular departments, with the possibility of expanding the initiative once the trial period is completed.

A memo to employees said those taking part in the limited trial can work from home or in the office.

Read More: Retailers urge Christmas shoppers to hit the high street ahead of Royal Mail strikes

Dunelm is not the only retailer that allows employees to work four-day weeks.

Sainsbury’s announced last week that employees at its headquarters, warehouses, and store managers in its 1,400 UK stores would be able to work a four-day week.

Need Career Advice? Get employment skills advice at all levels of your career

Morrisons and M&S have also introduced compressed four-day work weeks as part of their flexible working policy, which aims to help employees achieve a better work-life balance.

Source:   Retail Gazette

Follow us on YouTubeTwitterLinkedIn, and Facebook

Title:

Content: The country of Iceland has released the analysis of its 4-day work week experiment and the results speak for themselves.

The trials run by Reykjavík City Council and the national government took place from 2015 to 2019 and included about 1% of Iceland’s working population, making it the world’s largest shortened workweek trial to date. The findings show that paying people the same amount to work fewer hours per week results in a happier, healthier workforce with similar or increased productivity. Who knew?

Will Stronge, director of research at Autonomy, a UK think tank that co-conducted a study of the trials, said in a statement: “This study shows that the world’s largest-ever trial of a shorter working week in the public sector was by all measures an overwhelming success. It shows that the public sector is ripe for being a pioneer of shorter working weeks—and lessons can be learned for other governments.”

So what are those lessons we can learn?

1) There’s nothing magical about a 40-hour workweek.

Most of the workers in the trial reduced their hours from 40 […]

Read the Full Article

Title:

Content: Internationalisms
US congressman: 32 hours a week is key to happiness
California Rep. Mark Takano has again submitted to Congress his bill, which would impose 32 hours of work a week in the United States, to become a federal labor law.
Once passed, the number of working hours per week in the United States would be reduced from 40 to 32.
The law also includes a proposal for overtime pay for any work done after 32 hours, which will encourage companies to pay extra salaries to employees working longer hours, and encourage companies to hire more people.
The bill applies to workers in fields such as entertainment, hospitality, transportation, construction, manufacturing, wholesale and retail.
Insisting on the bill after it was first introduced in 2021, Takano told CNBC Make It that he wanted to stimulate debate in order to benefit and protect all workers as well as enhance their happiness and achieve what he called “social justice. ”
Nearly 3,000 UK workers from 61 companies have recently been experimented with four days a week for six months, with positive results including improved productivity, revenue, morale and team culture, as well as improved employee health and personal lives.
Related Articles
Go to the top button

Major corporations including Panasonic, Hitachi, Mizuho Financial Group, and Uniqlo's parent company Fast Retailing have implemented such policies.

Title:

Content: Dunelm is the latest UK business to trial a shorter hybrid-working model that allows some employees to work four days a week.

According to Retail Week, the homewares retailer is testing different four-day work patterns for its employees in particular departments, with the possibility of expanding the initiative once the trial period is completed.

A memo to employees said those taking part in the limited trial can work from home or in the office.

Read More: Retailers urge Christmas shoppers to hit the high street ahead of Royal Mail strikes

Dunelm is not the only retailer that allows employees to work four-day weeks.

Sainsbury’s announced last week that employees at its headquarters, warehouses, and store managers in its 1,400 UK stores would be able to work a four-day week.

Need Career Advice? Get employment skills advice at all levels of your career

Morrisons and M&S have also introduced compressed four-day work weeks as part of their flexible working policy, which aims to help employees achieve a better work-life balance.

Source:   Retail Gazette

Follow us on YouTubeTwitterLinkedIn, and Facebook

Title:

Content: Work life

Summer Fridays walked so the four-day workweek could run

Employees are now in favor of flexibility over temporary time off.

· 3 min read

Level up your career and your life with Sidekick

Career advice, productivity hacks, entertainment, and more. If it’s worth your time, it’s in here.

What’s top of mind at the water cooler.

The legend of the Summer Friday: Once upon a time, for three sacred months every year between Memorial Day and Labor Day, employees were allowed to clock out after lunch every Friday and head immediately to the bar.

It’s said that the tradition started in NYC in the ’60s as companies searched for ways to boost employee productivity and morale during the summer months. (There’s even a brand named after it!) If you were lucky enough to work somewhere that offered this perk (usually publishing or advertising), your weekend started with midday happy hours and early bird beach days while friends at less generous corporations smoldered with jealousy.

But with the push toward remote work, Summer Fridays have become a ghost of workplace past as they may have ushered in something even better: the four-day workweek.

As companies scrambled to deal with office closures during the pandemic, most work suddenly became remote. Facing Covid variant after variant and a resistance to returning to the office, some employers like tech companies Bolt and Buffer opted to permanently remove a day from the workweek to better suit employee needs. A jumbo Summer Friday! Perfect, right?

Unfortunately, the exact logistics of the four-day workweek have been tricky. Who can and can’t participate? Does the four-day workweek mean longer working hours? What happens if there’s still work to be done once Friday rolls around?

To get some insight, Sidekick spoke with Alicia Garcia, chief culture officer at MasterControl and Jes Osrow, diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) expert and founder of The Rise Journey consultancy, who had these thoughts to share:

  • Fixed schedules ≠ productivity. While a five-day, nine-to-five workweek has worked for most US-based companies, that doesn’t mean employees produce their best work during that time.
  • Flexibility is king. “The biggest issue with policies like the four-day workweek or Summer Fridays is that they’re still rigid. Whether it’s a four-day or five-day workweek, the exact days and times employees are required to work are fixed…When approached by employees, the most common request is ‘flexibility,’” said Garcia.
  • Flexibility isn’t an option for everyone. “We’re not thinking about essential workers, we’re not thinking about folks on the ground, and we’re not thinking about grocery store owners. It’s important to recognize that even though we do talk the big talk about a four-day workweek, it only applies to a small fraction of workers in the US and/or globally,” Osrow explained.

As the highly discussed ✨future of work✨ continues to develop, employees are looking for more flexibility. Whether that means working remotely from far-flung corners of the world or logging off a little early to go pick your children up from daycare—employers should take notes, not dictate them.—MW

Level up your career and your life with Sidekick

Career advice, productivity hacks, entertainment, and more. If it’s worth your time, it’s in here.

As of 2021, 8.

Title:

Content: Benefits

Employee Benefits Can Increase Productivity

July 25, 2018 ·

Best practices from our HR experts

Are you offering the employee benefits your workforce wants and deserves? Benefits make for happy employees, and happy employees are naturally more productive. There are many studies backing this up, including research that involved 700 people by the Social Market Foundation and the University of Warwick Centre for Competitive Advantage in the Global Economy in Britain. They found that happy workers who were given “happiness shocks” (these were perks like snacks—not actual electricity jolts) and then asked to perform a task were up to 20 percent more productive than control groups who weren’t given such happy “shocks.”

What else is shocking? Just how easy and affordable it often is to modify and increase benefits and perks for your employees. Think outside the box. Employee benefits extend beyond good healthcare and ample vacation days. Plus, happy employees rich in benefits aren’t just more productive, they tend to stick with their companies longer. These benefits can also attract better new-hires, so the circle of happiness and productivity continues.

Employee Productivity

To determine if your perks are helping productivity or not,  you should start by gauging employee productivity. This measurement can depend on your business, industry, and the individual job requirements of the employee. For instance, if your business is selling cars, it’s pretty easy to gauge how productive your salespeople are. But what about your admin staff? That’s not so easy.

Before you modify benefits to increase productivity, make sure you have current, measurable, and fair standards in place to gauge the productivity of each position. Starting from scratch? Bring in a third party that specializes in employee productivity and have your current team be active participants.

Employee Benefits

Ask anyone to name employee benefits, and the basics like healthcare and sick days are at the top of the list. Some benefits are mandated by state and federal law, but don’t let that limit you. Consider these popular and trending benefits:

  • Free or low-cost childcare. This has been a staple at many universities for years. It’s not possible for all employers, but it’s certainly a major perk that will attract working parents committed to “doing it all.”

  • Free gym membership. Bonus points if the gym is on-site or walkable. Happy employees are more productive, and so are healthy employees. Here are some other wellness programs to consider.

  • Birthdays off. It’s so simple, and so much better than the standard sheet cake and singing “Happy Birthday” in the break room.

  • Flexible hours and telecommuting options. Not every role is a match for telecommuting or virtual offices, but many can be. Not all employees are the right match, either, so it takes a little trial and error. However, you might be able to lower overhead and give employees the benefit of working remotely if that’s the right fit.

Health Benefits

Health benefits don’t have to mean just good quality healthcare coverage. Take a fresh look at available plans and policies every year and ask your current employees what they want in a healthcare plan. Many want more holistic options and alternative care covered, such as licensed massage therapy and acupuncture. Workers want and deserve mental health days that are covered, and they’re looking for quality coverage without unbearable deductibles. If healthy employees equate to happier employees who need fewer sick days, then it’s a win-win for everyone.

Benefits can make or break a job offer. They can attract the best candidates and, more importantly, keep them.

5% of Japanese companies surveyed had reached the standard of offering 4-day workweeks.

Title:

Content: New trend of preventing employees from leaving work three days a week
It is not that long working hours represent high efficiency, and more and more Japanese companies are beginning to accept it, and the implementation of the new three-day week off rule, which is not lack of many well-known large companies.
With this new benefit, in addition to attracting more talent, employees will also be prevented from leaving their jobs due to overwork.
Panasonic, one of the latest Japanese companies to work just four days a week, said in April that it would offer some employees the option of taking a 3-day week off in FY2022.
At the same time, the Japanese government also announced in 2021 that it would be good to encourage Japanese companies to work four days a week, because they can take an extra day off each week to spend more time with their families and do what they want to do.
In addition to Panasonic ’ s 3-day weekend program, Hitachi, Mizuho Financial Group, and Uniqlo ’ s parent company, Rapid Sales, are all working only four days a week. Recruit Works Institute, an independent research unit, believes that Japanese companies feel that they can use this benefit to keep their employees who have done their jobs and spend their time cultivating new employees.
The Japanese government found that in a survey of more than 4,000 companies, 8.5% of employees had paid vacation days as of 2021, up to the standard of just four days a week.
Shionogi & Co has been taking a 3-day weekly break since April, giving employees an extra day off each week to study, build connections and even create side jobs.
Yoneyi Pharmaceutical, which has applied for the approval of the new crown drug, pointed out that if you take a 3-day week off, the salary is only about 80% of the original, but you can work part-time.
In addition, Hitachi said in April that employees can take three days off a week as long as they reach the required number of working hours per month.
At the same time, the monthly salary will not be reduced.
Dai-ichi Life Research Institute (Dai-ichi Life Research Institute) believes that companies that can give employees three days off a week basically do not affect the financial structure.
Flexible working hours are becoming increasingly important as Japan ’ s population is ageing and the number of workers is expected to decrease in the future.
However, in the current situation of the job is generally difficult to find, Japanese labor bank Mynavi reported in February that 78.5% of workers aged 20 to 50 years old said that if it will affect wages, they will not want to take three days off a week.
At the same time, 60.1% said they were unlikely to work as long as four days a week.
However, the Recruit Works Institute believes that working four days a week should be a new global trend, and that large companies are taking the lead.
[00: 04: 45.560] and the time.
Extended reading
36,000 people diagnosed in a single day Japan ’ s Golden Week airport crowded
Core CPI increased by 7 in March, the largest day in 2 years
Japan plans fourth dose of vaccine to limit two types of people

Title:

Content: Dunelm is the latest UK business to trial a shorter hybrid-working model that allows some employees to work four days a week.

According to Retail Week, the homewares retailer is testing different four-day work patterns for its employees in particular departments, with the possibility of expanding the initiative once the trial period is completed.

A memo to employees said those taking part in the limited trial can work from home or in the office.

Read More: Retailers urge Christmas shoppers to hit the high street ahead of Royal Mail strikes

Dunelm is not the only retailer that allows employees to work four-day weeks.

Sainsbury’s announced last week that employees at its headquarters, warehouses, and store managers in its 1,400 UK stores would be able to work a four-day week.

Need Career Advice? Get employment skills advice at all levels of your career

Morrisons and M&S have also introduced compressed four-day work weeks as part of their flexible working policy, which aims to help employees achieve a better work-life balance.

Source:   Retail Gazette

Follow us on YouTubeTwitterLinkedIn, and Facebook

Title:

Content: Nearly a quarter of business owners don’t feel optimistic about their business succeeding in 2024, according to new research released today. The nation-wide survey, commissioned by Speakers’ Corner, drew responses from 500 business owners and directors with at least 20% equity, for companies with at least 100 employees.

With rising costs, economic volatility and technological challenges given as the main three reasons for their outlook, the next twelve months look set to be challenging for many.

“2024 was always going to be an unsettled year with economic, political and geopolitical uncertainty at the forefront of many business owners’ minds,” comments Nick Gold, Managing Director of Speakers’ Corner, the UK’s leading speaker bureau. “But what we’re seeing is an increased focus on workplace productivity with, reassuringly, 54% of business owners encouraging productivity from their staff by supporting them in work-life balance and employee well-being.”

More than half of the 500 businesses surveyed said their business’ main priority over the next two years will be improving employee productivity. Inefficient processes, lack of knowledge or skillsand time constraints were identified challenges to performance.

Top five things business owners and directors believe could improve the productivity of their workplace:

1. Train and/or develop knowledge and skills (e.g., skills within technology advancements) (41%)

2. AI adoption (40%)

3. Improve employee satisfaction and engagement (37%)

4. Improve the availability of resources and technology (35%)

5. Hybrid working (29%)

Title:

Content: Internationalisms
US congressman: 32 hours a week is key to happiness
California Rep. Mark Takano has again submitted to Congress his bill, which would impose 32 hours of work a week in the United States, to become a federal labor law.
Once passed, the number of working hours per week in the United States would be reduced from 40 to 32.
The law also includes a proposal for overtime pay for any work done after 32 hours, which will encourage companies to pay extra salaries to employees working longer hours, and encourage companies to hire more people.
The bill applies to workers in fields such as entertainment, hospitality, transportation, construction, manufacturing, wholesale and retail.
Insisting on the bill after it was first introduced in 2021, Takano told CNBC Make It that he wanted to stimulate debate in order to benefit and protect all workers as well as enhance their happiness and achieve what he called “social justice. ”
Nearly 3,000 UK workers from 61 companies have recently been experimented with four days a week for six months, with positive results including improved productivity, revenue, morale and team culture, as well as improved employee health and personal lives.
Related Articles
Go to the top button

- **Other Regions**: The movement is gaining traction globally, with calls in various countries for serious discussion about transitioning to shorter workweeks, noting that digital technologies have dramatically increased productivity while working hours have remained largely unchanged for decades.

Title:

Content: Dunelm is the latest UK business to trial a shorter hybrid-working model that allows some employees to work four days a week.

According to Retail Week, the homewares retailer is testing different four-day work patterns for its employees in particular departments, with the possibility of expanding the initiative once the trial period is completed.

A memo to employees said those taking part in the limited trial can work from home or in the office.

Read More: Retailers urge Christmas shoppers to hit the high street ahead of Royal Mail strikes

Dunelm is not the only retailer that allows employees to work four-day weeks.

Sainsbury’s announced last week that employees at its headquarters, warehouses, and store managers in its 1,400 UK stores would be able to work a four-day week.

Need Career Advice? Get employment skills advice at all levels of your career

Morrisons and M&S have also introduced compressed four-day work weeks as part of their flexible working policy, which aims to help employees achieve a better work-life balance.

Source:   Retail Gazette

Follow us on YouTubeTwitterLinkedIn, and Facebook

Title:

Content: DH Latest NewsDH NEWSLatest NewsNEWS

India’s new labour codes likely in 2022; 4-day work-week, reduced salary and more

According to a senior official, the four labour regulations covering salary, social security, occupational safety, industrial relations, health and working conditions are expected to be enacted by the following fiscal year. Working hours, wage restructure, and PF contribution, to name a few, would all be affected by the new wage law once it is enacted. At least 13 states have pre-published draft rules on these laws, according to the official, and the Centre completed the process of finalising the draft regulations on these codes in February 2021.

The central government announced 4 labour rules on August 8, 2019: the Code on Social Security, the Industrial Relations Code,2020, the Wage code, 2019 and the Code on Occupational Safety, Health, and Working Conditions, 2020. Because labour is a concurrent subject, the Centre wants the states to accept it all at once, according to the source. Employees’ take-home pay for the following fiscal year, i.e. April 2021, may be reduced as a result of the government’s Code on Wages, however components such as PF and Gratuity may increase. This is because the new pay rule stipulates that an employee’s basic income must equal at least 50% of their net monthly CTC. As a result, if this provision is implemented, employees will be unable to earn more than 50% of their net monthly compensation in the form of an allowance. As a result, the employee’s gratuity and PF payment are likely to increase. As a result, while employees’ take-home pay may decrease, the Gratuity and PF component of their salary may increase.

Experts believe that the new draft will have an impact on employees’ working hours, with some news sources reporting that employees may be allowed a four-day workweek starting next year, however they will be required to work for 12 hours on those four days. The ministry of labour appears to have said unequivocally that a minimum of 48 hours weekly work is required.

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## Documented Benefits

### Employee Well-being and Work-Life Balance

- **Enhanced Personal Time**: Employees report having more opportunities to pursue personal interests, spend time with family, and achieve healthier work-life balance.

Title:

Content: 4 Easy Ways To Maintain A Healthy Work-Life Balance

Balancing professional and personal life has become a major challenge especially since 2020 because the majority of us are working from home. For most people, work always takes preference over everything else in our lives, even our family and health. We become so desirable to achieve professional success that we keep ignoring other important things.

Maintaining harmony in both personal and professional life is very essential not only to improve our physical, emotional, and mental well-being but to perform well in our work. Regular stress from the never-ending workday can have negative effects on our personal relationships and overall happiness.

Considering the strong side effects of overworking many organizations have started incorporating flexible learning solutions in their work culture. Tools like Trainual help employees overcome the challenge of managing employee training along with their work.

While organizations are doing their bit to help employee’s build a healthy work-life balance, here are some of the ways employees can do it themselves:

  1. Set Work Hours

Try to set a boundary for your work hours and inform your colleagues, teammates, and even your manager about it to avoid burning the midnight oil. Inform them politely that you will not be accessible after your working hours unless it is very important. This will ensure they respect your boundaries and expectations.

Try to take your mind off your work after you clock out. Whether you are working from home or office, it is necessary to decide when to work and when to stop working; else, you will end up working late nights and even on weekends.

  1. Manage Your Priorities & Goals

Invest some time thoughtfully thinking about what is most important and relevant to you, and make a list of your top priorities. Then analyze it by asking yourself these key questions: What is most important and urgent? What do I need to start doing right now? What do I need to stop doing?

This will provide you with strong and measurable goals. Block some time from your busy schedule for activities that need urgent attention like a doctor’s appointment or running through some errands.

  1. Workout & Meditate

We are so busy with our lives that we have forgotten the power of exercise and meditation, and we either neglect it or procrastinate doing it. Exercising and meditation keep not only our physical health in check but also calm our minds, help us to make much better decisions in life, and reduce stress.

If you feel too lazy to exercise sometimes, try to add some easy habits to your lifestyle that will make a lot of difference. These habits are walking when you are on call, some stretching and face exercises while working, taking stairs instead of the lift whenever possible, and meditating for at least 5 mins in regular intervals.

  1. Take A Break

Overstretching yourself at work may give you professional success but you will lose a lot more valuable things in life like your physical health, mental health, and relationships. It is good to give yourself a break and take a day off when you have overworked someday and you feel that your brain is completely saturated.

Make some time for your loved ones, watch your favorite TV show, read, sleep, and do whatever you enjoy to relax your mind. Make use of your leaves and take a vacation once in a while.

CONCLUSION:

Having self-awareness about your own personal and professional priorities is very important. While we all need to work hard to achieve success in our careers, we also have to take into account that taking some time out for ourselves is very essential too. Having a healthy work-life balance can bring you satisfaction and allow you to stay more productive at work.

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?

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

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?

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

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?

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

As noted by Atom Bank's CEO, this allows employees to work "in a more efficient, healthy, and happy way.

Title:

Content: [Workplace benefits] British Bank changed to 4 days of work artificial unchanged CEO: 5 days of work is a product of the 19th century
Personal Value Added 18: 50 2021 / 12 / 07
Share:
When Hong Kong people were still working nine nights, seven days a week, five days a week, or even six days a week, some banks in the United Kingdom had already started to work four days a week.
Portugal ’ s new remote work law prohibits employers from contacting employees during off-hours: Click here
Atom Bank, a fintech bank in the United Kingdom, recently announced that it will let employees choose whether to work four days a week, and said that the company will not reduce employee pay, which is expected to benefit 430 employees.
However, under the four-day work, although the total working hours per week will be reduced from 37.5 hours to 34 hours, the daily working hours of employees will be extended by one hour to compensate for the extra day of vacation, that is, the daily working hours of employees will be increased from 7.5 hours to 8.5 hours.
According to Mark Mullen, CEO of Atom Bank, five-day work was an industrial necessity in the 19th century, and it is now obsolete. As the epidemic has completely changed the working model of many employees, companies have begun to consider how they can work more efficiently, healthily and happily, and in addition to promoting working from home, reducing the number of working days and hours is one of the new norm.
Iceland Trials 4-Day Job Productivity to Rise
In fact, four-day work is not new, there have been companies in the past, but mainly in European countries, and many people have questioned whether four-day work is more efficient than five-day work.
In the early days of Iceland, a pilot scheme was conducted between 2015 and 2019 to test whether a reduction in working days would lead to higher productivity, with 2,500 participants across pre-school education, social services, health care and office white-collar workers, accounting for more than 1% of the Icelandic workforce.
The testers worked 4 days on a trial basis, and the work week was reduced from 40 hours to 35 to 36 hours.
It was found that the productivity of most of the testers who adopted the four-day work system remained unchanged or even improved.
Lidl is the UK ’ s highest paid supermarket: Click Here
The median working week in Hong Kong is 45 hours.
According to the Quarterly Report of the General Household Survey for the third quarter of 2021 released by the Government, the median number of working hours per week for wage earners in Hong Kong is 45 hours, which is 10 hours more than in Iceland.
US mobile security technology company KISI earlier released the "2021 work-life balance city ranking", Hong Kong ranked 45th out of 50 statistical places, is the largest city in the world in the statistics of overworked population, nearly 3 adults appear overworked.
Hong Kong people are known to love to work again, do you think it is possible to implement a four-day work in Hong Kong?
Editor-in-Chief: Yan Heiman
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What has the implementation 4-day wrokweek in Dubai, UAE indicated?

Increase in employee and customer satisfaction.

"

- **Reduced Burnout**: The 4-day model addresses common feelings of burnout experienced by full-time employees by providing additional recovery time.

Title:

Content: Dunelm is the latest UK business to trial a shorter hybrid-working model that allows some employees to work four days a week.

According to Retail Week, the homewares retailer is testing different four-day work patterns for its employees in particular departments, with the possibility of expanding the initiative once the trial period is completed.

A memo to employees said those taking part in the limited trial can work from home or in the office.

Read More: Retailers urge Christmas shoppers to hit the high street ahead of Royal Mail strikes

Dunelm is not the only retailer that allows employees to work four-day weeks.

Sainsbury’s announced last week that employees at its headquarters, warehouses, and store managers in its 1,400 UK stores would be able to work a four-day week.

Need Career Advice? Get employment skills advice at all levels of your career

Morrisons and M&S have also introduced compressed four-day work weeks as part of their flexible working policy, which aims to help employees achieve a better work-life balance.

Source:   Retail Gazette

Follow us on YouTubeTwitterLinkedIn, and Facebook

Title:

Content: Internationalisms
US congressman: 32 hours a week is key to happiness
California Rep. Mark Takano has again submitted to Congress his bill, which would impose 32 hours of work a week in the United States, to become a federal labor law.
Once passed, the number of working hours per week in the United States would be reduced from 40 to 32.
The law also includes a proposal for overtime pay for any work done after 32 hours, which will encourage companies to pay extra salaries to employees working longer hours, and encourage companies to hire more people.
The bill applies to workers in fields such as entertainment, hospitality, transportation, construction, manufacturing, wholesale and retail.
Insisting on the bill after it was first introduced in 2021, Takano told CNBC Make It that he wanted to stimulate debate in order to benefit and protect all workers as well as enhance their happiness and achieve what he called “social justice. ”
Nearly 3,000 UK workers from 61 companies have recently been experimented with four days a week for six months, with positive results including improved productivity, revenue, morale and team culture, as well as improved employee health and personal lives.
Related Articles
Go to the top button

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?

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 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?

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 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?

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

This is particularly valuable in high-stress professions like law, which are known for overextended work weeks.

Title:

Content: Dunelm is the latest UK business to trial a shorter hybrid-working model that allows some employees to work four days a week.

According to Retail Week, the homewares retailer is testing different four-day work patterns for its employees in particular departments, with the possibility of expanding the initiative once the trial period is completed.

A memo to employees said those taking part in the limited trial can work from home or in the office.

Read More: Retailers urge Christmas shoppers to hit the high street ahead of Royal Mail strikes

Dunelm is not the only retailer that allows employees to work four-day weeks.

Sainsbury’s announced last week that employees at its headquarters, warehouses, and store managers in its 1,400 UK stores would be able to work a four-day week.

Need Career Advice? Get employment skills advice at all levels of your career

Morrisons and M&S have also introduced compressed four-day work weeks as part of their flexible working policy, which aims to help employees achieve a better work-life balance.

Source:   Retail Gazette

Follow us on YouTubeTwitterLinkedIn, and Facebook

- **Improved Health and Happiness**: Iceland's trials demonstrated that paying people the same amount for fewer hours resulted in a "happier, healthier workforce.

Title:

Content: The country of Iceland has released the analysis of its 4-day work week experiment and the results speak for themselves.

The trials run by Reykjavík City Council and the national government took place from 2015 to 2019 and included about 1% of Iceland’s working population, making it the world’s largest shortened workweek trial to date. The findings show that paying people the same amount to work fewer hours per week results in a happier, healthier workforce with similar or increased productivity. Who knew?

Will Stronge, director of research at Autonomy, a UK think tank that co-conducted a study of the trials, said in a statement: “This study shows that the world’s largest-ever trial of a shorter working week in the public sector was by all measures an overwhelming success. It shows that the public sector is ripe for being a pioneer of shorter working weeks—and lessons can be learned for other governments.”

So what are those lessons we can learn?

1) There’s nothing magical about a 40-hour workweek.

Most of the workers in the trial reduced their hours from 40 […]

Read the Full Article

Title:

Content: Benefits

Employee Benefits Can Increase Productivity

July 25, 2018 ·

Best practices from our HR experts

Are you offering the employee benefits your workforce wants and deserves? Benefits make for happy employees, and happy employees are naturally more productive. There are many studies backing this up, including research that involved 700 people by the Social Market Foundation and the University of Warwick Centre for Competitive Advantage in the Global Economy in Britain. They found that happy workers who were given “happiness shocks” (these were perks like snacks—not actual electricity jolts) and then asked to perform a task were up to 20 percent more productive than control groups who weren’t given such happy “shocks.”

What else is shocking? Just how easy and affordable it often is to modify and increase benefits and perks for your employees. Think outside the box. Employee benefits extend beyond good healthcare and ample vacation days. Plus, happy employees rich in benefits aren’t just more productive, they tend to stick with their companies longer. These benefits can also attract better new-hires, so the circle of happiness and productivity continues.

Employee Productivity

To determine if your perks are helping productivity or not,  you should start by gauging employee productivity. This measurement can depend on your business, industry, and the individual job requirements of the employee. For instance, if your business is selling cars, it’s pretty easy to gauge how productive your salespeople are. But what about your admin staff? That’s not so easy.

Before you modify benefits to increase productivity, make sure you have current, measurable, and fair standards in place to gauge the productivity of each position. Starting from scratch? Bring in a third party that specializes in employee productivity and have your current team be active participants.

Employee Benefits

Ask anyone to name employee benefits, and the basics like healthcare and sick days are at the top of the list. Some benefits are mandated by state and federal law, but don’t let that limit you. Consider these popular and trending benefits:

  • Free or low-cost childcare. This has been a staple at many universities for years. It’s not possible for all employers, but it’s certainly a major perk that will attract working parents committed to “doing it all.”

  • Free gym membership. Bonus points if the gym is on-site or walkable. Happy employees are more productive, and so are healthy employees. Here are some other wellness programs to consider.

  • Birthdays off. It’s so simple, and so much better than the standard sheet cake and singing “Happy Birthday” in the break room.

  • Flexible hours and telecommuting options. Not every role is a match for telecommuting or virtual offices, but many can be. Not all employees are the right match, either, so it takes a little trial and error. However, you might be able to lower overhead and give employees the benefit of working remotely if that’s the right fit.

Health Benefits

Health benefits don’t have to mean just good quality healthcare coverage. Take a fresh look at available plans and policies every year and ask your current employees what they want in a healthcare plan. Many want more holistic options and alternative care covered, such as licensed massage therapy and acupuncture. Workers want and deserve mental health days that are covered, and they’re looking for quality coverage without unbearable deductibles. If healthy employees equate to happier employees who need fewer sick days, then it’s a win-win for everyone.

Benefits can make or break a job offer. They can attract the best candidates and, more importantly, keep them.

Title:

Content: Internationalisms
US congressman: 32 hours a week is key to happiness
California Rep. Mark Takano has again submitted to Congress his bill, which would impose 32 hours of work a week in the United States, to become a federal labor law.
Once passed, the number of working hours per week in the United States would be reduced from 40 to 32.
The law also includes a proposal for overtime pay for any work done after 32 hours, which will encourage companies to pay extra salaries to employees working longer hours, and encourage companies to hire more people.
The bill applies to workers in fields such as entertainment, hospitality, transportation, construction, manufacturing, wholesale and retail.
Insisting on the bill after it was first introduced in 2021, Takano told CNBC Make It that he wanted to stimulate debate in order to benefit and protect all workers as well as enhance their happiness and achieve what he called “social justice. ”
Nearly 3,000 UK workers from 61 companies have recently been experimented with four days a week for six months, with positive results including improved productivity, revenue, morale and team culture, as well as improved employee health and personal lives.
Related Articles
Go to the top button

" Employees showed higher enthusiasm and derived more pleasure from their work.

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

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

Increase in employee and customer satisfaction.

What were the results of UAE's trial of 4-day workday?

A 90% increase in job performance, happiness, and mental health.

### Productivity and Business Performance

- **Maintained or Increased Productivity**: Contrary to concerns, multiple studies have shown that productivity remains stable or even increases with a 4-day workweek.

Title:

Content: Dunelm is the latest UK business to trial a shorter hybrid-working model that allows some employees to work four days a week.

According to Retail Week, the homewares retailer is testing different four-day work patterns for its employees in particular departments, with the possibility of expanding the initiative once the trial period is completed.

A memo to employees said those taking part in the limited trial can work from home or in the office.

Read More: Retailers urge Christmas shoppers to hit the high street ahead of Royal Mail strikes

Dunelm is not the only retailer that allows employees to work four-day weeks.

Sainsbury’s announced last week that employees at its headquarters, warehouses, and store managers in its 1,400 UK stores would be able to work a four-day week.

Need Career Advice? Get employment skills advice at all levels of your career

Morrisons and M&S have also introduced compressed four-day work weeks as part of their flexible working policy, which aims to help employees achieve a better work-life balance.

Source:   Retail Gazette

Follow us on YouTubeTwitterLinkedIn, and Facebook

Title:

Content: The country of Iceland has released the analysis of its 4-day work week experiment and the results speak for themselves.

The trials run by Reykjavík City Council and the national government took place from 2015 to 2019 and included about 1% of Iceland’s working population, making it the world’s largest shortened workweek trial to date. The findings show that paying people the same amount to work fewer hours per week results in a happier, healthier workforce with similar or increased productivity. Who knew?

Will Stronge, director of research at Autonomy, a UK think tank that co-conducted a study of the trials, said in a statement: “This study shows that the world’s largest-ever trial of a shorter working week in the public sector was by all measures an overwhelming success. It shows that the public sector is ripe for being a pioneer of shorter working weeks—and lessons can be learned for other governments.”

So what are those lessons we can learn?

1) There’s nothing magical about a 40-hour workweek.

Most of the workers in the trial reduced their hours from 40 […]

Read the Full Article

Title:

Content: Benefits

Employee Benefits Can Increase Productivity

July 25, 2018 ·

Best practices from our HR experts

Are you offering the employee benefits your workforce wants and deserves? Benefits make for happy employees, and happy employees are naturally more productive. There are many studies backing this up, including research that involved 700 people by the Social Market Foundation and the University of Warwick Centre for Competitive Advantage in the Global Economy in Britain. They found that happy workers who were given “happiness shocks” (these were perks like snacks—not actual electricity jolts) and then asked to perform a task were up to 20 percent more productive than control groups who weren’t given such happy “shocks.”

What else is shocking? Just how easy and affordable it often is to modify and increase benefits and perks for your employees. Think outside the box. Employee benefits extend beyond good healthcare and ample vacation days. Plus, happy employees rich in benefits aren’t just more productive, they tend to stick with their companies longer. These benefits can also attract better new-hires, so the circle of happiness and productivity continues.

Employee Productivity

To determine if your perks are helping productivity or not,  you should start by gauging employee productivity. This measurement can depend on your business, industry, and the individual job requirements of the employee. For instance, if your business is selling cars, it’s pretty easy to gauge how productive your salespeople are. But what about your admin staff? That’s not so easy.

Before you modify benefits to increase productivity, make sure you have current, measurable, and fair standards in place to gauge the productivity of each position. Starting from scratch? Bring in a third party that specializes in employee productivity and have your current team be active participants.

Employee Benefits

Ask anyone to name employee benefits, and the basics like healthcare and sick days are at the top of the list. Some benefits are mandated by state and federal law, but don’t let that limit you. Consider these popular and trending benefits:

  • Free or low-cost childcare. This has been a staple at many universities for years. It’s not possible for all employers, but it’s certainly a major perk that will attract working parents committed to “doing it all.”

  • Free gym membership. Bonus points if the gym is on-site or walkable. Happy employees are more productive, and so are healthy employees. Here are some other wellness programs to consider.

  • Birthdays off. It’s so simple, and so much better than the standard sheet cake and singing “Happy Birthday” in the break room.

  • Flexible hours and telecommuting options. Not every role is a match for telecommuting or virtual offices, but many can be. Not all employees are the right match, either, so it takes a little trial and error. However, you might be able to lower overhead and give employees the benefit of working remotely if that’s the right fit.

Health Benefits

Health benefits don’t have to mean just good quality healthcare coverage. Take a fresh look at available plans and policies every year and ask your current employees what they want in a healthcare plan. Many want more holistic options and alternative care covered, such as licensed massage therapy and acupuncture. Workers want and deserve mental health days that are covered, and they’re looking for quality coverage without unbearable deductibles. If healthy employees equate to happier employees who need fewer sick days, then it’s a win-win for everyone.

Benefits can make or break a job offer. They can attract the best candidates and, more importantly, keep them.

Title:

Content: Nearly a quarter of business owners don’t feel optimistic about their business succeeding in 2024, according to new research released today. The nation-wide survey, commissioned by Speakers’ Corner, drew responses from 500 business owners and directors with at least 20% equity, for companies with at least 100 employees.

With rising costs, economic volatility and technological challenges given as the main three reasons for their outlook, the next twelve months look set to be challenging for many.

“2024 was always going to be an unsettled year with economic, political and geopolitical uncertainty at the forefront of many business owners’ minds,” comments Nick Gold, Managing Director of Speakers’ Corner, the UK’s leading speaker bureau. “But what we’re seeing is an increased focus on workplace productivity with, reassuringly, 54% of business owners encouraging productivity from their staff by supporting them in work-life balance and employee well-being.”

More than half of the 500 businesses surveyed said their business’ main priority over the next two years will be improving employee productivity. Inefficient processes, lack of knowledge or skillsand time constraints were identified challenges to performance.

Top five things business owners and directors believe could improve the productivity of their workplace:

1. Train and/or develop knowledge and skills (e.g., skills within technology advancements) (41%)

2. AI adoption (40%)

3. Improve employee satisfaction and engagement (37%)

4. Improve the availability of resources and technology (35%)

5. Hybrid working (29%)

Title:

Content: Work life

Summer Fridays walked so the four-day workweek could run

Employees are now in favor of flexibility over temporary time off.

· 3 min read

Level up your career and your life with Sidekick

Career advice, productivity hacks, entertainment, and more. If it’s worth your time, it’s in here.

What’s top of mind at the water cooler.

The legend of the Summer Friday: Once upon a time, for three sacred months every year between Memorial Day and Labor Day, employees were allowed to clock out after lunch every Friday and head immediately to the bar.

It’s said that the tradition started in NYC in the ’60s as companies searched for ways to boost employee productivity and morale during the summer months. (There’s even a brand named after it!) If you were lucky enough to work somewhere that offered this perk (usually publishing or advertising), your weekend started with midday happy hours and early bird beach days while friends at less generous corporations smoldered with jealousy.

But with the push toward remote work, Summer Fridays have become a ghost of workplace past as they may have ushered in something even better: the four-day workweek.

As companies scrambled to deal with office closures during the pandemic, most work suddenly became remote. Facing Covid variant after variant and a resistance to returning to the office, some employers like tech companies Bolt and Buffer opted to permanently remove a day from the workweek to better suit employee needs. A jumbo Summer Friday! Perfect, right?

Unfortunately, the exact logistics of the four-day workweek have been tricky. Who can and can’t participate? Does the four-day workweek mean longer working hours? What happens if there’s still work to be done once Friday rolls around?

To get some insight, Sidekick spoke with Alicia Garcia, chief culture officer at MasterControl and Jes Osrow, diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) expert and founder of The Rise Journey consultancy, who had these thoughts to share:

  • Fixed schedules ≠ productivity. While a five-day, nine-to-five workweek has worked for most US-based companies, that doesn’t mean employees produce their best work during that time.
  • Flexibility is king. “The biggest issue with policies like the four-day workweek or Summer Fridays is that they’re still rigid. Whether it’s a four-day or five-day workweek, the exact days and times employees are required to work are fixed…When approached by employees, the most common request is ‘flexibility,’” said Garcia.
  • Flexibility isn’t an option for everyone. “We’re not thinking about essential workers, we’re not thinking about folks on the ground, and we’re not thinking about grocery store owners. It’s important to recognize that even though we do talk the big talk about a four-day workweek, it only applies to a small fraction of workers in the US and/or globally,” Osrow explained.

As the highly discussed ✨future of work✨ continues to develop, employees are looking for more flexibility. Whether that means working remotely from far-flung corners of the world or logging off a little early to go pick your children up from daycare—employers should take notes, not dictate them.—MW

Level up your career and your life with Sidekick

Career advice, productivity hacks, entertainment, and more. If it’s worth your time, it’s in here.

Title:

Content: Internationalisms
US congressman: 32 hours a week is key to happiness
California Rep. Mark Takano has again submitted to Congress his bill, which would impose 32 hours of work a week in the United States, to become a federal labor law.
Once passed, the number of working hours per week in the United States would be reduced from 40 to 32.
The law also includes a proposal for overtime pay for any work done after 32 hours, which will encourage companies to pay extra salaries to employees working longer hours, and encourage companies to hire more people.
The bill applies to workers in fields such as entertainment, hospitality, transportation, construction, manufacturing, wholesale and retail.
Insisting on the bill after it was first introduced in 2021, Takano told CNBC Make It that he wanted to stimulate debate in order to benefit and protect all workers as well as enhance their happiness and achieve what he called “social justice. ”
Nearly 3,000 UK workers from 61 companies have recently been experimented with four days a week for six months, with positive results including improved productivity, revenue, morale and team culture, as well as improved employee health and personal lives.
Related Articles
Go to the top button

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

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

Increase in productivity
Increase in work quality indicators
Increase in speed of completion

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

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

Increase in productivity
Increase in work quality indicators
Increase in speed of completion

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

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

Increase in productivity
Increase in work quality indicators
Increase in speed of completion

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

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

Increase in productivity
Increase in work quality indicators
Increase in speed of completion

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

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

Increase in productivity
Increase in work quality indicators
Increase in speed of completion

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

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

Increase in productivity
Increase in work quality indicators
Increase in speed of completion

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

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

Increase in productivity
Increase in work quality indicators
Increase in speed of completion

The Iceland trials found "similar or increased productivity" across most workplaces, while a UK study found "no lost productivity" according to participating employers.

Title:

Content: The country of Iceland has released the analysis of its 4-day work week experiment and the results speak for themselves.

The trials run by Reykjavík City Council and the national government took place from 2015 to 2019 and included about 1% of Iceland’s working population, making it the world’s largest shortened workweek trial to date. The findings show that paying people the same amount to work fewer hours per week results in a happier, healthier workforce with similar or increased productivity. Who knew?

Will Stronge, director of research at Autonomy, a UK think tank that co-conducted a study of the trials, said in a statement: “This study shows that the world’s largest-ever trial of a shorter working week in the public sector was by all measures an overwhelming success. It shows that the public sector is ripe for being a pioneer of shorter working weeks—and lessons can be learned for other governments.”

So what are those lessons we can learn?

1) There’s nothing magical about a 40-hour workweek.

Most of the workers in the trial reduced their hours from 40 […]

Read the Full Article

Title:

Content: Nearly a quarter of business owners don’t feel optimistic about their business succeeding in 2024, according to new research released today. The nation-wide survey, commissioned by Speakers’ Corner, drew responses from 500 business owners and directors with at least 20% equity, for companies with at least 100 employees.

With rising costs, economic volatility and technological challenges given as the main three reasons for their outlook, the next twelve months look set to be challenging for many.

“2024 was always going to be an unsettled year with economic, political and geopolitical uncertainty at the forefront of many business owners’ minds,” comments Nick Gold, Managing Director of Speakers’ Corner, the UK’s leading speaker bureau. “But what we’re seeing is an increased focus on workplace productivity with, reassuringly, 54% of business owners encouraging productivity from their staff by supporting them in work-life balance and employee well-being.”

More than half of the 500 businesses surveyed said their business’ main priority over the next two years will be improving employee productivity. Inefficient processes, lack of knowledge or skillsand time constraints were identified challenges to performance.

Top five things business owners and directors believe could improve the productivity of their workplace:

1. Train and/or develop knowledge and skills (e.g., skills within technology advancements) (41%)

2. AI adoption (40%)

3. Improve employee satisfaction and engagement (37%)

4. Improve the availability of resources and technology (35%)

5. Hybrid working (29%)

Title:

Content: Internationalisms
US congressman: 32 hours a week is key to happiness
California Rep. Mark Takano has again submitted to Congress his bill, which would impose 32 hours of work a week in the United States, to become a federal labor law.
Once passed, the number of working hours per week in the United States would be reduced from 40 to 32.
The law also includes a proposal for overtime pay for any work done after 32 hours, which will encourage companies to pay extra salaries to employees working longer hours, and encourage companies to hire more people.
The bill applies to workers in fields such as entertainment, hospitality, transportation, construction, manufacturing, wholesale and retail.
Insisting on the bill after it was first introduced in 2021, Takano told CNBC Make It that he wanted to stimulate debate in order to benefit and protect all workers as well as enhance their happiness and achieve what he called “social justice. ”
Nearly 3,000 UK workers from 61 companies have recently been experimented with four days a week for six months, with positive results including improved productivity, revenue, morale and team culture, as well as improved employee health and personal lives.
Related Articles
Go to the top button

- **Enhanced Employee Engagement**: Research consistently shows that happy employees are more productive.

Title:

Content: Benefits

Employee Benefits Can Increase Productivity

July 25, 2018 ·

Best practices from our HR experts

Are you offering the employee benefits your workforce wants and deserves? Benefits make for happy employees, and happy employees are naturally more productive. There are many studies backing this up, including research that involved 700 people by the Social Market Foundation and the University of Warwick Centre for Competitive Advantage in the Global Economy in Britain. They found that happy workers who were given “happiness shocks” (these were perks like snacks—not actual electricity jolts) and then asked to perform a task were up to 20 percent more productive than control groups who weren’t given such happy “shocks.”

What else is shocking? Just how easy and affordable it often is to modify and increase benefits and perks for your employees. Think outside the box. Employee benefits extend beyond good healthcare and ample vacation days. Plus, happy employees rich in benefits aren’t just more productive, they tend to stick with their companies longer. These benefits can also attract better new-hires, so the circle of happiness and productivity continues.

Employee Productivity

To determine if your perks are helping productivity or not,  you should start by gauging employee productivity. This measurement can depend on your business, industry, and the individual job requirements of the employee. For instance, if your business is selling cars, it’s pretty easy to gauge how productive your salespeople are. But what about your admin staff? That’s not so easy.

Before you modify benefits to increase productivity, make sure you have current, measurable, and fair standards in place to gauge the productivity of each position. Starting from scratch? Bring in a third party that specializes in employee productivity and have your current team be active participants.

Employee Benefits

Ask anyone to name employee benefits, and the basics like healthcare and sick days are at the top of the list. Some benefits are mandated by state and federal law, but don’t let that limit you. Consider these popular and trending benefits:

  • Free or low-cost childcare. This has been a staple at many universities for years. It’s not possible for all employers, but it’s certainly a major perk that will attract working parents committed to “doing it all.”

  • Free gym membership. Bonus points if the gym is on-site or walkable. Happy employees are more productive, and so are healthy employees. Here are some other wellness programs to consider.

  • Birthdays off. It’s so simple, and so much better than the standard sheet cake and singing “Happy Birthday” in the break room.

  • Flexible hours and telecommuting options. Not every role is a match for telecommuting or virtual offices, but many can be. Not all employees are the right match, either, so it takes a little trial and error. However, you might be able to lower overhead and give employees the benefit of working remotely if that’s the right fit.

Health Benefits

Health benefits don’t have to mean just good quality healthcare coverage. Take a fresh look at available plans and policies every year and ask your current employees what they want in a healthcare plan. Many want more holistic options and alternative care covered, such as licensed massage therapy and acupuncture. Workers want and deserve mental health days that are covered, and they’re looking for quality coverage without unbearable deductibles. If healthy employees equate to happier employees who need fewer sick days, then it’s a win-win for everyone.

Benefits can make or break a job offer. They can attract the best candidates and, more importantly, keep them.

Title:

Content: 4 Easy Ways To Maintain A Healthy Work-Life Balance

Balancing professional and personal life has become a major challenge especially since 2020 because the majority of us are working from home. For most people, work always takes preference over everything else in our lives, even our family and health. We become so desirable to achieve professional success that we keep ignoring other important things.

Maintaining harmony in both personal and professional life is very essential not only to improve our physical, emotional, and mental well-being but to perform well in our work. Regular stress from the never-ending workday can have negative effects on our personal relationships and overall happiness.

Considering the strong side effects of overworking many organizations have started incorporating flexible learning solutions in their work culture. Tools like Trainual help employees overcome the challenge of managing employee training along with their work.

While organizations are doing their bit to help employee’s build a healthy work-life balance, here are some of the ways employees can do it themselves:

  1. Set Work Hours

Try to set a boundary for your work hours and inform your colleagues, teammates, and even your manager about it to avoid burning the midnight oil. Inform them politely that you will not be accessible after your working hours unless it is very important. This will ensure they respect your boundaries and expectations.

Try to take your mind off your work after you clock out. Whether you are working from home or office, it is necessary to decide when to work and when to stop working; else, you will end up working late nights and even on weekends.

  1. Manage Your Priorities & Goals

Invest some time thoughtfully thinking about what is most important and relevant to you, and make a list of your top priorities. Then analyze it by asking yourself these key questions: What is most important and urgent? What do I need to start doing right now? What do I need to stop doing?

This will provide you with strong and measurable goals. Block some time from your busy schedule for activities that need urgent attention like a doctor’s appointment or running through some errands.

  1. Workout & Meditate

We are so busy with our lives that we have forgotten the power of exercise and meditation, and we either neglect it or procrastinate doing it. Exercising and meditation keep not only our physical health in check but also calm our minds, help us to make much better decisions in life, and reduce stress.

If you feel too lazy to exercise sometimes, try to add some easy habits to your lifestyle that will make a lot of difference. These habits are walking when you are on call, some stretching and face exercises while working, taking stairs instead of the lift whenever possible, and meditating for at least 5 mins in regular intervals.

  1. Take A Break

Overstretching yourself at work may give you professional success but you will lose a lot more valuable things in life like your physical health, mental health, and relationships. It is good to give yourself a break and take a day off when you have overworked someday and you feel that your brain is completely saturated.

Make some time for your loved ones, watch your favorite TV show, read, sleep, and do whatever you enjoy to relax your mind. Make use of your leaves and take a vacation once in a while.

CONCLUSION:

Having self-awareness about your own personal and professional priorities is very important. While we all need to work hard to achieve success in our careers, we also have to take into account that taking some time out for ourselves is very essential too. Having a healthy work-life balance can bring you satisfaction and allow you to stay more productive at work.

Title:

Content: Internationalisms
US congressman: 32 hours a week is key to happiness
California Rep. Mark Takano has again submitted to Congress his bill, which would impose 32 hours of work a week in the United States, to become a federal labor law.
Once passed, the number of working hours per week in the United States would be reduced from 40 to 32.
The law also includes a proposal for overtime pay for any work done after 32 hours, which will encourage companies to pay extra salaries to employees working longer hours, and encourage companies to hire more people.
The bill applies to workers in fields such as entertainment, hospitality, transportation, construction, manufacturing, wholesale and retail.
Insisting on the bill after it was first introduced in 2021, Takano told CNBC Make It that he wanted to stimulate debate in order to benefit and protect all workers as well as enhance their happiness and achieve what he called “social justice. ”
Nearly 3,000 UK workers from 61 companies have recently been experimented with four days a week for six months, with positive results including improved productivity, revenue, morale and team culture, as well as improved employee health and personal lives.
Related Articles
Go to the top button

One study involving 700 participants found that happy workers were up to 20% more productive than control groups.

Title:

Content: The country of Iceland has released the analysis of its 4-day work week experiment and the results speak for themselves.

The trials run by Reykjavík City Council and the national government took place from 2015 to 2019 and included about 1% of Iceland’s working population, making it the world’s largest shortened workweek trial to date. The findings show that paying people the same amount to work fewer hours per week results in a happier, healthier workforce with similar or increased productivity. Who knew?

Will Stronge, director of research at Autonomy, a UK think tank that co-conducted a study of the trials, said in a statement: “This study shows that the world’s largest-ever trial of a shorter working week in the public sector was by all measures an overwhelming success. It shows that the public sector is ripe for being a pioneer of shorter working weeks—and lessons can be learned for other governments.”

So what are those lessons we can learn?

1) There’s nothing magical about a 40-hour workweek.

Most of the workers in the trial reduced their hours from 40 […]

Read the Full Article

Title:

Content: Benefits

Employee Benefits Can Increase Productivity

July 25, 2018 ·

Best practices from our HR experts

Are you offering the employee benefits your workforce wants and deserves? Benefits make for happy employees, and happy employees are naturally more productive. There are many studies backing this up, including research that involved 700 people by the Social Market Foundation and the University of Warwick Centre for Competitive Advantage in the Global Economy in Britain. They found that happy workers who were given “happiness shocks” (these were perks like snacks—not actual electricity jolts) and then asked to perform a task were up to 20 percent more productive than control groups who weren’t given such happy “shocks.”

What else is shocking? Just how easy and affordable it often is to modify and increase benefits and perks for your employees. Think outside the box. Employee benefits extend beyond good healthcare and ample vacation days. Plus, happy employees rich in benefits aren’t just more productive, they tend to stick with their companies longer. These benefits can also attract better new-hires, so the circle of happiness and productivity continues.

Employee Productivity

To determine if your perks are helping productivity or not,  you should start by gauging employee productivity. This measurement can depend on your business, industry, and the individual job requirements of the employee. For instance, if your business is selling cars, it’s pretty easy to gauge how productive your salespeople are. But what about your admin staff? That’s not so easy.

Before you modify benefits to increase productivity, make sure you have current, measurable, and fair standards in place to gauge the productivity of each position. Starting from scratch? Bring in a third party that specializes in employee productivity and have your current team be active participants.

Employee Benefits

Ask anyone to name employee benefits, and the basics like healthcare and sick days are at the top of the list. Some benefits are mandated by state and federal law, but don’t let that limit you. Consider these popular and trending benefits:

  • Free or low-cost childcare. This has been a staple at many universities for years. It’s not possible for all employers, but it’s certainly a major perk that will attract working parents committed to “doing it all.”

  • Free gym membership. Bonus points if the gym is on-site or walkable. Happy employees are more productive, and so are healthy employees. Here are some other wellness programs to consider.

  • Birthdays off. It’s so simple, and so much better than the standard sheet cake and singing “Happy Birthday” in the break room.

  • Flexible hours and telecommuting options. Not every role is a match for telecommuting or virtual offices, but many can be. Not all employees are the right match, either, so it takes a little trial and error. However, you might be able to lower overhead and give employees the benefit of working remotely if that’s the right fit.

Health Benefits

Health benefits don’t have to mean just good quality healthcare coverage. Take a fresh look at available plans and policies every year and ask your current employees what they want in a healthcare plan. Many want more holistic options and alternative care covered, such as licensed massage therapy and acupuncture. Workers want and deserve mental health days that are covered, and they’re looking for quality coverage without unbearable deductibles. If healthy employees equate to happier employees who need fewer sick days, then it’s a win-win for everyone.

Benefits can make or break a job offer. They can attract the best candidates and, more importantly, keep them.

The 4-day workweek appears to contribute to this happiness effect.

Title:

Content: Dunelm is the latest UK business to trial a shorter hybrid-working model that allows some employees to work four days a week.

According to Retail Week, the homewares retailer is testing different four-day work patterns for its employees in particular departments, with the possibility of expanding the initiative once the trial period is completed.

A memo to employees said those taking part in the limited trial can work from home or in the office.

Read More: Retailers urge Christmas shoppers to hit the high street ahead of Royal Mail strikes

Dunelm is not the only retailer that allows employees to work four-day weeks.

Sainsbury’s announced last week that employees at its headquarters, warehouses, and store managers in its 1,400 UK stores would be able to work a four-day week.

Need Career Advice? Get employment skills advice at all levels of your career

Morrisons and M&S have also introduced compressed four-day work weeks as part of their flexible working policy, which aims to help employees achieve a better work-life balance.

Source:   Retail Gazette

Follow us on YouTubeTwitterLinkedIn, and Facebook

Title:

Content: The country of Iceland has released the analysis of its 4-day work week experiment and the results speak for themselves.

The trials run by Reykjavík City Council and the national government took place from 2015 to 2019 and included about 1% of Iceland’s working population, making it the world’s largest shortened workweek trial to date. The findings show that paying people the same amount to work fewer hours per week results in a happier, healthier workforce with similar or increased productivity. Who knew?

Will Stronge, director of research at Autonomy, a UK think tank that co-conducted a study of the trials, said in a statement: “This study shows that the world’s largest-ever trial of a shorter working week in the public sector was by all measures an overwhelming success. It shows that the public sector is ripe for being a pioneer of shorter working weeks—and lessons can be learned for other governments.”

So what are those lessons we can learn?

1) There’s nothing magical about a 40-hour workweek.

Most of the workers in the trial reduced their hours from 40 […]

Read the Full Article

Title:

Content: Work life

Summer Fridays walked so the four-day workweek could run

Employees are now in favor of flexibility over temporary time off.

· 3 min read

Level up your career and your life with Sidekick

Career advice, productivity hacks, entertainment, and more. If it’s worth your time, it’s in here.

What’s top of mind at the water cooler.

The legend of the Summer Friday: Once upon a time, for three sacred months every year between Memorial Day and Labor Day, employees were allowed to clock out after lunch every Friday and head immediately to the bar.

It’s said that the tradition started in NYC in the ’60s as companies searched for ways to boost employee productivity and morale during the summer months. (There’s even a brand named after it!) If you were lucky enough to work somewhere that offered this perk (usually publishing or advertising), your weekend started with midday happy hours and early bird beach days while friends at less generous corporations smoldered with jealousy.

But with the push toward remote work, Summer Fridays have become a ghost of workplace past as they may have ushered in something even better: the four-day workweek.

As companies scrambled to deal with office closures during the pandemic, most work suddenly became remote. Facing Covid variant after variant and a resistance to returning to the office, some employers like tech companies Bolt and Buffer opted to permanently remove a day from the workweek to better suit employee needs. A jumbo Summer Friday! Perfect, right?

Unfortunately, the exact logistics of the four-day workweek have been tricky. Who can and can’t participate? Does the four-day workweek mean longer working hours? What happens if there’s still work to be done once Friday rolls around?

To get some insight, Sidekick spoke with Alicia Garcia, chief culture officer at MasterControl and Jes Osrow, diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) expert and founder of The Rise Journey consultancy, who had these thoughts to share:

  • Fixed schedules ≠ productivity. While a five-day, nine-to-five workweek has worked for most US-based companies, that doesn’t mean employees produce their best work during that time.
  • Flexibility is king. “The biggest issue with policies like the four-day workweek or Summer Fridays is that they’re still rigid. Whether it’s a four-day or five-day workweek, the exact days and times employees are required to work are fixed…When approached by employees, the most common request is ‘flexibility,’” said Garcia.
  • Flexibility isn’t an option for everyone. “We’re not thinking about essential workers, we’re not thinking about folks on the ground, and we’re not thinking about grocery store owners. It’s important to recognize that even though we do talk the big talk about a four-day workweek, it only applies to a small fraction of workers in the US and/or globally,” Osrow explained.

As the highly discussed ✨future of work✨ continues to develop, employees are looking for more flexibility. Whether that means working remotely from far-flung corners of the world or logging off a little early to go pick your children up from daycare—employers should take notes, not dictate them.—MW

Level up your career and your life with Sidekick

Career advice, productivity hacks, entertainment, and more. If it’s worth your time, it’s in here.

Title:

Content: Internationalisms
US congressman: 32 hours a week is key to happiness
California Rep. Mark Takano has again submitted to Congress his bill, which would impose 32 hours of work a week in the United States, to become a federal labor law.
Once passed, the number of working hours per week in the United States would be reduced from 40 to 32.
The law also includes a proposal for overtime pay for any work done after 32 hours, which will encourage companies to pay extra salaries to employees working longer hours, and encourage companies to hire more people.
The bill applies to workers in fields such as entertainment, hospitality, transportation, construction, manufacturing, wholesale and retail.
Insisting on the bill after it was first introduced in 2021, Takano told CNBC Make It that he wanted to stimulate debate in order to benefit and protect all workers as well as enhance their happiness and achieve what he called “social justice. ”
Nearly 3,000 UK workers from 61 companies have recently been experimented with four days a week for six months, with positive results including improved productivity, revenue, morale and team culture, as well as improved employee health and personal lives.
Related Articles
Go to the top button

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

Increase in employee and customer satisfaction.

What were the results of UAE's trial of 4-day workday?

A 90% increase in job performance, happiness, and mental health.

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

Increase in employee and customer satisfaction.

What were the results of UAE's trial of 4-day workday?

A 90% increase in job performance, happiness, and mental health.

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

Increase in employee and customer satisfaction.

What were the results of UAE's trial of 4-day workday?

A 90% increase in job performance, happiness, and mental health.

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

Increase in employee and customer satisfaction.

What were the results of UAE's trial of 4-day workday?

A 90% increase in job performance, happiness, and mental health.

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

Increase in employee and customer satisfaction.

What were the results of UAE's trial of 4-day workday?

A 90% increase in job performance, happiness, and mental health.

- **Improved Customer Experience**: Some employers report that the 4-day model has had a "positive impact on business productivity and customer experience," suggesting that the benefits extend beyond internal operations.

Title:

Content: [Workplace benefits] British Bank changed to 4 days of work artificial unchanged CEO: 5 days of work is a product of the 19th century
Personal Value Added 18: 50 2021 / 12 / 07
Share:
When Hong Kong people were still working nine nights, seven days a week, five days a week, or even six days a week, some banks in the United Kingdom had already started to work four days a week.
Portugal ’ s new remote work law prohibits employers from contacting employees during off-hours: Click here
Atom Bank, a fintech bank in the United Kingdom, recently announced that it will let employees choose whether to work four days a week, and said that the company will not reduce employee pay, which is expected to benefit 430 employees.
However, under the four-day work, although the total working hours per week will be reduced from 37.5 hours to 34 hours, the daily working hours of employees will be extended by one hour to compensate for the extra day of vacation, that is, the daily working hours of employees will be increased from 7.5 hours to 8.5 hours.
According to Mark Mullen, CEO of Atom Bank, five-day work was an industrial necessity in the 19th century, and it is now obsolete. As the epidemic has completely changed the working model of many employees, companies have begun to consider how they can work more efficiently, healthily and happily, and in addition to promoting working from home, reducing the number of working days and hours is one of the new norm.
Iceland Trials 4-Day Job Productivity to Rise
In fact, four-day work is not new, there have been companies in the past, but mainly in European countries, and many people have questioned whether four-day work is more efficient than five-day work.
In the early days of Iceland, a pilot scheme was conducted between 2015 and 2019 to test whether a reduction in working days would lead to higher productivity, with 2,500 participants across pre-school education, social services, health care and office white-collar workers, accounting for more than 1% of the Icelandic workforce.
The testers worked 4 days on a trial basis, and the work week was reduced from 40 hours to 35 to 36 hours.
It was found that the productivity of most of the testers who adopted the four-day work system remained unchanged or even improved.
Lidl is the UK ’ s highest paid supermarket: Click Here
The median working week in Hong Kong is 45 hours.
According to the Quarterly Report of the General Household Survey for the third quarter of 2021 released by the Government, the median number of working hours per week for wage earners in Hong Kong is 45 hours, which is 10 hours more than in Iceland.
US mobile security technology company KISI earlier released the "2021 work-life balance city ranking", Hong Kong ranked 45th out of 50 statistical places, is the largest city in the world in the statistics of overworked population, nearly 3 adults appear overworked.
Hong Kong people are known to love to work again, do you think it is possible to implement a four-day work in Hong Kong?
Editor-in-Chief: Yan Heiman
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Title:

Content: Dunelm is the latest UK business to trial a shorter hybrid-working model that allows some employees to work four days a week.

According to Retail Week, the homewares retailer is testing different four-day work patterns for its employees in particular departments, with the possibility of expanding the initiative once the trial period is completed.

A memo to employees said those taking part in the limited trial can work from home or in the office.

Read More: Retailers urge Christmas shoppers to hit the high street ahead of Royal Mail strikes

Dunelm is not the only retailer that allows employees to work four-day weeks.

Sainsbury’s announced last week that employees at its headquarters, warehouses, and store managers in its 1,400 UK stores would be able to work a four-day week.

Need Career Advice? Get employment skills advice at all levels of your career

Morrisons and M&S have also introduced compressed four-day work weeks as part of their flexible working policy, which aims to help employees achieve a better work-life balance.

Source:   Retail Gazette

Follow us on YouTubeTwitterLinkedIn, and Facebook

Title:

Content: The country of Iceland has released the analysis of its 4-day work week experiment and the results speak for themselves.

The trials run by Reykjavík City Council and the national government took place from 2015 to 2019 and included about 1% of Iceland’s working population, making it the world’s largest shortened workweek trial to date. The findings show that paying people the same amount to work fewer hours per week results in a happier, healthier workforce with similar or increased productivity. Who knew?

Will Stronge, director of research at Autonomy, a UK think tank that co-conducted a study of the trials, said in a statement: “This study shows that the world’s largest-ever trial of a shorter working week in the public sector was by all measures an overwhelming success. It shows that the public sector is ripe for being a pioneer of shorter working weeks—and lessons can be learned for other governments.”

So what are those lessons we can learn?

1) There’s nothing magical about a 40-hour workweek.

Most of the workers in the trial reduced their hours from 40 […]

Read the Full Article

Title:

Content: DH Latest NewsDH NEWSLatest NewsNEWS

India’s new labour codes likely in 2022; 4-day work-week, reduced salary and more

According to a senior official, the four labour regulations covering salary, social security, occupational safety, industrial relations, health and working conditions are expected to be enacted by the following fiscal year. Working hours, wage restructure, and PF contribution, to name a few, would all be affected by the new wage law once it is enacted. At least 13 states have pre-published draft rules on these laws, according to the official, and the Centre completed the process of finalising the draft regulations on these codes in February 2021.

The central government announced 4 labour rules on August 8, 2019: the Code on Social Security, the Industrial Relations Code,2020, the Wage code, 2019 and the Code on Occupational Safety, Health, and Working Conditions, 2020. Because labour is a concurrent subject, the Centre wants the states to accept it all at once, according to the source. Employees’ take-home pay for the following fiscal year, i.e. April 2021, may be reduced as a result of the government’s Code on Wages, however components such as PF and Gratuity may increase. This is because the new pay rule stipulates that an employee’s basic income must equal at least 50% of their net monthly CTC. As a result, if this provision is implemented, employees will be unable to earn more than 50% of their net monthly compensation in the form of an allowance. As a result, the employee’s gratuity and PF payment are likely to increase. As a result, while employees’ take-home pay may decrease, the Gratuity and PF component of their salary may increase.

Experts believe that the new draft will have an impact on employees’ working hours, with some news sources reporting that employees may be allowed a four-day workweek starting next year, however they will be required to work for 12 hours on those four days. The ministry of labour appears to have said unequivocally that a minimum of 48 hours weekly work is required.

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Title:

Content: Work life

Summer Fridays walked so the four-day workweek could run

Employees are now in favor of flexibility over temporary time off.

· 3 min read

Level up your career and your life with Sidekick

Career advice, productivity hacks, entertainment, and more. If it’s worth your time, it’s in here.

What’s top of mind at the water cooler.

The legend of the Summer Friday: Once upon a time, for three sacred months every year between Memorial Day and Labor Day, employees were allowed to clock out after lunch every Friday and head immediately to the bar.

It’s said that the tradition started in NYC in the ’60s as companies searched for ways to boost employee productivity and morale during the summer months. (There’s even a brand named after it!) If you were lucky enough to work somewhere that offered this perk (usually publishing or advertising), your weekend started with midday happy hours and early bird beach days while friends at less generous corporations smoldered with jealousy.

But with the push toward remote work, Summer Fridays have become a ghost of workplace past as they may have ushered in something even better: the four-day workweek.

As companies scrambled to deal with office closures during the pandemic, most work suddenly became remote. Facing Covid variant after variant and a resistance to returning to the office, some employers like tech companies Bolt and Buffer opted to permanently remove a day from the workweek to better suit employee needs. A jumbo Summer Friday! Perfect, right?

Unfortunately, the exact logistics of the four-day workweek have been tricky. Who can and can’t participate? Does the four-day workweek mean longer working hours? What happens if there’s still work to be done once Friday rolls around?

To get some insight, Sidekick spoke with Alicia Garcia, chief culture officer at MasterControl and Jes Osrow, diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) expert and founder of The Rise Journey consultancy, who had these thoughts to share:

  • Fixed schedules ≠ productivity. While a five-day, nine-to-five workweek has worked for most US-based companies, that doesn’t mean employees produce their best work during that time.
  • Flexibility is king. “The biggest issue with policies like the four-day workweek or Summer Fridays is that they’re still rigid. Whether it’s a four-day or five-day workweek, the exact days and times employees are required to work are fixed…When approached by employees, the most common request is ‘flexibility,’” said Garcia.
  • Flexibility isn’t an option for everyone. “We’re not thinking about essential workers, we’re not thinking about folks on the ground, and we’re not thinking about grocery store owners. It’s important to recognize that even though we do talk the big talk about a four-day workweek, it only applies to a small fraction of workers in the US and/or globally,” Osrow explained.

As the highly discussed ✨future of work✨ continues to develop, employees are looking for more flexibility. Whether that means working remotely from far-flung corners of the world or logging off a little early to go pick your children up from daycare—employers should take notes, not dictate them.—MW

Level up your career and your life with Sidekick

Career advice, productivity hacks, entertainment, and more. If it’s worth your time, it’s in here.

Title:

Content: Internationalisms
US congressman: 32 hours a week is key to happiness
California Rep. Mark Takano has again submitted to Congress his bill, which would impose 32 hours of work a week in the United States, to become a federal labor law.
Once passed, the number of working hours per week in the United States would be reduced from 40 to 32.
The law also includes a proposal for overtime pay for any work done after 32 hours, which will encourage companies to pay extra salaries to employees working longer hours, and encourage companies to hire more people.
The bill applies to workers in fields such as entertainment, hospitality, transportation, construction, manufacturing, wholesale and retail.
Insisting on the bill after it was first introduced in 2021, Takano told CNBC Make It that he wanted to stimulate debate in order to benefit and protect all workers as well as enhance their happiness and achieve what he called “social justice. ”
Nearly 3,000 UK workers from 61 companies have recently been experimented with four days a week for six months, with positive results including improved productivity, revenue, morale and team culture, as well as improved employee health and personal lives.
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### Talent Attraction and Retention

- **Competitive Advantage**: Companies offering 4-day workweeks gain an edge in attracting talent, particularly among younger workers who prioritize work-life balance.

Title:

Content: New trend of preventing employees from leaving work three days a week
It is not that long working hours represent high efficiency, and more and more Japanese companies are beginning to accept it, and the implementation of the new three-day week off rule, which is not lack of many well-known large companies.
With this new benefit, in addition to attracting more talent, employees will also be prevented from leaving their jobs due to overwork.
Panasonic, one of the latest Japanese companies to work just four days a week, said in April that it would offer some employees the option of taking a 3-day week off in FY2022.
At the same time, the Japanese government also announced in 2021 that it would be good to encourage Japanese companies to work four days a week, because they can take an extra day off each week to spend more time with their families and do what they want to do.
In addition to Panasonic ’ s 3-day weekend program, Hitachi, Mizuho Financial Group, and Uniqlo ’ s parent company, Rapid Sales, are all working only four days a week. Recruit Works Institute, an independent research unit, believes that Japanese companies feel that they can use this benefit to keep their employees who have done their jobs and spend their time cultivating new employees.
The Japanese government found that in a survey of more than 4,000 companies, 8.5% of employees had paid vacation days as of 2021, up to the standard of just four days a week.
Shionogi & Co has been taking a 3-day weekly break since April, giving employees an extra day off each week to study, build connections and even create side jobs.
Yoneyi Pharmaceutical, which has applied for the approval of the new crown drug, pointed out that if you take a 3-day week off, the salary is only about 80% of the original, but you can work part-time.
In addition, Hitachi said in April that employees can take three days off a week as long as they reach the required number of working hours per month.
At the same time, the monthly salary will not be reduced.
Dai-ichi Life Research Institute (Dai-ichi Life Research Institute) believes that companies that can give employees three days off a week basically do not affect the financial structure.
Flexible working hours are becoming increasingly important as Japan ’ s population is ageing and the number of workers is expected to decrease in the future.
However, in the current situation of the job is generally difficult to find, Japanese labor bank Mynavi reported in February that 78.5% of workers aged 20 to 50 years old said that if it will affect wages, they will not want to take three days off a week.
At the same time, 60.1% said they were unlikely to work as long as four days a week.
However, the Recruit Works Institute believes that working four days a week should be a new global trend, and that large companies are taking the lead.
[00: 04: 45.560] and the time.
Extended reading
36,000 people diagnosed in a single day Japan ’ s Golden Week airport crowded
Core CPI increased by 7 in March, the largest day in 2 years
Japan plans fourth dose of vaccine to limit two types of people

Title:

Content: Dunelm is the latest UK business to trial a shorter hybrid-working model that allows some employees to work four days a week.

According to Retail Week, the homewares retailer is testing different four-day work patterns for its employees in particular departments, with the possibility of expanding the initiative once the trial period is completed.

A memo to employees said those taking part in the limited trial can work from home or in the office.

Read More: Retailers urge Christmas shoppers to hit the high street ahead of Royal Mail strikes

Dunelm is not the only retailer that allows employees to work four-day weeks.

Sainsbury’s announced last week that employees at its headquarters, warehouses, and store managers in its 1,400 UK stores would be able to work a four-day week.

Need Career Advice? Get employment skills advice at all levels of your career

Morrisons and M&S have also introduced compressed four-day work weeks as part of their flexible working policy, which aims to help employees achieve a better work-life balance.

Source:   Retail Gazette

Follow us on YouTubeTwitterLinkedIn, and Facebook

Title:

Content: Benefits

Employee Benefits Can Increase Productivity

July 25, 2018 ·

Best practices from our HR experts

Are you offering the employee benefits your workforce wants and deserves? Benefits make for happy employees, and happy employees are naturally more productive. There are many studies backing this up, including research that involved 700 people by the Social Market Foundation and the University of Warwick Centre for Competitive Advantage in the Global Economy in Britain. They found that happy workers who were given “happiness shocks” (these were perks like snacks—not actual electricity jolts) and then asked to perform a task were up to 20 percent more productive than control groups who weren’t given such happy “shocks.”

What else is shocking? Just how easy and affordable it often is to modify and increase benefits and perks for your employees. Think outside the box. Employee benefits extend beyond good healthcare and ample vacation days. Plus, happy employees rich in benefits aren’t just more productive, they tend to stick with their companies longer. These benefits can also attract better new-hires, so the circle of happiness and productivity continues.

Employee Productivity

To determine if your perks are helping productivity or not,  you should start by gauging employee productivity. This measurement can depend on your business, industry, and the individual job requirements of the employee. For instance, if your business is selling cars, it’s pretty easy to gauge how productive your salespeople are. But what about your admin staff? That’s not so easy.

Before you modify benefits to increase productivity, make sure you have current, measurable, and fair standards in place to gauge the productivity of each position. Starting from scratch? Bring in a third party that specializes in employee productivity and have your current team be active participants.

Employee Benefits

Ask anyone to name employee benefits, and the basics like healthcare and sick days are at the top of the list. Some benefits are mandated by state and federal law, but don’t let that limit you. Consider these popular and trending benefits:

  • Free or low-cost childcare. This has been a staple at many universities for years. It’s not possible for all employers, but it’s certainly a major perk that will attract working parents committed to “doing it all.”

  • Free gym membership. Bonus points if the gym is on-site or walkable. Happy employees are more productive, and so are healthy employees. Here are some other wellness programs to consider.

  • Birthdays off. It’s so simple, and so much better than the standard sheet cake and singing “Happy Birthday” in the break room.

  • Flexible hours and telecommuting options. Not every role is a match for telecommuting or virtual offices, but many can be. Not all employees are the right match, either, so it takes a little trial and error. However, you might be able to lower overhead and give employees the benefit of working remotely if that’s the right fit.

Health Benefits

Health benefits don’t have to mean just good quality healthcare coverage. Take a fresh look at available plans and policies every year and ask your current employees what they want in a healthcare plan. Many want more holistic options and alternative care covered, such as licensed massage therapy and acupuncture. Workers want and deserve mental health days that are covered, and they’re looking for quality coverage without unbearable deductibles. If healthy employees equate to happier employees who need fewer sick days, then it’s a win-win for everyone.

Benefits can make or break a job offer. They can attract the best candidates and, more importantly, keep them.

Title:

Content: Work life

Summer Fridays walked so the four-day workweek could run

Employees are now in favor of flexibility over temporary time off.

· 3 min read

Level up your career and your life with Sidekick

Career advice, productivity hacks, entertainment, and more. If it’s worth your time, it’s in here.

What’s top of mind at the water cooler.

The legend of the Summer Friday: Once upon a time, for three sacred months every year between Memorial Day and Labor Day, employees were allowed to clock out after lunch every Friday and head immediately to the bar.

It’s said that the tradition started in NYC in the ’60s as companies searched for ways to boost employee productivity and morale during the summer months. (There’s even a brand named after it!) If you were lucky enough to work somewhere that offered this perk (usually publishing or advertising), your weekend started with midday happy hours and early bird beach days while friends at less generous corporations smoldered with jealousy.

But with the push toward remote work, Summer Fridays have become a ghost of workplace past as they may have ushered in something even better: the four-day workweek.

As companies scrambled to deal with office closures during the pandemic, most work suddenly became remote. Facing Covid variant after variant and a resistance to returning to the office, some employers like tech companies Bolt and Buffer opted to permanently remove a day from the workweek to better suit employee needs. A jumbo Summer Friday! Perfect, right?

Unfortunately, the exact logistics of the four-day workweek have been tricky. Who can and can’t participate? Does the four-day workweek mean longer working hours? What happens if there’s still work to be done once Friday rolls around?

To get some insight, Sidekick spoke with Alicia Garcia, chief culture officer at MasterControl and Jes Osrow, diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) expert and founder of The Rise Journey consultancy, who had these thoughts to share:

  • Fixed schedules ≠ productivity. While a five-day, nine-to-five workweek has worked for most US-based companies, that doesn’t mean employees produce their best work during that time.
  • Flexibility is king. “The biggest issue with policies like the four-day workweek or Summer Fridays is that they’re still rigid. Whether it’s a four-day or five-day workweek, the exact days and times employees are required to work are fixed…When approached by employees, the most common request is ‘flexibility,’” said Garcia.
  • Flexibility isn’t an option for everyone. “We’re not thinking about essential workers, we’re not thinking about folks on the ground, and we’re not thinking about grocery store owners. It’s important to recognize that even though we do talk the big talk about a four-day workweek, it only applies to a small fraction of workers in the US and/or globally,” Osrow explained.

As the highly discussed ✨future of work✨ continues to develop, employees are looking for more flexibility. Whether that means working remotely from far-flung corners of the world or logging off a little early to go pick your children up from daycare—employers should take notes, not dictate them.—MW

Level up your career and your life with Sidekick

Career advice, productivity hacks, entertainment, and more. If it’s worth your time, it’s in here.

Title:

Content: Internationalisms
US congressman: 32 hours a week is key to happiness
California Rep. Mark Takano has again submitted to Congress his bill, which would impose 32 hours of work a week in the United States, to become a federal labor law.
Once passed, the number of working hours per week in the United States would be reduced from 40 to 32.
The law also includes a proposal for overtime pay for any work done after 32 hours, which will encourage companies to pay extra salaries to employees working longer hours, and encourage companies to hire more people.
The bill applies to workers in fields such as entertainment, hospitality, transportation, construction, manufacturing, wholesale and retail.
Insisting on the bill after it was first introduced in 2021, Takano told CNBC Make It that he wanted to stimulate debate in order to benefit and protect all workers as well as enhance their happiness and achieve what he called “social justice. ”
Nearly 3,000 UK workers from 61 companies have recently been experimented with four days a week for six months, with positive results including improved productivity, revenue, morale and team culture, as well as improved employee health and personal lives.
Related Articles
Go to the top button

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 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 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 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 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 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 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 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

Japanese companies have adopted this model specifically to "attract more talent" and "avoid employee burnout and resignation.

Title:

Content: New trend of preventing employees from leaving work three days a week
It is not that long working hours represent high efficiency, and more and more Japanese companies are beginning to accept it, and the implementation of the new three-day week off rule, which is not lack of many well-known large companies.
With this new benefit, in addition to attracting more talent, employees will also be prevented from leaving their jobs due to overwork.
Panasonic, one of the latest Japanese companies to work just four days a week, said in April that it would offer some employees the option of taking a 3-day week off in FY2022.
At the same time, the Japanese government also announced in 2021 that it would be good to encourage Japanese companies to work four days a week, because they can take an extra day off each week to spend more time with their families and do what they want to do.
In addition to Panasonic ’ s 3-day weekend program, Hitachi, Mizuho Financial Group, and Uniqlo ’ s parent company, Rapid Sales, are all working only four days a week. Recruit Works Institute, an independent research unit, believes that Japanese companies feel that they can use this benefit to keep their employees who have done their jobs and spend their time cultivating new employees.
The Japanese government found that in a survey of more than 4,000 companies, 8.5% of employees had paid vacation days as of 2021, up to the standard of just four days a week.
Shionogi & Co has been taking a 3-day weekly break since April, giving employees an extra day off each week to study, build connections and even create side jobs.
Yoneyi Pharmaceutical, which has applied for the approval of the new crown drug, pointed out that if you take a 3-day week off, the salary is only about 80% of the original, but you can work part-time.
In addition, Hitachi said in April that employees can take three days off a week as long as they reach the required number of working hours per month.
At the same time, the monthly salary will not be reduced.
Dai-ichi Life Research Institute (Dai-ichi Life Research Institute) believes that companies that can give employees three days off a week basically do not affect the financial structure.
Flexible working hours are becoming increasingly important as Japan ’ s population is ageing and the number of workers is expected to decrease in the future.
However, in the current situation of the job is generally difficult to find, Japanese labor bank Mynavi reported in February that 78.5% of workers aged 20 to 50 years old said that if it will affect wages, they will not want to take three days off a week.
At the same time, 60.1% said they were unlikely to work as long as four days a week.
However, the Recruit Works Institute believes that working four days a week should be a new global trend, and that large companies are taking the lead.
[00: 04: 45.560] and the time.
Extended reading
36,000 people diagnosed in a single day Japan ’ s Golden Week airport crowded
Core CPI increased by 7 in March, the largest day in 2 years
Japan plans fourth dose of vaccine to limit two types of people

Title:

Content: Dunelm is the latest UK business to trial a shorter hybrid-working model that allows some employees to work four days a week.

According to Retail Week, the homewares retailer is testing different four-day work patterns for its employees in particular departments, with the possibility of expanding the initiative once the trial period is completed.

A memo to employees said those taking part in the limited trial can work from home or in the office.

Read More: Retailers urge Christmas shoppers to hit the high street ahead of Royal Mail strikes

Dunelm is not the only retailer that allows employees to work four-day weeks.

Sainsbury’s announced last week that employees at its headquarters, warehouses, and store managers in its 1,400 UK stores would be able to work a four-day week.

Need Career Advice? Get employment skills advice at all levels of your career

Morrisons and M&S have also introduced compressed four-day work weeks as part of their flexible working policy, which aims to help employees achieve a better work-life balance.

Source:   Retail Gazette

Follow us on YouTubeTwitterLinkedIn, and Facebook

"

- **Increased Loyalty**: While not directly quantified in the sources, the improved work-life balance and employee satisfaction associated with 4-day workweeks likely contribute to higher retention rates, addressing the low employee loyalty observed in regions like Hong Kong.

Title:

Content: [Workplace benefits] British Bank changed to 4 days of work artificial unchanged CEO: 5 days of work is a product of the 19th century
Personal Value Added 18: 50 2021 / 12 / 07
Share:
When Hong Kong people were still working nine nights, seven days a week, five days a week, or even six days a week, some banks in the United Kingdom had already started to work four days a week.
Portugal ’ s new remote work law prohibits employers from contacting employees during off-hours: Click here
Atom Bank, a fintech bank in the United Kingdom, recently announced that it will let employees choose whether to work four days a week, and said that the company will not reduce employee pay, which is expected to benefit 430 employees.
However, under the four-day work, although the total working hours per week will be reduced from 37.5 hours to 34 hours, the daily working hours of employees will be extended by one hour to compensate for the extra day of vacation, that is, the daily working hours of employees will be increased from 7.5 hours to 8.5 hours.
According to Mark Mullen, CEO of Atom Bank, five-day work was an industrial necessity in the 19th century, and it is now obsolete. As the epidemic has completely changed the working model of many employees, companies have begun to consider how they can work more efficiently, healthily and happily, and in addition to promoting working from home, reducing the number of working days and hours is one of the new norm.
Iceland Trials 4-Day Job Productivity to Rise
In fact, four-day work is not new, there have been companies in the past, but mainly in European countries, and many people have questioned whether four-day work is more efficient than five-day work.
In the early days of Iceland, a pilot scheme was conducted between 2015 and 2019 to test whether a reduction in working days would lead to higher productivity, with 2,500 participants across pre-school education, social services, health care and office white-collar workers, accounting for more than 1% of the Icelandic workforce.
The testers worked 4 days on a trial basis, and the work week was reduced from 40 hours to 35 to 36 hours.
It was found that the productivity of most of the testers who adopted the four-day work system remained unchanged or even improved.
Lidl is the UK ’ s highest paid supermarket: Click Here
The median working week in Hong Kong is 45 hours.
According to the Quarterly Report of the General Household Survey for the third quarter of 2021 released by the Government, the median number of working hours per week for wage earners in Hong Kong is 45 hours, which is 10 hours more than in Iceland.
US mobile security technology company KISI earlier released the "2021 work-life balance city ranking", Hong Kong ranked 45th out of 50 statistical places, is the largest city in the world in the statistics of overworked population, nearly 3 adults appear overworked.
Hong Kong people are known to love to work again, do you think it is possible to implement a four-day work in Hong Kong?
Editor-in-Chief: Yan Heiman
= = = = =
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Column: Workplace Encyclopedia
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Title:

Content: Dunelm is the latest UK business to trial a shorter hybrid-working model that allows some employees to work four days a week.

According to Retail Week, the homewares retailer is testing different four-day work patterns for its employees in particular departments, with the possibility of expanding the initiative once the trial period is completed.

A memo to employees said those taking part in the limited trial can work from home or in the office.

Read More: Retailers urge Christmas shoppers to hit the high street ahead of Royal Mail strikes

Dunelm is not the only retailer that allows employees to work four-day weeks.

Sainsbury’s announced last week that employees at its headquarters, warehouses, and store managers in its 1,400 UK stores would be able to work a four-day week.

Need Career Advice? Get employment skills advice at all levels of your career

Morrisons and M&S have also introduced compressed four-day work weeks as part of their flexible working policy, which aims to help employees achieve a better work-life balance.

Source:   Retail Gazette

Follow us on YouTubeTwitterLinkedIn, and Facebook

Title:

Content: Survey: 45% of Hong Kong workers would rather be unemployed than unhappy at work Staff loyalty is low
Author: Olivia Lin
Published: Updated:
Today, more and more employees pursue work-life balance (Work-Life Balance), human resources company Randstad released a job trend report today (15), showing that 40% of employees would rather be unemployed than unhappy at work, including 18 to 24 years old and agree with the proportion of employees as high as 60%.
In addition, the loyalty of Hong Kong employees to their employers is also lower than the global average. What do Hong Kong employees expect from their employees?
The survey was conducted from 21 February to 13 March this year, with a total of 1,000 Hong Kong employees aged 18 to 67.
The results showed that an average of 45% of respondents would rather be unemployed than unhappy at work. Among them, 60% of employees aged 18 to 24 agreed, followed by 25 to 34 years old.
Hong Kong employees' loyalty to employers is lower than global average
Compared to work, many employees attach more importance to their personal life and psychology, and if the work conflicts with their own expectations, the employee may choose to leave the job.
The survey also showed that only 52% of Hong Kong employees committed to remaining in their current company jobs, which is lower than the global average, while the proportion of mainland Chinese employees was as high as 87%.
Forty-four percent of respondents have quit their jobs because they don ’ t fit in with their personal lives, and things that make them happy include more freedom in where and how many hours they work, as well as a pay rise.
45% of employees attach importance to training and development but have not received training opportunities in the past year
On the other hand, many employees in the workplace also attach importance to personal development, and about 60% of the respondents agree with the importance of training and development, but only half of them have received new training opportunities in the past 12 months, which means that about 40% of the employees have not received training although they agree with the importance of training.
As for the types of training, about 5 adults each intend to improve their technical skills, soft skills, and growth in their current position.
The report points out that if companies actively invest in employee development, they will be better able to attract motivated talent.
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Title:

Content: DH Latest NewsDH NEWSLatest NewsNEWS

India’s new labour codes likely in 2022; 4-day work-week, reduced salary and more

According to a senior official, the four labour regulations covering salary, social security, occupational safety, industrial relations, health and working conditions are expected to be enacted by the following fiscal year. Working hours, wage restructure, and PF contribution, to name a few, would all be affected by the new wage law once it is enacted. At least 13 states have pre-published draft rules on these laws, according to the official, and the Centre completed the process of finalising the draft regulations on these codes in February 2021.

The central government announced 4 labour rules on August 8, 2019: the Code on Social Security, the Industrial Relations Code,2020, the Wage code, 2019 and the Code on Occupational Safety, Health, and Working Conditions, 2020. Because labour is a concurrent subject, the Centre wants the states to accept it all at once, according to the source. Employees’ take-home pay for the following fiscal year, i.e. April 2021, may be reduced as a result of the government’s Code on Wages, however components such as PF and Gratuity may increase. This is because the new pay rule stipulates that an employee’s basic income must equal at least 50% of their net monthly CTC. As a result, if this provision is implemented, employees will be unable to earn more than 50% of their net monthly compensation in the form of an allowance. As a result, the employee’s gratuity and PF payment are likely to increase. As a result, while employees’ take-home pay may decrease, the Gratuity and PF component of their salary may increase.

Experts believe that the new draft will have an impact on employees’ working hours, with some news sources reporting that employees may be allowed a four-day workweek starting next year, however they will be required to work for 12 hours on those four days. The ministry of labour appears to have said unequivocally that a minimum of 48 hours weekly work is required.

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Title:

Content: Work life

Summer Fridays walked so the four-day workweek could run

Employees are now in favor of flexibility over temporary time off.

· 3 min read

Level up your career and your life with Sidekick

Career advice, productivity hacks, entertainment, and more. If it’s worth your time, it’s in here.

What’s top of mind at the water cooler.

The legend of the Summer Friday: Once upon a time, for three sacred months every year between Memorial Day and Labor Day, employees were allowed to clock out after lunch every Friday and head immediately to the bar.

It’s said that the tradition started in NYC in the ’60s as companies searched for ways to boost employee productivity and morale during the summer months. (There’s even a brand named after it!) If you were lucky enough to work somewhere that offered this perk (usually publishing or advertising), your weekend started with midday happy hours and early bird beach days while friends at less generous corporations smoldered with jealousy.

But with the push toward remote work, Summer Fridays have become a ghost of workplace past as they may have ushered in something even better: the four-day workweek.

As companies scrambled to deal with office closures during the pandemic, most work suddenly became remote. Facing Covid variant after variant and a resistance to returning to the office, some employers like tech companies Bolt and Buffer opted to permanently remove a day from the workweek to better suit employee needs. A jumbo Summer Friday! Perfect, right?

Unfortunately, the exact logistics of the four-day workweek have been tricky. Who can and can’t participate? Does the four-day workweek mean longer working hours? What happens if there’s still work to be done once Friday rolls around?

To get some insight, Sidekick spoke with Alicia Garcia, chief culture officer at MasterControl and Jes Osrow, diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) expert and founder of The Rise Journey consultancy, who had these thoughts to share:

  • Fixed schedules ≠ productivity. While a five-day, nine-to-five workweek has worked for most US-based companies, that doesn’t mean employees produce their best work during that time.
  • Flexibility is king. “The biggest issue with policies like the four-day workweek or Summer Fridays is that they’re still rigid. Whether it’s a four-day or five-day workweek, the exact days and times employees are required to work are fixed…When approached by employees, the most common request is ‘flexibility,’” said Garcia.
  • Flexibility isn’t an option for everyone. “We’re not thinking about essential workers, we’re not thinking about folks on the ground, and we’re not thinking about grocery store owners. It’s important to recognize that even though we do talk the big talk about a four-day workweek, it only applies to a small fraction of workers in the US and/or globally,” Osrow explained.

As the highly discussed ✨future of work✨ continues to develop, employees are looking for more flexibility. Whether that means working remotely from far-flung corners of the world or logging off a little early to go pick your children up from daycare—employers should take notes, not dictate them.—MW

Level up your career and your life with Sidekick

Career advice, productivity hacks, entertainment, and more. If it’s worth your time, it’s in here.

Title:

Content: Internationalisms
US congressman: 32 hours a week is key to happiness
California Rep. Mark Takano has again submitted to Congress his bill, which would impose 32 hours of work a week in the United States, to become a federal labor law.
Once passed, the number of working hours per week in the United States would be reduced from 40 to 32.
The law also includes a proposal for overtime pay for any work done after 32 hours, which will encourage companies to pay extra salaries to employees working longer hours, and encourage companies to hire more people.
The bill applies to workers in fields such as entertainment, hospitality, transportation, construction, manufacturing, wholesale and retail.
Insisting on the bill after it was first introduced in 2021, Takano told CNBC Make It that he wanted to stimulate debate in order to benefit and protect all workers as well as enhance their happiness and achieve what he called “social justice. ”
Nearly 3,000 UK workers from 61 companies have recently been experimented with four days a week for six months, with positive results including improved productivity, revenue, morale and team culture, as well as improved employee health and personal lives.
Related Articles
Go to the top button

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?

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

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

Increase in employee and customer satisfaction.

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?

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

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

Increase in employee and customer satisfaction.

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?

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

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

Increase in employee and customer satisfaction.

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?

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

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

Increase in employee and customer satisfaction.

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?

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

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

Increase in employee and customer satisfaction.

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?

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

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

Increase in employee and customer satisfaction.

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?

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

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

Increase in employee and customer satisfaction.

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?

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

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

Increase in employee and customer satisfaction.

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?

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

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

Increase in employee and customer satisfaction.

## Implementation Challenges

### Work Intensity and Stress

- **Risk of Increased Pressure**: Ben Willott of the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development cautioned that simply reducing working hours without other changes "can increase exposure to work intensity and stress," which is already a major cause of sickness absence.

Title:

Content: Dunelm is the latest UK business to trial a shorter hybrid-working model that allows some employees to work four days a week.

According to Retail Week, the homewares retailer is testing different four-day work patterns for its employees in particular departments, with the possibility of expanding the initiative once the trial period is completed.

A memo to employees said those taking part in the limited trial can work from home or in the office.

Read More: Retailers urge Christmas shoppers to hit the high street ahead of Royal Mail strikes

Dunelm is not the only retailer that allows employees to work four-day weeks.

Sainsbury’s announced last week that employees at its headquarters, warehouses, and store managers in its 1,400 UK stores would be able to work a four-day week.

Need Career Advice? Get employment skills advice at all levels of your career

Morrisons and M&S have also introduced compressed four-day work weeks as part of their flexible working policy, which aims to help employees achieve a better work-life balance.

Source:   Retail Gazette

Follow us on YouTubeTwitterLinkedIn, and Facebook

The compressed nature of the workweek may lead to more demanding daily schedules.

Title:

Content: Dunelm is the latest UK business to trial a shorter hybrid-working model that allows some employees to work four days a week.

According to Retail Week, the homewares retailer is testing different four-day work patterns for its employees in particular departments, with the possibility of expanding the initiative once the trial period is completed.

A memo to employees said those taking part in the limited trial can work from home or in the office.

Read More: Retailers urge Christmas shoppers to hit the high street ahead of Royal Mail strikes

Dunelm is not the only retailer that allows employees to work four-day weeks.

Sainsbury’s announced last week that employees at its headquarters, warehouses, and store managers in its 1,400 UK stores would be able to work a four-day week.

Need Career Advice? Get employment skills advice at all levels of your career

Morrisons and M&S have also introduced compressed four-day work weeks as part of their flexible working policy, which aims to help employees achieve a better work-life balance.

Source:   Retail Gazette

Follow us on YouTubeTwitterLinkedIn, and Facebook

Title:

Content: Work life

Summer Fridays walked so the four-day workweek could run

Employees are now in favor of flexibility over temporary time off.

· 3 min read

Level up your career and your life with Sidekick

Career advice, productivity hacks, entertainment, and more. If it’s worth your time, it’s in here.

What’s top of mind at the water cooler.

The legend of the Summer Friday: Once upon a time, for three sacred months every year between Memorial Day and Labor Day, employees were allowed to clock out after lunch every Friday and head immediately to the bar.

It’s said that the tradition started in NYC in the ’60s as companies searched for ways to boost employee productivity and morale during the summer months. (There’s even a brand named after it!) If you were lucky enough to work somewhere that offered this perk (usually publishing or advertising), your weekend started with midday happy hours and early bird beach days while friends at less generous corporations smoldered with jealousy.

But with the push toward remote work, Summer Fridays have become a ghost of workplace past as they may have ushered in something even better: the four-day workweek.

As companies scrambled to deal with office closures during the pandemic, most work suddenly became remote. Facing Covid variant after variant and a resistance to returning to the office, some employers like tech companies Bolt and Buffer opted to permanently remove a day from the workweek to better suit employee needs. A jumbo Summer Friday! Perfect, right?

Unfortunately, the exact logistics of the four-day workweek have been tricky. Who can and can’t participate? Does the four-day workweek mean longer working hours? What happens if there’s still work to be done once Friday rolls around?

To get some insight, Sidekick spoke with Alicia Garcia, chief culture officer at MasterControl and Jes Osrow, diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) expert and founder of The Rise Journey consultancy, who had these thoughts to share:

  • Fixed schedules ≠ productivity. While a five-day, nine-to-five workweek has worked for most US-based companies, that doesn’t mean employees produce their best work during that time.
  • Flexibility is king. “The biggest issue with policies like the four-day workweek or Summer Fridays is that they’re still rigid. Whether it’s a four-day or five-day workweek, the exact days and times employees are required to work are fixed…When approached by employees, the most common request is ‘flexibility,’” said Garcia.
  • Flexibility isn’t an option for everyone. “We’re not thinking about essential workers, we’re not thinking about folks on the ground, and we’re not thinking about grocery store owners. It’s important to recognize that even though we do talk the big talk about a four-day workweek, it only applies to a small fraction of workers in the US and/or globally,” Osrow explained.

As the highly discussed ✨future of work✨ continues to develop, employees are looking for more flexibility. Whether that means working remotely from far-flung corners of the world or logging off a little early to go pick your children up from daycare—employers should take notes, not dictate them.—MW

Level up your career and your life with Sidekick

Career advice, productivity hacks, entertainment, and more. If it’s worth your time, it’s in here.

- **Longer Daily Hours**: Some implementations, like Atom Bank's model, require longer daily work hours (8.

Title:

Content: [Workplace benefits] British Bank changed to 4 days of work artificial unchanged CEO: 5 days of work is a product of the 19th century
Personal Value Added 18: 50 2021 / 12 / 07
Share:
When Hong Kong people were still working nine nights, seven days a week, five days a week, or even six days a week, some banks in the United Kingdom had already started to work four days a week.
Portugal ’ s new remote work law prohibits employers from contacting employees during off-hours: Click here
Atom Bank, a fintech bank in the United Kingdom, recently announced that it will let employees choose whether to work four days a week, and said that the company will not reduce employee pay, which is expected to benefit 430 employees.
However, under the four-day work, although the total working hours per week will be reduced from 37.5 hours to 34 hours, the daily working hours of employees will be extended by one hour to compensate for the extra day of vacation, that is, the daily working hours of employees will be increased from 7.5 hours to 8.5 hours.
According to Mark Mullen, CEO of Atom Bank, five-day work was an industrial necessity in the 19th century, and it is now obsolete. As the epidemic has completely changed the working model of many employees, companies have begun to consider how they can work more efficiently, healthily and happily, and in addition to promoting working from home, reducing the number of working days and hours is one of the new norm.
Iceland Trials 4-Day Job Productivity to Rise
In fact, four-day work is not new, there have been companies in the past, but mainly in European countries, and many people have questioned whether four-day work is more efficient than five-day work.
In the early days of Iceland, a pilot scheme was conducted between 2015 and 2019 to test whether a reduction in working days would lead to higher productivity, with 2,500 participants across pre-school education, social services, health care and office white-collar workers, accounting for more than 1% of the Icelandic workforce.
The testers worked 4 days on a trial basis, and the work week was reduced from 40 hours to 35 to 36 hours.
It was found that the productivity of most of the testers who adopted the four-day work system remained unchanged or even improved.
Lidl is the UK ’ s highest paid supermarket: Click Here
The median working week in Hong Kong is 45 hours.
According to the Quarterly Report of the General Household Survey for the third quarter of 2021 released by the Government, the median number of working hours per week for wage earners in Hong Kong is 45 hours, which is 10 hours more than in Iceland.
US mobile security technology company KISI earlier released the "2021 work-life balance city ranking", Hong Kong ranked 45th out of 50 statistical places, is the largest city in the world in the statistics of overworked population, nearly 3 adults appear overworked.
Hong Kong people are known to love to work again, do you think it is possible to implement a four-day work in Hong Kong?
Editor-in-Chief: Yan Heiman
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5 hours instead of 7.

Title:

Content: 4 Easy Ways To Maintain A Healthy Work-Life Balance

Balancing professional and personal life has become a major challenge especially since 2020 because the majority of us are working from home. For most people, work always takes preference over everything else in our lives, even our family and health. We become so desirable to achieve professional success that we keep ignoring other important things.

Maintaining harmony in both personal and professional life is very essential not only to improve our physical, emotional, and mental well-being but to perform well in our work. Regular stress from the never-ending workday can have negative effects on our personal relationships and overall happiness.

Considering the strong side effects of overworking many organizations have started incorporating flexible learning solutions in their work culture. Tools like Trainual help employees overcome the challenge of managing employee training along with their work.

While organizations are doing their bit to help employee’s build a healthy work-life balance, here are some of the ways employees can do it themselves:

  1. Set Work Hours

Try to set a boundary for your work hours and inform your colleagues, teammates, and even your manager about it to avoid burning the midnight oil. Inform them politely that you will not be accessible after your working hours unless it is very important. This will ensure they respect your boundaries and expectations.

Try to take your mind off your work after you clock out. Whether you are working from home or office, it is necessary to decide when to work and when to stop working; else, you will end up working late nights and even on weekends.

  1. Manage Your Priorities & Goals

Invest some time thoughtfully thinking about what is most important and relevant to you, and make a list of your top priorities. Then analyze it by asking yourself these key questions: What is most important and urgent? What do I need to start doing right now? What do I need to stop doing?

This will provide you with strong and measurable goals. Block some time from your busy schedule for activities that need urgent attention like a doctor’s appointment or running through some errands.

  1. Workout & Meditate

We are so busy with our lives that we have forgotten the power of exercise and meditation, and we either neglect it or procrastinate doing it. Exercising and meditation keep not only our physical health in check but also calm our minds, help us to make much better decisions in life, and reduce stress.

If you feel too lazy to exercise sometimes, try to add some easy habits to your lifestyle that will make a lot of difference. These habits are walking when you are on call, some stretching and face exercises while working, taking stairs instead of the lift whenever possible, and meditating for at least 5 mins in regular intervals.

  1. Take A Break

Overstretching yourself at work may give you professional success but you will lose a lot more valuable things in life like your physical health, mental health, and relationships. It is good to give yourself a break and take a day off when you have overworked someday and you feel that your brain is completely saturated.

Make some time for your loved ones, watch your favorite TV show, read, sleep, and do whatever you enjoy to relax your mind. Make use of your leaves and take a vacation once in a while.

CONCLUSION:

Having self-awareness about your own personal and professional priorities is very important. While we all need to work hard to achieve success in our careers, we also have to take into account that taking some time out for ourselves is very essential too. Having a healthy work-life balance can bring you satisfaction and allow you to stay more productive at work.

5) to maintain total weekly output, which may not suit all employees.

Title:

Content: Work life

Summer Fridays walked so the four-day workweek could run

Employees are now in favor of flexibility over temporary time off.

· 3 min read

Level up your career and your life with Sidekick

Career advice, productivity hacks, entertainment, and more. If it’s worth your time, it’s in here.

What’s top of mind at the water cooler.

The legend of the Summer Friday: Once upon a time, for three sacred months every year between Memorial Day and Labor Day, employees were allowed to clock out after lunch every Friday and head immediately to the bar.

It’s said that the tradition started in NYC in the ’60s as companies searched for ways to boost employee productivity and morale during the summer months. (There’s even a brand named after it!) If you were lucky enough to work somewhere that offered this perk (usually publishing or advertising), your weekend started with midday happy hours and early bird beach days while friends at less generous corporations smoldered with jealousy.

But with the push toward remote work, Summer Fridays have become a ghost of workplace past as they may have ushered in something even better: the four-day workweek.

As companies scrambled to deal with office closures during the pandemic, most work suddenly became remote. Facing Covid variant after variant and a resistance to returning to the office, some employers like tech companies Bolt and Buffer opted to permanently remove a day from the workweek to better suit employee needs. A jumbo Summer Friday! Perfect, right?

Unfortunately, the exact logistics of the four-day workweek have been tricky. Who can and can’t participate? Does the four-day workweek mean longer working hours? What happens if there’s still work to be done once Friday rolls around?

To get some insight, Sidekick spoke with Alicia Garcia, chief culture officer at MasterControl and Jes Osrow, diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) expert and founder of The Rise Journey consultancy, who had these thoughts to share:

  • Fixed schedules ≠ productivity. While a five-day, nine-to-five workweek has worked for most US-based companies, that doesn’t mean employees produce their best work during that time.
  • Flexibility is king. “The biggest issue with policies like the four-day workweek or Summer Fridays is that they’re still rigid. Whether it’s a four-day or five-day workweek, the exact days and times employees are required to work are fixed…When approached by employees, the most common request is ‘flexibility,’” said Garcia.
  • Flexibility isn’t an option for everyone. “We’re not thinking about essential workers, we’re not thinking about folks on the ground, and we’re not thinking about grocery store owners. It’s important to recognize that even though we do talk the big talk about a four-day workweek, it only applies to a small fraction of workers in the US and/or globally,” Osrow explained.

As the highly discussed ✨future of work✨ continues to develop, employees are looking for more flexibility. Whether that means working remotely from far-flung corners of the world or logging off a little early to go pick your children up from daycare—employers should take notes, not dictate them.—MW

Level up your career and your life with Sidekick

Career advice, productivity hacks, entertainment, and more. If it’s worth your time, it’s in here.

### Equity and Compensation Concerns

- **Salary Reductions**: Some companies offer reduced compensation (around 80% of normal pay) for the 4-day workweek option, which may not be financially viable for all employees.

Title:

Content: Dunelm is the latest UK business to trial a shorter hybrid-working model that allows some employees to work four days a week.

According to Retail Week, the homewares retailer is testing different four-day work patterns for its employees in particular departments, with the possibility of expanding the initiative once the trial period is completed.

A memo to employees said those taking part in the limited trial can work from home or in the office.

Read More: Retailers urge Christmas shoppers to hit the high street ahead of Royal Mail strikes

Dunelm is not the only retailer that allows employees to work four-day weeks.

Sainsbury’s announced last week that employees at its headquarters, warehouses, and store managers in its 1,400 UK stores would be able to work a four-day week.

Need Career Advice? Get employment skills advice at all levels of your career

Morrisons and M&S have also introduced compressed four-day work weeks as part of their flexible working policy, which aims to help employees achieve a better work-life balance.

Source:   Retail Gazette

Follow us on YouTubeTwitterLinkedIn, and Facebook

A Japanese survey found that 78.

Title:

Content: Nearly a quarter of business owners don’t feel optimistic about their business succeeding in 2024, according to new research released today. The nation-wide survey, commissioned by Speakers’ Corner, drew responses from 500 business owners and directors with at least 20% equity, for companies with at least 100 employees.

With rising costs, economic volatility and technological challenges given as the main three reasons for their outlook, the next twelve months look set to be challenging for many.

“2024 was always going to be an unsettled year with economic, political and geopolitical uncertainty at the forefront of many business owners’ minds,” comments Nick Gold, Managing Director of Speakers’ Corner, the UK’s leading speaker bureau. “But what we’re seeing is an increased focus on workplace productivity with, reassuringly, 54% of business owners encouraging productivity from their staff by supporting them in work-life balance and employee well-being.”

More than half of the 500 businesses surveyed said their business’ main priority over the next two years will be improving employee productivity. Inefficient processes, lack of knowledge or skillsand time constraints were identified challenges to performance.

Top five things business owners and directors believe could improve the productivity of their workplace:

1. Train and/or develop knowledge and skills (e.g., skills within technology advancements) (41%)

2. AI adoption (40%)

3. Improve employee satisfaction and engagement (37%)

4. Improve the availability of resources and technology (35%)

5. Hybrid working (29%)

5% of workers aged 20-50 would not want a 3-day weekend if it affected their salary.

Title:

Content: Internationalisms
US congressman: 32 hours a week is key to happiness
California Rep. Mark Takano has again submitted to Congress his bill, which would impose 32 hours of work a week in the United States, to become a federal labor law.
Once passed, the number of working hours per week in the United States would be reduced from 40 to 32.
The law also includes a proposal for overtime pay for any work done after 32 hours, which will encourage companies to pay extra salaries to employees working longer hours, and encourage companies to hire more people.
The bill applies to workers in fields such as entertainment, hospitality, transportation, construction, manufacturing, wholesale and retail.
Insisting on the bill after it was first introduced in 2021, Takano told CNBC Make It that he wanted to stimulate debate in order to benefit and protect all workers as well as enhance their happiness and achieve what he called “social justice. ”
Nearly 3,000 UK workers from 61 companies have recently been experimented with four days a week for six months, with positive results including improved productivity, revenue, morale and team culture, as well as improved employee health and personal lives.
Related Articles
Go to the top button

- **Unequal Access**: The 4-day model may not be equally feasible across all roles and industries, potentially creating inequities within organizations.

Title:

Content: Dunelm is the latest UK business to trial a shorter hybrid-working model that allows some employees to work four days a week.

According to Retail Week, the homewares retailer is testing different four-day work patterns for its employees in particular departments, with the possibility of expanding the initiative once the trial period is completed.

A memo to employees said those taking part in the limited trial can work from home or in the office.

Read More: Retailers urge Christmas shoppers to hit the high street ahead of Royal Mail strikes

Dunelm is not the only retailer that allows employees to work four-day weeks.

Sainsbury’s announced last week that employees at its headquarters, warehouses, and store managers in its 1,400 UK stores would be able to work a four-day week.

Need Career Advice? Get employment skills advice at all levels of your career

Morrisons and M&S have also introduced compressed four-day work weeks as part of their flexible working policy, which aims to help employees achieve a better work-life balance.

Source:   Retail Gazette

Follow us on YouTubeTwitterLinkedIn, and Facebook

In Japan, 60.

Title:

Content: 4 Easy Ways To Maintain A Healthy Work-Life Balance

Balancing professional and personal life has become a major challenge especially since 2020 because the majority of us are working from home. For most people, work always takes preference over everything else in our lives, even our family and health. We become so desirable to achieve professional success that we keep ignoring other important things.

Maintaining harmony in both personal and professional life is very essential not only to improve our physical, emotional, and mental well-being but to perform well in our work. Regular stress from the never-ending workday can have negative effects on our personal relationships and overall happiness.

Considering the strong side effects of overworking many organizations have started incorporating flexible learning solutions in their work culture. Tools like Trainual help employees overcome the challenge of managing employee training along with their work.

While organizations are doing their bit to help employee’s build a healthy work-life balance, here are some of the ways employees can do it themselves:

  1. Set Work Hours

Try to set a boundary for your work hours and inform your colleagues, teammates, and even your manager about it to avoid burning the midnight oil. Inform them politely that you will not be accessible after your working hours unless it is very important. This will ensure they respect your boundaries and expectations.

Try to take your mind off your work after you clock out. Whether you are working from home or office, it is necessary to decide when to work and when to stop working; else, you will end up working late nights and even on weekends.

  1. Manage Your Priorities & Goals

Invest some time thoughtfully thinking about what is most important and relevant to you, and make a list of your top priorities. Then analyze it by asking yourself these key questions: What is most important and urgent? What do I need to start doing right now? What do I need to stop doing?

This will provide you with strong and measurable goals. Block some time from your busy schedule for activities that need urgent attention like a doctor’s appointment or running through some errands.

  1. Workout & Meditate

We are so busy with our lives that we have forgotten the power of exercise and meditation, and we either neglect it or procrastinate doing it. Exercising and meditation keep not only our physical health in check but also calm our minds, help us to make much better decisions in life, and reduce stress.

If you feel too lazy to exercise sometimes, try to add some easy habits to your lifestyle that will make a lot of difference. These habits are walking when you are on call, some stretching and face exercises while working, taking stairs instead of the lift whenever possible, and meditating for at least 5 mins in regular intervals.

  1. Take A Break

Overstretching yourself at work may give you professional success but you will lose a lot more valuable things in life like your physical health, mental health, and relationships. It is good to give yourself a break and take a day off when you have overworked someday and you feel that your brain is completely saturated.

Make some time for your loved ones, watch your favorite TV show, read, sleep, and do whatever you enjoy to relax your mind. Make use of your leaves and take a vacation once in a while.

CONCLUSION:

Having self-awareness about your own personal and professional priorities is very important. While we all need to work hard to achieve success in our careers, we also have to take into account that taking some time out for ourselves is very essential too. Having a healthy work-life balance can bring you satisfaction and allow you to stay more productive at work.

1% of workers thought it wouldn't be possible for them to work only 4 days a week.

Title:

Content: New trend of preventing employees from leaving work three days a week
It is not that long working hours represent high efficiency, and more and more Japanese companies are beginning to accept it, and the implementation of the new three-day week off rule, which is not lack of many well-known large companies.
With this new benefit, in addition to attracting more talent, employees will also be prevented from leaving their jobs due to overwork.
Panasonic, one of the latest Japanese companies to work just four days a week, said in April that it would offer some employees the option of taking a 3-day week off in FY2022.
At the same time, the Japanese government also announced in 2021 that it would be good to encourage Japanese companies to work four days a week, because they can take an extra day off each week to spend more time with their families and do what they want to do.
In addition to Panasonic ’ s 3-day weekend program, Hitachi, Mizuho Financial Group, and Uniqlo ’ s parent company, Rapid Sales, are all working only four days a week. Recruit Works Institute, an independent research unit, believes that Japanese companies feel that they can use this benefit to keep their employees who have done their jobs and spend their time cultivating new employees.
The Japanese government found that in a survey of more than 4,000 companies, 8.5% of employees had paid vacation days as of 2021, up to the standard of just four days a week.
Shionogi & Co has been taking a 3-day weekly break since April, giving employees an extra day off each week to study, build connections and even create side jobs.
Yoneyi Pharmaceutical, which has applied for the approval of the new crown drug, pointed out that if you take a 3-day week off, the salary is only about 80% of the original, but you can work part-time.
In addition, Hitachi said in April that employees can take three days off a week as long as they reach the required number of working hours per month.
At the same time, the monthly salary will not be reduced.
Dai-ichi Life Research Institute (Dai-ichi Life Research Institute) believes that companies that can give employees three days off a week basically do not affect the financial structure.
Flexible working hours are becoming increasingly important as Japan ’ s population is ageing and the number of workers is expected to decrease in the future.
However, in the current situation of the job is generally difficult to find, Japanese labor bank Mynavi reported in February that 78.5% of workers aged 20 to 50 years old said that if it will affect wages, they will not want to take three days off a week.
At the same time, 60.1% said they were unlikely to work as long as four days a week.
However, the Recruit Works Institute believes that working four days a week should be a new global trend, and that large companies are taking the lead.
[00: 04: 45.560] and the time.
Extended reading
36,000 people diagnosed in a single day Japan ’ s Golden Week airport crowded
Core CPI increased by 7 in March, the largest day in 2 years
Japan plans fourth dose of vaccine to limit two types of people

Title:

Content: [Workplace benefits] British Bank changed to 4 days of work artificial unchanged CEO: 5 days of work is a product of the 19th century
Personal Value Added 18: 50 2021 / 12 / 07
Share:
When Hong Kong people were still working nine nights, seven days a week, five days a week, or even six days a week, some banks in the United Kingdom had already started to work four days a week.
Portugal ’ s new remote work law prohibits employers from contacting employees during off-hours: Click here
Atom Bank, a fintech bank in the United Kingdom, recently announced that it will let employees choose whether to work four days a week, and said that the company will not reduce employee pay, which is expected to benefit 430 employees.
However, under the four-day work, although the total working hours per week will be reduced from 37.5 hours to 34 hours, the daily working hours of employees will be extended by one hour to compensate for the extra day of vacation, that is, the daily working hours of employees will be increased from 7.5 hours to 8.5 hours.
According to Mark Mullen, CEO of Atom Bank, five-day work was an industrial necessity in the 19th century, and it is now obsolete. As the epidemic has completely changed the working model of many employees, companies have begun to consider how they can work more efficiently, healthily and happily, and in addition to promoting working from home, reducing the number of working days and hours is one of the new norm.
Iceland Trials 4-Day Job Productivity to Rise
In fact, four-day work is not new, there have been companies in the past, but mainly in European countries, and many people have questioned whether four-day work is more efficient than five-day work.
In the early days of Iceland, a pilot scheme was conducted between 2015 and 2019 to test whether a reduction in working days would lead to higher productivity, with 2,500 participants across pre-school education, social services, health care and office white-collar workers, accounting for more than 1% of the Icelandic workforce.
The testers worked 4 days on a trial basis, and the work week was reduced from 40 hours to 35 to 36 hours.
It was found that the productivity of most of the testers who adopted the four-day work system remained unchanged or even improved.
Lidl is the UK ’ s highest paid supermarket: Click Here
The median working week in Hong Kong is 45 hours.
According to the Quarterly Report of the General Household Survey for the third quarter of 2021 released by the Government, the median number of working hours per week for wage earners in Hong Kong is 45 hours, which is 10 hours more than in Iceland.
US mobile security technology company KISI earlier released the "2021 work-life balance city ranking", Hong Kong ranked 45th out of 50 statistical places, is the largest city in the world in the statistics of overworked population, nearly 3 adults appear overworked.
Hong Kong people are known to love to work again, do you think it is possible to implement a four-day work in Hong Kong?
Editor-in-Chief: Yan Heiman
= = = = =
If you want to have financial freedom and retire early, download the Hong Kong Economic Times App for free now.
Column: Workplace Encyclopedia
Follow the latest financial news analysis, like hket Facebook
Subscribe to the Hong Kong Economic Times email newsletter
Receive first-hand financial news Learn more about investment and financial knowledge Submit my consent to receive promotional messages from Hong Kong Economic Times Group. You may also check the privacy policy of this website Terms of Use

Title:

Content: Dunelm is the latest UK business to trial a shorter hybrid-working model that allows some employees to work four days a week.

According to Retail Week, the homewares retailer is testing different four-day work patterns for its employees in particular departments, with the possibility of expanding the initiative once the trial period is completed.

A memo to employees said those taking part in the limited trial can work from home or in the office.

Read More: Retailers urge Christmas shoppers to hit the high street ahead of Royal Mail strikes

Dunelm is not the only retailer that allows employees to work four-day weeks.

Sainsbury’s announced last week that employees at its headquarters, warehouses, and store managers in its 1,400 UK stores would be able to work a four-day week.

Need Career Advice? Get employment skills advice at all levels of your career

Morrisons and M&S have also introduced compressed four-day work weeks as part of their flexible working policy, which aims to help employees achieve a better work-life balance.

Source:   Retail Gazette

Follow us on YouTubeTwitterLinkedIn, and Facebook

Title:

Content: The country of Iceland has released the analysis of its 4-day work week experiment and the results speak for themselves.

The trials run by Reykjavík City Council and the national government took place from 2015 to 2019 and included about 1% of Iceland’s working population, making it the world’s largest shortened workweek trial to date. The findings show that paying people the same amount to work fewer hours per week results in a happier, healthier workforce with similar or increased productivity. Who knew?

Will Stronge, director of research at Autonomy, a UK think tank that co-conducted a study of the trials, said in a statement: “This study shows that the world’s largest-ever trial of a shorter working week in the public sector was by all measures an overwhelming success. It shows that the public sector is ripe for being a pioneer of shorter working weeks—and lessons can be learned for other governments.”

So what are those lessons we can learn?

1) There’s nothing magical about a 40-hour workweek.

Most of the workers in the trial reduced their hours from 40 […]

Read the Full Article

Title:

Content: DH Latest NewsDH NEWSLatest NewsNEWS

India’s new labour codes likely in 2022; 4-day work-week, reduced salary and more

According to a senior official, the four labour regulations covering salary, social security, occupational safety, industrial relations, health and working conditions are expected to be enacted by the following fiscal year. Working hours, wage restructure, and PF contribution, to name a few, would all be affected by the new wage law once it is enacted. At least 13 states have pre-published draft rules on these laws, according to the official, and the Centre completed the process of finalising the draft regulations on these codes in February 2021.

The central government announced 4 labour rules on August 8, 2019: the Code on Social Security, the Industrial Relations Code,2020, the Wage code, 2019 and the Code on Occupational Safety, Health, and Working Conditions, 2020. Because labour is a concurrent subject, the Centre wants the states to accept it all at once, according to the source. Employees’ take-home pay for the following fiscal year, i.e. April 2021, may be reduced as a result of the government’s Code on Wages, however components such as PF and Gratuity may increase. This is because the new pay rule stipulates that an employee’s basic income must equal at least 50% of their net monthly CTC. As a result, if this provision is implemented, employees will be unable to earn more than 50% of their net monthly compensation in the form of an allowance. As a result, the employee’s gratuity and PF payment are likely to increase. As a result, while employees’ take-home pay may decrease, the Gratuity and PF component of their salary may increase.

Experts believe that the new draft will have an impact on employees’ working hours, with some news sources reporting that employees may be allowed a four-day workweek starting next year, however they will be required to work for 12 hours on those four days. The ministry of labour appears to have said unequivocally that a minimum of 48 hours weekly work is required.

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Title:

Content: Work life

Summer Fridays walked so the four-day workweek could run

Employees are now in favor of flexibility over temporary time off.

· 3 min read

Level up your career and your life with Sidekick

Career advice, productivity hacks, entertainment, and more. If it’s worth your time, it’s in here.

What’s top of mind at the water cooler.

The legend of the Summer Friday: Once upon a time, for three sacred months every year between Memorial Day and Labor Day, employees were allowed to clock out after lunch every Friday and head immediately to the bar.

It’s said that the tradition started in NYC in the ’60s as companies searched for ways to boost employee productivity and morale during the summer months. (There’s even a brand named after it!) If you were lucky enough to work somewhere that offered this perk (usually publishing or advertising), your weekend started with midday happy hours and early bird beach days while friends at less generous corporations smoldered with jealousy.

But with the push toward remote work, Summer Fridays have become a ghost of workplace past as they may have ushered in something even better: the four-day workweek.

As companies scrambled to deal with office closures during the pandemic, most work suddenly became remote. Facing Covid variant after variant and a resistance to returning to the office, some employers like tech companies Bolt and Buffer opted to permanently remove a day from the workweek to better suit employee needs. A jumbo Summer Friday! Perfect, right?

Unfortunately, the exact logistics of the four-day workweek have been tricky. Who can and can’t participate? Does the four-day workweek mean longer working hours? What happens if there’s still work to be done once Friday rolls around?

To get some insight, Sidekick spoke with Alicia Garcia, chief culture officer at MasterControl and Jes Osrow, diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) expert and founder of The Rise Journey consultancy, who had these thoughts to share:

  • Fixed schedules ≠ productivity. While a five-day, nine-to-five workweek has worked for most US-based companies, that doesn’t mean employees produce their best work during that time.
  • Flexibility is king. “The biggest issue with policies like the four-day workweek or Summer Fridays is that they’re still rigid. Whether it’s a four-day or five-day workweek, the exact days and times employees are required to work are fixed…When approached by employees, the most common request is ‘flexibility,’” said Garcia.
  • Flexibility isn’t an option for everyone. “We’re not thinking about essential workers, we’re not thinking about folks on the ground, and we’re not thinking about grocery store owners. It’s important to recognize that even though we do talk the big talk about a four-day workweek, it only applies to a small fraction of workers in the US and/or globally,” Osrow explained.

As the highly discussed ✨future of work✨ continues to develop, employees are looking for more flexibility. Whether that means working remotely from far-flung corners of the world or logging off a little early to go pick your children up from daycare—employers should take notes, not dictate them.—MW

Level up your career and your life with Sidekick

Career advice, productivity hacks, entertainment, and more. If it’s worth your time, it’s in here.

Title:

Content: Internationalisms
US congressman: 32 hours a week is key to happiness
California Rep. Mark Takano has again submitted to Congress his bill, which would impose 32 hours of work a week in the United States, to become a federal labor law.
Once passed, the number of working hours per week in the United States would be reduced from 40 to 32.
The law also includes a proposal for overtime pay for any work done after 32 hours, which will encourage companies to pay extra salaries to employees working longer hours, and encourage companies to hire more people.
The bill applies to workers in fields such as entertainment, hospitality, transportation, construction, manufacturing, wholesale and retail.
Insisting on the bill after it was first introduced in 2021, Takano told CNBC Make It that he wanted to stimulate debate in order to benefit and protect all workers as well as enhance their happiness and achieve what he called “social justice. ”
Nearly 3,000 UK workers from 61 companies have recently been experimented with four days a week for six months, with positive results including improved productivity, revenue, morale and team culture, as well as improved employee health and personal lives.
Related Articles
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### Business Continuity and Operational Challenges

- **Industry-Specific Barriers**: Certain sectors may face greater challenges in implementing reduced hours without compromising service quality or operational continuity.

What did Labor economist Jonathan Boys say about 4-day workweek?

Food and beverage industry may face more problems.

Healthcare industry may face more problems.

Education industriy may face more problems.

Customer-facing industries, in particular, need to ensure consistent coverage.

Title:

Content: Benefits

Employee Benefits Can Increase Productivity

July 25, 2018 ·

Best practices from our HR experts

Are you offering the employee benefits your workforce wants and deserves? Benefits make for happy employees, and happy employees are naturally more productive. There are many studies backing this up, including research that involved 700 people by the Social Market Foundation and the University of Warwick Centre for Competitive Advantage in the Global Economy in Britain. They found that happy workers who were given “happiness shocks” (these were perks like snacks—not actual electricity jolts) and then asked to perform a task were up to 20 percent more productive than control groups who weren’t given such happy “shocks.”

What else is shocking? Just how easy and affordable it often is to modify and increase benefits and perks for your employees. Think outside the box. Employee benefits extend beyond good healthcare and ample vacation days. Plus, happy employees rich in benefits aren’t just more productive, they tend to stick with their companies longer. These benefits can also attract better new-hires, so the circle of happiness and productivity continues.

Employee Productivity

To determine if your perks are helping productivity or not,  you should start by gauging employee productivity. This measurement can depend on your business, industry, and the individual job requirements of the employee. For instance, if your business is selling cars, it’s pretty easy to gauge how productive your salespeople are. But what about your admin staff? That’s not so easy.

Before you modify benefits to increase productivity, make sure you have current, measurable, and fair standards in place to gauge the productivity of each position. Starting from scratch? Bring in a third party that specializes in employee productivity and have your current team be active participants.

Employee Benefits

Ask anyone to name employee benefits, and the basics like healthcare and sick days are at the top of the list. Some benefits are mandated by state and federal law, but don’t let that limit you. Consider these popular and trending benefits:

  • Free or low-cost childcare. This has been a staple at many universities for years. It’s not possible for all employers, but it’s certainly a major perk that will attract working parents committed to “doing it all.”

  • Free gym membership. Bonus points if the gym is on-site or walkable. Happy employees are more productive, and so are healthy employees. Here are some other wellness programs to consider.

  • Birthdays off. It’s so simple, and so much better than the standard sheet cake and singing “Happy Birthday” in the break room.

  • Flexible hours and telecommuting options. Not every role is a match for telecommuting or virtual offices, but many can be. Not all employees are the right match, either, so it takes a little trial and error. However, you might be able to lower overhead and give employees the benefit of working remotely if that’s the right fit.

Health Benefits

Health benefits don’t have to mean just good quality healthcare coverage. Take a fresh look at available plans and policies every year and ask your current employees what they want in a healthcare plan. Many want more holistic options and alternative care covered, such as licensed massage therapy and acupuncture. Workers want and deserve mental health days that are covered, and they’re looking for quality coverage without unbearable deductibles. If healthy employees equate to happier employees who need fewer sick days, then it’s a win-win for everyone.

Benefits can make or break a job offer. They can attract the best candidates and, more importantly, keep them.

- **Productivity Measurement**: As noted in one document, organizations need "current, measurable, and fair standards" to gauge productivity before implementing such changes.

Title:

Content: Benefits

Employee Benefits Can Increase Productivity

July 25, 2018 ·

Best practices from our HR experts

Are you offering the employee benefits your workforce wants and deserves? Benefits make for happy employees, and happy employees are naturally more productive. There are many studies backing this up, including research that involved 700 people by the Social Market Foundation and the University of Warwick Centre for Competitive Advantage in the Global Economy in Britain. They found that happy workers who were given “happiness shocks” (these were perks like snacks—not actual electricity jolts) and then asked to perform a task were up to 20 percent more productive than control groups who weren’t given such happy “shocks.”

What else is shocking? Just how easy and affordable it often is to modify and increase benefits and perks for your employees. Think outside the box. Employee benefits extend beyond good healthcare and ample vacation days. Plus, happy employees rich in benefits aren’t just more productive, they tend to stick with their companies longer. These benefits can also attract better new-hires, so the circle of happiness and productivity continues.

Employee Productivity

To determine if your perks are helping productivity or not,  you should start by gauging employee productivity. This measurement can depend on your business, industry, and the individual job requirements of the employee. For instance, if your business is selling cars, it’s pretty easy to gauge how productive your salespeople are. But what about your admin staff? That’s not so easy.

Before you modify benefits to increase productivity, make sure you have current, measurable, and fair standards in place to gauge the productivity of each position. Starting from scratch? Bring in a third party that specializes in employee productivity and have your current team be active participants.

Employee Benefits

Ask anyone to name employee benefits, and the basics like healthcare and sick days are at the top of the list. Some benefits are mandated by state and federal law, but don’t let that limit you. Consider these popular and trending benefits:

  • Free or low-cost childcare. This has been a staple at many universities for years. It’s not possible for all employers, but it’s certainly a major perk that will attract working parents committed to “doing it all.”

  • Free gym membership. Bonus points if the gym is on-site or walkable. Happy employees are more productive, and so are healthy employees. Here are some other wellness programs to consider.

  • Birthdays off. It’s so simple, and so much better than the standard sheet cake and singing “Happy Birthday” in the break room.

  • Flexible hours and telecommuting options. Not every role is a match for telecommuting or virtual offices, but many can be. Not all employees are the right match, either, so it takes a little trial and error. However, you might be able to lower overhead and give employees the benefit of working remotely if that’s the right fit.

Health Benefits

Health benefits don’t have to mean just good quality healthcare coverage. Take a fresh look at available plans and policies every year and ask your current employees what they want in a healthcare plan. Many want more holistic options and alternative care covered, such as licensed massage therapy and acupuncture. Workers want and deserve mental health days that are covered, and they’re looking for quality coverage without unbearable deductibles. If healthy employees equate to happier employees who need fewer sick days, then it’s a win-win for everyone.

Benefits can make or break a job offer. They can attract the best candidates and, more importantly, keep them.

Without proper metrics, it becomes difficult to assess the impact accurately.

Title:

Content: Nearly a quarter of business owners don’t feel optimistic about their business succeeding in 2024, according to new research released today. The nation-wide survey, commissioned by Speakers’ Corner, drew responses from 500 business owners and directors with at least 20% equity, for companies with at least 100 employees.

With rising costs, economic volatility and technological challenges given as the main three reasons for their outlook, the next twelve months look set to be challenging for many.

“2024 was always going to be an unsettled year with economic, political and geopolitical uncertainty at the forefront of many business owners’ minds,” comments Nick Gold, Managing Director of Speakers’ Corner, the UK’s leading speaker bureau. “But what we’re seeing is an increased focus on workplace productivity with, reassuringly, 54% of business owners encouraging productivity from their staff by supporting them in work-life balance and employee well-being.”

More than half of the 500 businesses surveyed said their business’ main priority over the next two years will be improving employee productivity. Inefficient processes, lack of knowledge or skillsand time constraints were identified challenges to performance.

Top five things business owners and directors believe could improve the productivity of their workplace:

1. Train and/or develop knowledge and skills (e.g., skills within technology advancements) (41%)

2. AI adoption (40%)

3. Improve employee satisfaction and engagement (37%)

4. Improve the availability of resources and technology (35%)

5. Hybrid working (29%)

- **Cultural Resistance**: In regions with traditionally long working hours, like Hong Kong (where the median weekly working hours is 45 hours), there may be cultural resistance to reducing work time despite potential benefits.

Title:

Content: [Workplace benefits] British Bank changed to 4 days of work artificial unchanged CEO: 5 days of work is a product of the 19th century
Personal Value Added 18: 50 2021 / 12 / 07
Share:
When Hong Kong people were still working nine nights, seven days a week, five days a week, or even six days a week, some banks in the United Kingdom had already started to work four days a week.
Portugal ’ s new remote work law prohibits employers from contacting employees during off-hours: Click here
Atom Bank, a fintech bank in the United Kingdom, recently announced that it will let employees choose whether to work four days a week, and said that the company will not reduce employee pay, which is expected to benefit 430 employees.
However, under the four-day work, although the total working hours per week will be reduced from 37.5 hours to 34 hours, the daily working hours of employees will be extended by one hour to compensate for the extra day of vacation, that is, the daily working hours of employees will be increased from 7.5 hours to 8.5 hours.
According to Mark Mullen, CEO of Atom Bank, five-day work was an industrial necessity in the 19th century, and it is now obsolete. As the epidemic has completely changed the working model of many employees, companies have begun to consider how they can work more efficiently, healthily and happily, and in addition to promoting working from home, reducing the number of working days and hours is one of the new norm.
Iceland Trials 4-Day Job Productivity to Rise
In fact, four-day work is not new, there have been companies in the past, but mainly in European countries, and many people have questioned whether four-day work is more efficient than five-day work.
In the early days of Iceland, a pilot scheme was conducted between 2015 and 2019 to test whether a reduction in working days would lead to higher productivity, with 2,500 participants across pre-school education, social services, health care and office white-collar workers, accounting for more than 1% of the Icelandic workforce.
The testers worked 4 days on a trial basis, and the work week was reduced from 40 hours to 35 to 36 hours.
It was found that the productivity of most of the testers who adopted the four-day work system remained unchanged or even improved.
Lidl is the UK ’ s highest paid supermarket: Click Here
The median working week in Hong Kong is 45 hours.
According to the Quarterly Report of the General Household Survey for the third quarter of 2021 released by the Government, the median number of working hours per week for wage earners in Hong Kong is 45 hours, which is 10 hours more than in Iceland.
US mobile security technology company KISI earlier released the "2021 work-life balance city ranking", Hong Kong ranked 45th out of 50 statistical places, is the largest city in the world in the statistics of overworked population, nearly 3 adults appear overworked.
Hong Kong people are known to love to work again, do you think it is possible to implement a four-day work in Hong Kong?
Editor-in-Chief: Yan Heiman
= = = = =
If you want to have financial freedom and retire early, download the Hong Kong Economic Times App for free now.
Column: Workplace Encyclopedia
Follow the latest financial news analysis, like hket Facebook
Subscribe to the Hong Kong Economic Times email newsletter
Receive first-hand financial news Learn more about investment and financial knowledge Submit my consent to receive promotional messages from Hong Kong Economic Times Group. You may also check the privacy policy of this website Terms of Use

## Cross-Industry and Cross-Country Assessment

### Industry Variations

- **Technology and Financial Services**: Companies in these sectors, like Atom Bank (UK financial technology), have been early adopters, likely due to the nature of knowledge work that can be more easily compressed into fewer days.

Title:

Content: [Workplace benefits] British Bank changed to 4 days of work artificial unchanged CEO: 5 days of work is a product of the 19th century
Personal Value Added 18: 50 2021 / 12 / 07
Share:
When Hong Kong people were still working nine nights, seven days a week, five days a week, or even six days a week, some banks in the United Kingdom had already started to work four days a week.
Portugal ’ s new remote work law prohibits employers from contacting employees during off-hours: Click here
Atom Bank, a fintech bank in the United Kingdom, recently announced that it will let employees choose whether to work four days a week, and said that the company will not reduce employee pay, which is expected to benefit 430 employees.
However, under the four-day work, although the total working hours per week will be reduced from 37.5 hours to 34 hours, the daily working hours of employees will be extended by one hour to compensate for the extra day of vacation, that is, the daily working hours of employees will be increased from 7.5 hours to 8.5 hours.
According to Mark Mullen, CEO of Atom Bank, five-day work was an industrial necessity in the 19th century, and it is now obsolete. As the epidemic has completely changed the working model of many employees, companies have begun to consider how they can work more efficiently, healthily and happily, and in addition to promoting working from home, reducing the number of working days and hours is one of the new norm.
Iceland Trials 4-Day Job Productivity to Rise
In fact, four-day work is not new, there have been companies in the past, but mainly in European countries, and many people have questioned whether four-day work is more efficient than five-day work.
In the early days of Iceland, a pilot scheme was conducted between 2015 and 2019 to test whether a reduction in working days would lead to higher productivity, with 2,500 participants across pre-school education, social services, health care and office white-collar workers, accounting for more than 1% of the Icelandic workforce.
The testers worked 4 days on a trial basis, and the work week was reduced from 40 hours to 35 to 36 hours.
It was found that the productivity of most of the testers who adopted the four-day work system remained unchanged or even improved.
Lidl is the UK ’ s highest paid supermarket: Click Here
The median working week in Hong Kong is 45 hours.
According to the Quarterly Report of the General Household Survey for the third quarter of 2021 released by the Government, the median number of working hours per week for wage earners in Hong Kong is 45 hours, which is 10 hours more than in Iceland.
US mobile security technology company KISI earlier released the "2021 work-life balance city ranking", Hong Kong ranked 45th out of 50 statistical places, is the largest city in the world in the statistics of overworked population, nearly 3 adults appear overworked.
Hong Kong people are known to love to work again, do you think it is possible to implement a four-day work in Hong Kong?
Editor-in-Chief: Yan Heiman
= = = = =
If you want to have financial freedom and retire early, download the Hong Kong Economic Times App for free now.
Column: Workplace Encyclopedia
Follow the latest financial news analysis, like hket Facebook
Subscribe to the Hong Kong Economic Times email newsletter
Receive first-hand financial news Learn more about investment and financial knowledge Submit my consent to receive promotional messages from Hong Kong Economic Times Group. You may also check the privacy policy of this website Terms of Use

- **Retail**: Major retailers like Morrisons and M&S have implemented compressed workweeks as part of flexible working policies, suggesting that even customer-facing industries can adapt with proper planning.

Title:

Content: Dunelm is the latest UK business to trial a shorter hybrid-working model that allows some employees to work four days a week.

According to Retail Week, the homewares retailer is testing different four-day work patterns for its employees in particular departments, with the possibility of expanding the initiative once the trial period is completed.

A memo to employees said those taking part in the limited trial can work from home or in the office.

Read More: Retailers urge Christmas shoppers to hit the high street ahead of Royal Mail strikes

Dunelm is not the only retailer that allows employees to work four-day weeks.

Sainsbury’s announced last week that employees at its headquarters, warehouses, and store managers in its 1,400 UK stores would be able to work a four-day week.

Need Career Advice? Get employment skills advice at all levels of your career

Morrisons and M&S have also introduced compressed four-day work weeks as part of their flexible working policy, which aims to help employees achieve a better work-life balance.

Source:   Retail Gazette

Follow us on YouTubeTwitterLinkedIn, and Facebook

Title:

Content: Work life

Summer Fridays walked so the four-day workweek could run

Employees are now in favor of flexibility over temporary time off.

· 3 min read

Level up your career and your life with Sidekick

Career advice, productivity hacks, entertainment, and more. If it’s worth your time, it’s in here.

What’s top of mind at the water cooler.

The legend of the Summer Friday: Once upon a time, for three sacred months every year between Memorial Day and Labor Day, employees were allowed to clock out after lunch every Friday and head immediately to the bar.

It’s said that the tradition started in NYC in the ’60s as companies searched for ways to boost employee productivity and morale during the summer months. (There’s even a brand named after it!) If you were lucky enough to work somewhere that offered this perk (usually publishing or advertising), your weekend started with midday happy hours and early bird beach days while friends at less generous corporations smoldered with jealousy.

But with the push toward remote work, Summer Fridays have become a ghost of workplace past as they may have ushered in something even better: the four-day workweek.

As companies scrambled to deal with office closures during the pandemic, most work suddenly became remote. Facing Covid variant after variant and a resistance to returning to the office, some employers like tech companies Bolt and Buffer opted to permanently remove a day from the workweek to better suit employee needs. A jumbo Summer Friday! Perfect, right?

Unfortunately, the exact logistics of the four-day workweek have been tricky. Who can and can’t participate? Does the four-day workweek mean longer working hours? What happens if there’s still work to be done once Friday rolls around?

To get some insight, Sidekick spoke with Alicia Garcia, chief culture officer at MasterControl and Jes Osrow, diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) expert and founder of The Rise Journey consultancy, who had these thoughts to share:

  • Fixed schedules ≠ productivity. While a five-day, nine-to-five workweek has worked for most US-based companies, that doesn’t mean employees produce their best work during that time.
  • Flexibility is king. “The biggest issue with policies like the four-day workweek or Summer Fridays is that they’re still rigid. Whether it’s a four-day or five-day workweek, the exact days and times employees are required to work are fixed…When approached by employees, the most common request is ‘flexibility,’” said Garcia.
  • Flexibility isn’t an option for everyone. “We’re not thinking about essential workers, we’re not thinking about folks on the ground, and we’re not thinking about grocery store owners. It’s important to recognize that even though we do talk the big talk about a four-day workweek, it only applies to a small fraction of workers in the US and/or globally,” Osrow explained.

As the highly discussed ✨future of work✨ continues to develop, employees are looking for more flexibility. Whether that means working remotely from far-flung corners of the world or logging off a little early to go pick your children up from daycare—employers should take notes, not dictate them.—MW

Level up your career and your life with Sidekick

Career advice, productivity hacks, entertainment, and more. If it’s worth your time, it’s in here.

Title:

Content: Internationalisms
US congressman: 32 hours a week is key to happiness
California Rep. Mark Takano has again submitted to Congress his bill, which would impose 32 hours of work a week in the United States, to become a federal labor law.
Once passed, the number of working hours per week in the United States would be reduced from 40 to 32.
The law also includes a proposal for overtime pay for any work done after 32 hours, which will encourage companies to pay extra salaries to employees working longer hours, and encourage companies to hire more people.
The bill applies to workers in fields such as entertainment, hospitality, transportation, construction, manufacturing, wholesale and retail.
Insisting on the bill after it was first introduced in 2021, Takano told CNBC Make It that he wanted to stimulate debate in order to benefit and protect all workers as well as enhance their happiness and achieve what he called “social justice. ”
Nearly 3,000 UK workers from 61 companies have recently been experimented with four days a week for six months, with positive results including improved productivity, revenue, morale and team culture, as well as improved employee health and personal lives.
Related Articles
Go to the top button

- **Public Sector**: Iceland's trials demonstrated that public sector organizations can successfully implement 4-day workweeks across various services including education, healthcare, and social services.

Title:

Content: [Workplace benefits] British Bank changed to 4 days of work artificial unchanged CEO: 5 days of work is a product of the 19th century
Personal Value Added 18: 50 2021 / 12 / 07
Share:
When Hong Kong people were still working nine nights, seven days a week, five days a week, or even six days a week, some banks in the United Kingdom had already started to work four days a week.
Portugal ’ s new remote work law prohibits employers from contacting employees during off-hours: Click here
Atom Bank, a fintech bank in the United Kingdom, recently announced that it will let employees choose whether to work four days a week, and said that the company will not reduce employee pay, which is expected to benefit 430 employees.
However, under the four-day work, although the total working hours per week will be reduced from 37.5 hours to 34 hours, the daily working hours of employees will be extended by one hour to compensate for the extra day of vacation, that is, the daily working hours of employees will be increased from 7.5 hours to 8.5 hours.
According to Mark Mullen, CEO of Atom Bank, five-day work was an industrial necessity in the 19th century, and it is now obsolete. As the epidemic has completely changed the working model of many employees, companies have begun to consider how they can work more efficiently, healthily and happily, and in addition to promoting working from home, reducing the number of working days and hours is one of the new norm.
Iceland Trials 4-Day Job Productivity to Rise
In fact, four-day work is not new, there have been companies in the past, but mainly in European countries, and many people have questioned whether four-day work is more efficient than five-day work.
In the early days of Iceland, a pilot scheme was conducted between 2015 and 2019 to test whether a reduction in working days would lead to higher productivity, with 2,500 participants across pre-school education, social services, health care and office white-collar workers, accounting for more than 1% of the Icelandic workforce.
The testers worked 4 days on a trial basis, and the work week was reduced from 40 hours to 35 to 36 hours.
It was found that the productivity of most of the testers who adopted the four-day work system remained unchanged or even improved.
Lidl is the UK ’ s highest paid supermarket: Click Here
The median working week in Hong Kong is 45 hours.
According to the Quarterly Report of the General Household Survey for the third quarter of 2021 released by the Government, the median number of working hours per week for wage earners in Hong Kong is 45 hours, which is 10 hours more than in Iceland.
US mobile security technology company KISI earlier released the "2021 work-life balance city ranking", Hong Kong ranked 45th out of 50 statistical places, is the largest city in the world in the statistics of overworked population, nearly 3 adults appear overworked.
Hong Kong people are known to love to work again, do you think it is possible to implement a four-day work in Hong Kong?
Editor-in-Chief: Yan Heiman
= = = = =
If you want to have financial freedom and retire early, download the Hong Kong Economic Times App for free now.
Column: Workplace Encyclopedia
Follow the latest financial news analysis, like hket Facebook
Subscribe to the Hong Kong Economic Times email newsletter
Receive first-hand financial news Learn more about investment and financial knowledge Submit my consent to receive promotional messages from Hong Kong Economic Times Group. You may also check the privacy policy of this website Terms of Use

Title:

Content: Dunelm is the latest UK business to trial a shorter hybrid-working model that allows some employees to work four days a week.

According to Retail Week, the homewares retailer is testing different four-day work patterns for its employees in particular departments, with the possibility of expanding the initiative once the trial period is completed.

A memo to employees said those taking part in the limited trial can work from home or in the office.

Read More: Retailers urge Christmas shoppers to hit the high street ahead of Royal Mail strikes

Dunelm is not the only retailer that allows employees to work four-day weeks.

Sainsbury’s announced last week that employees at its headquarters, warehouses, and store managers in its 1,400 UK stores would be able to work a four-day week.

Need Career Advice? Get employment skills advice at all levels of your career

Morrisons and M&S have also introduced compressed four-day work weeks as part of their flexible working policy, which aims to help employees achieve a better work-life balance.

Source:   Retail Gazette

Follow us on YouTubeTwitterLinkedIn, and Facebook

Title:

Content: The country of Iceland has released the analysis of its 4-day work week experiment and the results speak for themselves.

The trials run by Reykjavík City Council and the national government took place from 2015 to 2019 and included about 1% of Iceland’s working population, making it the world’s largest shortened workweek trial to date. The findings show that paying people the same amount to work fewer hours per week results in a happier, healthier workforce with similar or increased productivity. Who knew?

Will Stronge, director of research at Autonomy, a UK think tank that co-conducted a study of the trials, said in a statement: “This study shows that the world’s largest-ever trial of a shorter working week in the public sector was by all measures an overwhelming success. It shows that the public sector is ripe for being a pioneer of shorter working weeks—and lessons can be learned for other governments.”

So what are those lessons we can learn?

1) There’s nothing magical about a 40-hour workweek.

Most of the workers in the trial reduced their hours from 40 […]

Read the Full Article

Title:

Content: DH Latest NewsDH NEWSLatest NewsNEWS

India’s new labour codes likely in 2022; 4-day work-week, reduced salary and more

According to a senior official, the four labour regulations covering salary, social security, occupational safety, industrial relations, health and working conditions are expected to be enacted by the following fiscal year. Working hours, wage restructure, and PF contribution, to name a few, would all be affected by the new wage law once it is enacted. At least 13 states have pre-published draft rules on these laws, according to the official, and the Centre completed the process of finalising the draft regulations on these codes in February 2021.

The central government announced 4 labour rules on August 8, 2019: the Code on Social Security, the Industrial Relations Code,2020, the Wage code, 2019 and the Code on Occupational Safety, Health, and Working Conditions, 2020. Because labour is a concurrent subject, the Centre wants the states to accept it all at once, according to the source. Employees’ take-home pay for the following fiscal year, i.e. April 2021, may be reduced as a result of the government’s Code on Wages, however components such as PF and Gratuity may increase. This is because the new pay rule stipulates that an employee’s basic income must equal at least 50% of their net monthly CTC. As a result, if this provision is implemented, employees will be unable to earn more than 50% of their net monthly compensation in the form of an allowance. As a result, the employee’s gratuity and PF payment are likely to increase. As a result, while employees’ take-home pay may decrease, the Gratuity and PF component of their salary may increase.

Experts believe that the new draft will have an impact on employees’ working hours, with some news sources reporting that employees may be allowed a four-day workweek starting next year, however they will be required to work for 12 hours on those four days. The ministry of labour appears to have said unequivocally that a minimum of 48 hours weekly work is required.

shortlink

Back to top button

Title:

Content: Internationalisms
US congressman: 32 hours a week is key to happiness
California Rep. Mark Takano has again submitted to Congress his bill, which would impose 32 hours of work a week in the United States, to become a federal labor law.
Once passed, the number of working hours per week in the United States would be reduced from 40 to 32.
The law also includes a proposal for overtime pay for any work done after 32 hours, which will encourage companies to pay extra salaries to employees working longer hours, and encourage companies to hire more people.
The bill applies to workers in fields such as entertainment, hospitality, transportation, construction, manufacturing, wholesale and retail.
Insisting on the bill after it was first introduced in 2021, Takano told CNBC Make It that he wanted to stimulate debate in order to benefit and protect all workers as well as enhance their happiness and achieve what he called “social justice. ”
Nearly 3,000 UK workers from 61 companies have recently been experimented with four days a week for six months, with positive results including improved productivity, revenue, morale and team culture, as well as improved employee health and personal lives.
Related Articles
Go to the top button

- **Professional Services**: High-intensity fields like law are identified as potentially benefiting from reduced workweeks, though implementation may require significant structural changes.

Title:

Content: Dunelm is the latest UK business to trial a shorter hybrid-working model that allows some employees to work four days a week.

According to Retail Week, the homewares retailer is testing different four-day work patterns for its employees in particular departments, with the possibility of expanding the initiative once the trial period is completed.

A memo to employees said those taking part in the limited trial can work from home or in the office.

Read More: Retailers urge Christmas shoppers to hit the high street ahead of Royal Mail strikes

Dunelm is not the only retailer that allows employees to work four-day weeks.

Sainsbury’s announced last week that employees at its headquarters, warehouses, and store managers in its 1,400 UK stores would be able to work a four-day week.

Need Career Advice? Get employment skills advice at all levels of your career

Morrisons and M&S have also introduced compressed four-day work weeks as part of their flexible working policy, which aims to help employees achieve a better work-life balance.

Source:   Retail Gazette

Follow us on YouTubeTwitterLinkedIn, and Facebook

### Cultural and Regional Differences

- **Nordic Countries**: Iceland's success suggests that countries with strong social welfare systems and progressive labor policies may be more receptive to 4-day workweeks.

Title:

Content: Dunelm is the latest UK business to trial a shorter hybrid-working model that allows some employees to work four days a week.

According to Retail Week, the homewares retailer is testing different four-day work patterns for its employees in particular departments, with the possibility of expanding the initiative once the trial period is completed.

A memo to employees said those taking part in the limited trial can work from home or in the office.

Read More: Retailers urge Christmas shoppers to hit the high street ahead of Royal Mail strikes

Dunelm is not the only retailer that allows employees to work four-day weeks.

Sainsbury’s announced last week that employees at its headquarters, warehouses, and store managers in its 1,400 UK stores would be able to work a four-day week.

Need Career Advice? Get employment skills advice at all levels of your career

Morrisons and M&S have also introduced compressed four-day work weeks as part of their flexible working policy, which aims to help employees achieve a better work-life balance.

Source:   Retail Gazette

Follow us on YouTubeTwitterLinkedIn, and Facebook

Title:

Content: The country of Iceland has released the analysis of its 4-day work week experiment and the results speak for themselves.

The trials run by Reykjavík City Council and the national government took place from 2015 to 2019 and included about 1% of Iceland’s working population, making it the world’s largest shortened workweek trial to date. The findings show that paying people the same amount to work fewer hours per week results in a happier, healthier workforce with similar or increased productivity. Who knew?

Will Stronge, director of research at Autonomy, a UK think tank that co-conducted a study of the trials, said in a statement: “This study shows that the world’s largest-ever trial of a shorter working week in the public sector was by all measures an overwhelming success. It shows that the public sector is ripe for being a pioneer of shorter working weeks—and lessons can be learned for other governments.”

So what are those lessons we can learn?

1) There’s nothing magical about a 40-hour workweek.

Most of the workers in the trial reduced their hours from 40 […]

Read the Full Article

Title:

Content: DH Latest NewsDH NEWSLatest NewsNEWS

India’s new labour codes likely in 2022; 4-day work-week, reduced salary and more

According to a senior official, the four labour regulations covering salary, social security, occupational safety, industrial relations, health and working conditions are expected to be enacted by the following fiscal year. Working hours, wage restructure, and PF contribution, to name a few, would all be affected by the new wage law once it is enacted. At least 13 states have pre-published draft rules on these laws, according to the official, and the Centre completed the process of finalising the draft regulations on these codes in February 2021.

The central government announced 4 labour rules on August 8, 2019: the Code on Social Security, the Industrial Relations Code,2020, the Wage code, 2019 and the Code on Occupational Safety, Health, and Working Conditions, 2020. Because labour is a concurrent subject, the Centre wants the states to accept it all at once, according to the source. Employees’ take-home pay for the following fiscal year, i.e. April 2021, may be reduced as a result of the government’s Code on Wages, however components such as PF and Gratuity may increase. This is because the new pay rule stipulates that an employee’s basic income must equal at least 50% of their net monthly CTC. As a result, if this provision is implemented, employees will be unable to earn more than 50% of their net monthly compensation in the form of an allowance. As a result, the employee’s gratuity and PF payment are likely to increase. As a result, while employees’ take-home pay may decrease, the Gratuity and PF component of their salary may increase.

Experts believe that the new draft will have an impact on employees’ working hours, with some news sources reporting that employees may be allowed a four-day workweek starting next year, however they will be required to work for 12 hours on those four days. The ministry of labour appears to have said unequivocally that a minimum of 48 hours weekly work is required.

shortlink

Back to top button

Title:

Content: Work life

Summer Fridays walked so the four-day workweek could run

Employees are now in favor of flexibility over temporary time off.

· 3 min read

Level up your career and your life with Sidekick

Career advice, productivity hacks, entertainment, and more. If it’s worth your time, it’s in here.

What’s top of mind at the water cooler.

The legend of the Summer Friday: Once upon a time, for three sacred months every year between Memorial Day and Labor Day, employees were allowed to clock out after lunch every Friday and head immediately to the bar.

It’s said that the tradition started in NYC in the ’60s as companies searched for ways to boost employee productivity and morale during the summer months. (There’s even a brand named after it!) If you were lucky enough to work somewhere that offered this perk (usually publishing or advertising), your weekend started with midday happy hours and early bird beach days while friends at less generous corporations smoldered with jealousy.

But with the push toward remote work, Summer Fridays have become a ghost of workplace past as they may have ushered in something even better: the four-day workweek.

As companies scrambled to deal with office closures during the pandemic, most work suddenly became remote. Facing Covid variant after variant and a resistance to returning to the office, some employers like tech companies Bolt and Buffer opted to permanently remove a day from the workweek to better suit employee needs. A jumbo Summer Friday! Perfect, right?

Unfortunately, the exact logistics of the four-day workweek have been tricky. Who can and can’t participate? Does the four-day workweek mean longer working hours? What happens if there’s still work to be done once Friday rolls around?

To get some insight, Sidekick spoke with Alicia Garcia, chief culture officer at MasterControl and Jes Osrow, diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) expert and founder of The Rise Journey consultancy, who had these thoughts to share:

  • Fixed schedules ≠ productivity. While a five-day, nine-to-five workweek has worked for most US-based companies, that doesn’t mean employees produce their best work during that time.
  • Flexibility is king. “The biggest issue with policies like the four-day workweek or Summer Fridays is that they’re still rigid. Whether it’s a four-day or five-day workweek, the exact days and times employees are required to work are fixed…When approached by employees, the most common request is ‘flexibility,’” said Garcia.
  • Flexibility isn’t an option for everyone. “We’re not thinking about essential workers, we’re not thinking about folks on the ground, and we’re not thinking about grocery store owners. It’s important to recognize that even though we do talk the big talk about a four-day workweek, it only applies to a small fraction of workers in the US and/or globally,” Osrow explained.

As the highly discussed ✨future of work✨ continues to develop, employees are looking for more flexibility. Whether that means working remotely from far-flung corners of the world or logging off a little early to go pick your children up from daycare—employers should take notes, not dictate them.—MW

Level up your career and your life with Sidekick

Career advice, productivity hacks, entertainment, and more. If it’s worth your time, it’s in here.

Title:

Content: Internationalisms
US congressman: 32 hours a week is key to happiness
California Rep. Mark Takano has again submitted to Congress his bill, which would impose 32 hours of work a week in the United States, to become a federal labor law.
Once passed, the number of working hours per week in the United States would be reduced from 40 to 32.
The law also includes a proposal for overtime pay for any work done after 32 hours, which will encourage companies to pay extra salaries to employees working longer hours, and encourage companies to hire more people.
The bill applies to workers in fields such as entertainment, hospitality, transportation, construction, manufacturing, wholesale and retail.
Insisting on the bill after it was first introduced in 2021, Takano told CNBC Make It that he wanted to stimulate debate in order to benefit and protect all workers as well as enhance their happiness and achieve what he called “social justice. ”
Nearly 3,000 UK workers from 61 companies have recently been experimented with four days a week for six months, with positive results including improved productivity, revenue, morale and team culture, as well as improved employee health and personal lives.
Related Articles
Go to the top button

- **East Asia**: Japan has shown official support for the concept, but implementation faces challenges due to traditional work culture.

Title:

Content: Benefits

Employee Benefits Can Increase Productivity

July 25, 2018 ·

Best practices from our HR experts

Are you offering the employee benefits your workforce wants and deserves? Benefits make for happy employees, and happy employees are naturally more productive. There are many studies backing this up, including research that involved 700 people by the Social Market Foundation and the University of Warwick Centre for Competitive Advantage in the Global Economy in Britain. They found that happy workers who were given “happiness shocks” (these were perks like snacks—not actual electricity jolts) and then asked to perform a task were up to 20 percent more productive than control groups who weren’t given such happy “shocks.”

What else is shocking? Just how easy and affordable it often is to modify and increase benefits and perks for your employees. Think outside the box. Employee benefits extend beyond good healthcare and ample vacation days. Plus, happy employees rich in benefits aren’t just more productive, they tend to stick with their companies longer. These benefits can also attract better new-hires, so the circle of happiness and productivity continues.

Employee Productivity

To determine if your perks are helping productivity or not,  you should start by gauging employee productivity. This measurement can depend on your business, industry, and the individual job requirements of the employee. For instance, if your business is selling cars, it’s pretty easy to gauge how productive your salespeople are. But what about your admin staff? That’s not so easy.

Before you modify benefits to increase productivity, make sure you have current, measurable, and fair standards in place to gauge the productivity of each position. Starting from scratch? Bring in a third party that specializes in employee productivity and have your current team be active participants.

Employee Benefits

Ask anyone to name employee benefits, and the basics like healthcare and sick days are at the top of the list. Some benefits are mandated by state and federal law, but don’t let that limit you. Consider these popular and trending benefits:

  • Free or low-cost childcare. This has been a staple at many universities for years. It’s not possible for all employers, but it’s certainly a major perk that will attract working parents committed to “doing it all.”

  • Free gym membership. Bonus points if the gym is on-site or walkable. Happy employees are more productive, and so are healthy employees. Here are some other wellness programs to consider.

  • Birthdays off. It’s so simple, and so much better than the standard sheet cake and singing “Happy Birthday” in the break room.

  • Flexible hours and telecommuting options. Not every role is a match for telecommuting or virtual offices, but many can be. Not all employees are the right match, either, so it takes a little trial and error. However, you might be able to lower overhead and give employees the benefit of working remotely if that’s the right fit.

Health Benefits

Health benefits don’t have to mean just good quality healthcare coverage. Take a fresh look at available plans and policies every year and ask your current employees what they want in a healthcare plan. Many want more holistic options and alternative care covered, such as licensed massage therapy and acupuncture. Workers want and deserve mental health days that are covered, and they’re looking for quality coverage without unbearable deductibles. If healthy employees equate to happier employees who need fewer sick days, then it’s a win-win for everyone.

Benefits can make or break a job offer. They can attract the best candidates and, more importantly, keep them.

In Hong Kong, where work-life balance is particularly poor (ranking 45th out of 50 cities), employees strongly desire better balance but face structural barriers.

Title:

Content: [Workplace benefits] British Bank changed to 4 days of work artificial unchanged CEO: 5 days of work is a product of the 19th century
Personal Value Added 18: 50 2021 / 12 / 07
Share:
When Hong Kong people were still working nine nights, seven days a week, five days a week, or even six days a week, some banks in the United Kingdom had already started to work four days a week.
Portugal ’ s new remote work law prohibits employers from contacting employees during off-hours: Click here
Atom Bank, a fintech bank in the United Kingdom, recently announced that it will let employees choose whether to work four days a week, and said that the company will not reduce employee pay, which is expected to benefit 430 employees.
However, under the four-day work, although the total working hours per week will be reduced from 37.5 hours to 34 hours, the daily working hours of employees will be extended by one hour to compensate for the extra day of vacation, that is, the daily working hours of employees will be increased from 7.5 hours to 8.5 hours.
According to Mark Mullen, CEO of Atom Bank, five-day work was an industrial necessity in the 19th century, and it is now obsolete. As the epidemic has completely changed the working model of many employees, companies have begun to consider how they can work more efficiently, healthily and happily, and in addition to promoting working from home, reducing the number of working days and hours is one of the new norm.
Iceland Trials 4-Day Job Productivity to Rise
In fact, four-day work is not new, there have been companies in the past, but mainly in European countries, and many people have questioned whether four-day work is more efficient than five-day work.
In the early days of Iceland, a pilot scheme was conducted between 2015 and 2019 to test whether a reduction in working days would lead to higher productivity, with 2,500 participants across pre-school education, social services, health care and office white-collar workers, accounting for more than 1% of the Icelandic workforce.
The testers worked 4 days on a trial basis, and the work week was reduced from 40 hours to 35 to 36 hours.
It was found that the productivity of most of the testers who adopted the four-day work system remained unchanged or even improved.
Lidl is the UK ’ s highest paid supermarket: Click Here
The median working week in Hong Kong is 45 hours.
According to the Quarterly Report of the General Household Survey for the third quarter of 2021 released by the Government, the median number of working hours per week for wage earners in Hong Kong is 45 hours, which is 10 hours more than in Iceland.
US mobile security technology company KISI earlier released the "2021 work-life balance city ranking", Hong Kong ranked 45th out of 50 statistical places, is the largest city in the world in the statistics of overworked population, nearly 3 adults appear overworked.
Hong Kong people are known to love to work again, do you think it is possible to implement a four-day work in Hong Kong?
Editor-in-Chief: Yan Heiman
= = = = =
If you want to have financial freedom and retire early, download the Hong Kong Economic Times App for free now.
Column: Workplace Encyclopedia
Follow the latest financial news analysis, like hket Facebook
Subscribe to the Hong Kong Economic Times email newsletter
Receive first-hand financial news Learn more about investment and financial knowledge Submit my consent to receive promotional messages from Hong Kong Economic Times Group. You may also check the privacy policy of this website Terms of Use

Title:

Content: Dunelm is the latest UK business to trial a shorter hybrid-working model that allows some employees to work four days a week.

According to Retail Week, the homewares retailer is testing different four-day work patterns for its employees in particular departments, with the possibility of expanding the initiative once the trial period is completed.

A memo to employees said those taking part in the limited trial can work from home or in the office.

Read More: Retailers urge Christmas shoppers to hit the high street ahead of Royal Mail strikes

Dunelm is not the only retailer that allows employees to work four-day weeks.

Sainsbury’s announced last week that employees at its headquarters, warehouses, and store managers in its 1,400 UK stores would be able to work a four-day week.

Need Career Advice? Get employment skills advice at all levels of your career

Morrisons and M&S have also introduced compressed four-day work weeks as part of their flexible working policy, which aims to help employees achieve a better work-life balance.

Source:   Retail Gazette

Follow us on YouTubeTwitterLinkedIn, and Facebook

Title:

Content: 4 Easy Ways To Maintain A Healthy Work-Life Balance

Balancing professional and personal life has become a major challenge especially since 2020 because the majority of us are working from home. For most people, work always takes preference over everything else in our lives, even our family and health. We become so desirable to achieve professional success that we keep ignoring other important things.

Maintaining harmony in both personal and professional life is very essential not only to improve our physical, emotional, and mental well-being but to perform well in our work. Regular stress from the never-ending workday can have negative effects on our personal relationships and overall happiness.

Considering the strong side effects of overworking many organizations have started incorporating flexible learning solutions in their work culture. Tools like Trainual help employees overcome the challenge of managing employee training along with their work.

While organizations are doing their bit to help employee’s build a healthy work-life balance, here are some of the ways employees can do it themselves:

  1. Set Work Hours

Try to set a boundary for your work hours and inform your colleagues, teammates, and even your manager about it to avoid burning the midnight oil. Inform them politely that you will not be accessible after your working hours unless it is very important. This will ensure they respect your boundaries and expectations.

Try to take your mind off your work after you clock out. Whether you are working from home or office, it is necessary to decide when to work and when to stop working; else, you will end up working late nights and even on weekends.

  1. Manage Your Priorities & Goals

Invest some time thoughtfully thinking about what is most important and relevant to you, and make a list of your top priorities. Then analyze it by asking yourself these key questions: What is most important and urgent? What do I need to start doing right now? What do I need to stop doing?

This will provide you with strong and measurable goals. Block some time from your busy schedule for activities that need urgent attention like a doctor’s appointment or running through some errands.

  1. Workout & Meditate

We are so busy with our lives that we have forgotten the power of exercise and meditation, and we either neglect it or procrastinate doing it. Exercising and meditation keep not only our physical health in check but also calm our minds, help us to make much better decisions in life, and reduce stress.

If you feel too lazy to exercise sometimes, try to add some easy habits to your lifestyle that will make a lot of difference. These habits are walking when you are on call, some stretching and face exercises while working, taking stairs instead of the lift whenever possible, and meditating for at least 5 mins in regular intervals.

  1. Take A Break

Overstretching yourself at work may give you professional success but you will lose a lot more valuable things in life like your physical health, mental health, and relationships. It is good to give yourself a break and take a day off when you have overworked someday and you feel that your brain is completely saturated.

Make some time for your loved ones, watch your favorite TV show, read, sleep, and do whatever you enjoy to relax your mind. Make use of your leaves and take a vacation once in a while.

CONCLUSION:

Having self-awareness about your own personal and professional priorities is very important. While we all need to work hard to achieve success in our careers, we also have to take into account that taking some time out for ourselves is very essential too. Having a healthy work-life balance can bring you satisfaction and allow you to stay more productive at work.

Title:

Content: Survey: 45% of Hong Kong workers would rather be unemployed than unhappy at work Staff loyalty is low
Author: Olivia Lin
Published: Updated:
Today, more and more employees pursue work-life balance (Work-Life Balance), human resources company Randstad released a job trend report today (15), showing that 40% of employees would rather be unemployed than unhappy at work, including 18 to 24 years old and agree with the proportion of employees as high as 60%.
In addition, the loyalty of Hong Kong employees to their employers is also lower than the global average. What do Hong Kong employees expect from their employees?
The survey was conducted from 21 February to 13 March this year, with a total of 1,000 Hong Kong employees aged 18 to 67.
The results showed that an average of 45% of respondents would rather be unemployed than unhappy at work. Among them, 60% of employees aged 18 to 24 agreed, followed by 25 to 34 years old.
Hong Kong employees' loyalty to employers is lower than global average
Compared to work, many employees attach more importance to their personal life and psychology, and if the work conflicts with their own expectations, the employee may choose to leave the job.
The survey also showed that only 52% of Hong Kong employees committed to remaining in their current company jobs, which is lower than the global average, while the proportion of mainland Chinese employees was as high as 87%.
Forty-four percent of respondents have quit their jobs because they don ’ t fit in with their personal lives, and things that make them happy include more freedom in where and how many hours they work, as well as a pay rise.
45% of employees attach importance to training and development but have not received training opportunities in the past year
On the other hand, many employees in the workplace also attach importance to personal development, and about 60% of the respondents agree with the importance of training and development, but only half of them have received new training opportunities in the past 12 months, which means that about 40% of the employees have not received training although they agree with the importance of training.
As for the types of training, about 5 adults each intend to improve their technical skills, soft skills, and growth in their current position.
The report points out that if companies actively invest in employee development, they will be better able to attract motivated talent.
You may be interested

- **Western Countries**: The UK has seen significant private sector adoption, with companies recognizing the competitive advantages of offering improved work-life balance.

Title:

Content: Dunelm is the latest UK business to trial a shorter hybrid-working model that allows some employees to work four days a week.

According to Retail Week, the homewares retailer is testing different four-day work patterns for its employees in particular departments, with the possibility of expanding the initiative once the trial period is completed.

A memo to employees said those taking part in the limited trial can work from home or in the office.

Read More: Retailers urge Christmas shoppers to hit the high street ahead of Royal Mail strikes

Dunelm is not the only retailer that allows employees to work four-day weeks.

Sainsbury’s announced last week that employees at its headquarters, warehouses, and store managers in its 1,400 UK stores would be able to work a four-day week.

Need Career Advice? Get employment skills advice at all levels of your career

Morrisons and M&S have also introduced compressed four-day work weeks as part of their flexible working policy, which aims to help employees achieve a better work-life balance.

Source:   Retail Gazette

Follow us on YouTubeTwitterLinkedIn, and Facebook

Title:

Content: 4 Easy Ways To Maintain A Healthy Work-Life Balance

Balancing professional and personal life has become a major challenge especially since 2020 because the majority of us are working from home. For most people, work always takes preference over everything else in our lives, even our family and health. We become so desirable to achieve professional success that we keep ignoring other important things.

Maintaining harmony in both personal and professional life is very essential not only to improve our physical, emotional, and mental well-being but to perform well in our work. Regular stress from the never-ending workday can have negative effects on our personal relationships and overall happiness.

Considering the strong side effects of overworking many organizations have started incorporating flexible learning solutions in their work culture. Tools like Trainual help employees overcome the challenge of managing employee training along with their work.

While organizations are doing their bit to help employee’s build a healthy work-life balance, here are some of the ways employees can do it themselves:

  1. Set Work Hours

Try to set a boundary for your work hours and inform your colleagues, teammates, and even your manager about it to avoid burning the midnight oil. Inform them politely that you will not be accessible after your working hours unless it is very important. This will ensure they respect your boundaries and expectations.

Try to take your mind off your work after you clock out. Whether you are working from home or office, it is necessary to decide when to work and when to stop working; else, you will end up working late nights and even on weekends.

  1. Manage Your Priorities & Goals

Invest some time thoughtfully thinking about what is most important and relevant to you, and make a list of your top priorities. Then analyze it by asking yourself these key questions: What is most important and urgent? What do I need to start doing right now? What do I need to stop doing?

This will provide you with strong and measurable goals. Block some time from your busy schedule for activities that need urgent attention like a doctor’s appointment or running through some errands.

  1. Workout & Meditate

We are so busy with our lives that we have forgotten the power of exercise and meditation, and we either neglect it or procrastinate doing it. Exercising and meditation keep not only our physical health in check but also calm our minds, help us to make much better decisions in life, and reduce stress.

If you feel too lazy to exercise sometimes, try to add some easy habits to your lifestyle that will make a lot of difference. These habits are walking when you are on call, some stretching and face exercises while working, taking stairs instead of the lift whenever possible, and meditating for at least 5 mins in regular intervals.

  1. Take A Break

Overstretching yourself at work may give you professional success but you will lose a lot more valuable things in life like your physical health, mental health, and relationships. It is good to give yourself a break and take a day off when you have overworked someday and you feel that your brain is completely saturated.

Make some time for your loved ones, watch your favorite TV show, read, sleep, and do whatever you enjoy to relax your mind. Make use of your leaves and take a vacation once in a while.

CONCLUSION:

Having self-awareness about your own personal and professional priorities is very important. While we all need to work hard to achieve success in our careers, we also have to take into account that taking some time out for ourselves is very essential too. Having a healthy work-life balance can bring you satisfaction and allow you to stay more productive at work.

Title:

Content: Nearly a quarter of business owners don’t feel optimistic about their business succeeding in 2024, according to new research released today. The nation-wide survey, commissioned by Speakers’ Corner, drew responses from 500 business owners and directors with at least 20% equity, for companies with at least 100 employees.

With rising costs, economic volatility and technological challenges given as the main three reasons for their outlook, the next twelve months look set to be challenging for many.

“2024 was always going to be an unsettled year with economic, political and geopolitical uncertainty at the forefront of many business owners’ minds,” comments Nick Gold, Managing Director of Speakers’ Corner, the UK’s leading speaker bureau. “But what we’re seeing is an increased focus on workplace productivity with, reassuringly, 54% of business owners encouraging productivity from their staff by supporting them in work-life balance and employee well-being.”

More than half of the 500 businesses surveyed said their business’ main priority over the next two years will be improving employee productivity. Inefficient processes, lack of knowledge or skillsand time constraints were identified challenges to performance.

Top five things business owners and directors believe could improve the productivity of their workplace:

1. Train and/or develop knowledge and skills (e.g., skills within technology advancements) (41%)

2. AI adoption (40%)

3. Improve employee satisfaction and engagement (37%)

4. Improve the availability of resources and technology (35%)

5. Hybrid working (29%)

Title:

Content: Work life

Summer Fridays walked so the four-day workweek could run

Employees are now in favor of flexibility over temporary time off.

· 3 min read

Level up your career and your life with Sidekick

Career advice, productivity hacks, entertainment, and more. If it’s worth your time, it’s in here.

What’s top of mind at the water cooler.

The legend of the Summer Friday: Once upon a time, for three sacred months every year between Memorial Day and Labor Day, employees were allowed to clock out after lunch every Friday and head immediately to the bar.

It’s said that the tradition started in NYC in the ’60s as companies searched for ways to boost employee productivity and morale during the summer months. (There’s even a brand named after it!) If you were lucky enough to work somewhere that offered this perk (usually publishing or advertising), your weekend started with midday happy hours and early bird beach days while friends at less generous corporations smoldered with jealousy.

But with the push toward remote work, Summer Fridays have become a ghost of workplace past as they may have ushered in something even better: the four-day workweek.

As companies scrambled to deal with office closures during the pandemic, most work suddenly became remote. Facing Covid variant after variant and a resistance to returning to the office, some employers like tech companies Bolt and Buffer opted to permanently remove a day from the workweek to better suit employee needs. A jumbo Summer Friday! Perfect, right?

Unfortunately, the exact logistics of the four-day workweek have been tricky. Who can and can’t participate? Does the four-day workweek mean longer working hours? What happens if there’s still work to be done once Friday rolls around?

To get some insight, Sidekick spoke with Alicia Garcia, chief culture officer at MasterControl and Jes Osrow, diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) expert and founder of The Rise Journey consultancy, who had these thoughts to share:

  • Fixed schedules ≠ productivity. While a five-day, nine-to-five workweek has worked for most US-based companies, that doesn’t mean employees produce their best work during that time.
  • Flexibility is king. “The biggest issue with policies like the four-day workweek or Summer Fridays is that they’re still rigid. Whether it’s a four-day or five-day workweek, the exact days and times employees are required to work are fixed…When approached by employees, the most common request is ‘flexibility,’” said Garcia.
  • Flexibility isn’t an option for everyone. “We’re not thinking about essential workers, we’re not thinking about folks on the ground, and we’re not thinking about grocery store owners. It’s important to recognize that even though we do talk the big talk about a four-day workweek, it only applies to a small fraction of workers in the US and/or globally,” Osrow explained.

As the highly discussed ✨future of work✨ continues to develop, employees are looking for more flexibility. Whether that means working remotely from far-flung corners of the world or logging off a little early to go pick your children up from daycare—employers should take notes, not dictate them.—MW

Level up your career and your life with Sidekick

Career advice, productivity hacks, entertainment, and more. If it’s worth your time, it’s in here.

Title:

Content: Internationalisms
US congressman: 32 hours a week is key to happiness
California Rep. Mark Takano has again submitted to Congress his bill, which would impose 32 hours of work a week in the United States, to become a federal labor law.
Once passed, the number of working hours per week in the United States would be reduced from 40 to 32.
The law also includes a proposal for overtime pay for any work done after 32 hours, which will encourage companies to pay extra salaries to employees working longer hours, and encourage companies to hire more people.
The bill applies to workers in fields such as entertainment, hospitality, transportation, construction, manufacturing, wholesale and retail.
Insisting on the bill after it was first introduced in 2021, Takano told CNBC Make It that he wanted to stimulate debate in order to benefit and protect all workers as well as enhance their happiness and achieve what he called “social justice. ”
Nearly 3,000 UK workers from 61 companies have recently been experimented with four days a week for six months, with positive results including improved productivity, revenue, morale and team culture, as well as improved employee health and personal lives.
Related Articles
Go to the top button

## Recommendations for Implementation

Based on the analysis, successful implementation of a 4-day workweek should consider:

1.

Title:

Content: [Workplace benefits] British Bank changed to 4 days of work artificial unchanged CEO: 5 days of work is a product of the 19th century
Personal Value Added 18: 50 2021 / 12 / 07
Share:
When Hong Kong people were still working nine nights, seven days a week, five days a week, or even six days a week, some banks in the United Kingdom had already started to work four days a week.
Portugal ’ s new remote work law prohibits employers from contacting employees during off-hours: Click here
Atom Bank, a fintech bank in the United Kingdom, recently announced that it will let employees choose whether to work four days a week, and said that the company will not reduce employee pay, which is expected to benefit 430 employees.
However, under the four-day work, although the total working hours per week will be reduced from 37.5 hours to 34 hours, the daily working hours of employees will be extended by one hour to compensate for the extra day of vacation, that is, the daily working hours of employees will be increased from 7.5 hours to 8.5 hours.
According to Mark Mullen, CEO of Atom Bank, five-day work was an industrial necessity in the 19th century, and it is now obsolete. As the epidemic has completely changed the working model of many employees, companies have begun to consider how they can work more efficiently, healthily and happily, and in addition to promoting working from home, reducing the number of working days and hours is one of the new norm.
Iceland Trials 4-Day Job Productivity to Rise
In fact, four-day work is not new, there have been companies in the past, but mainly in European countries, and many people have questioned whether four-day work is more efficient than five-day work.
In the early days of Iceland, a pilot scheme was conducted between 2015 and 2019 to test whether a reduction in working days would lead to higher productivity, with 2,500 participants across pre-school education, social services, health care and office white-collar workers, accounting for more than 1% of the Icelandic workforce.
The testers worked 4 days on a trial basis, and the work week was reduced from 40 hours to 35 to 36 hours.
It was found that the productivity of most of the testers who adopted the four-day work system remained unchanged or even improved.
Lidl is the UK ’ s highest paid supermarket: Click Here
The median working week in Hong Kong is 45 hours.
According to the Quarterly Report of the General Household Survey for the third quarter of 2021 released by the Government, the median number of working hours per week for wage earners in Hong Kong is 45 hours, which is 10 hours more than in Iceland.
US mobile security technology company KISI earlier released the "2021 work-life balance city ranking", Hong Kong ranked 45th out of 50 statistical places, is the largest city in the world in the statistics of overworked population, nearly 3 adults appear overworked.
Hong Kong people are known to love to work again, do you think it is possible to implement a four-day work in Hong Kong?
Editor-in-Chief: Yan Heiman
= = = = =
If you want to have financial freedom and retire early, download the Hong Kong Economic Times App for free now.
Column: Workplace Encyclopedia
Follow the latest financial news analysis, like hket Facebook
Subscribe to the Hong Kong Economic Times email newsletter
Receive first-hand financial news Learn more about investment and financial knowledge Submit my consent to receive promotional messages from Hong Kong Economic Times Group. You may also check the privacy policy of this website Terms of Use

Title:

Content: Dunelm is the latest UK business to trial a shorter hybrid-working model that allows some employees to work four days a week.

According to Retail Week, the homewares retailer is testing different four-day work patterns for its employees in particular departments, with the possibility of expanding the initiative once the trial period is completed.

A memo to employees said those taking part in the limited trial can work from home or in the office.

Read More: Retailers urge Christmas shoppers to hit the high street ahead of Royal Mail strikes

Dunelm is not the only retailer that allows employees to work four-day weeks.

Sainsbury’s announced last week that employees at its headquarters, warehouses, and store managers in its 1,400 UK stores would be able to work a four-day week.

Need Career Advice? Get employment skills advice at all levels of your career

Morrisons and M&S have also introduced compressed four-day work weeks as part of their flexible working policy, which aims to help employees achieve a better work-life balance.

Source:   Retail Gazette

Follow us on YouTubeTwitterLinkedIn, and Facebook

Title:

Content: The country of Iceland has released the analysis of its 4-day work week experiment and the results speak for themselves.

The trials run by Reykjavík City Council and the national government took place from 2015 to 2019 and included about 1% of Iceland’s working population, making it the world’s largest shortened workweek trial to date. The findings show that paying people the same amount to work fewer hours per week results in a happier, healthier workforce with similar or increased productivity. Who knew?

Will Stronge, director of research at Autonomy, a UK think tank that co-conducted a study of the trials, said in a statement: “This study shows that the world’s largest-ever trial of a shorter working week in the public sector was by all measures an overwhelming success. It shows that the public sector is ripe for being a pioneer of shorter working weeks—and lessons can be learned for other governments.”

So what are those lessons we can learn?

1) There’s nothing magical about a 40-hour workweek.

Most of the workers in the trial reduced their hours from 40 […]

Read the Full Article

Title:

Content: DH Latest NewsDH NEWSLatest NewsNEWS

India’s new labour codes likely in 2022; 4-day work-week, reduced salary and more

According to a senior official, the four labour regulations covering salary, social security, occupational safety, industrial relations, health and working conditions are expected to be enacted by the following fiscal year. Working hours, wage restructure, and PF contribution, to name a few, would all be affected by the new wage law once it is enacted. At least 13 states have pre-published draft rules on these laws, according to the official, and the Centre completed the process of finalising the draft regulations on these codes in February 2021.

The central government announced 4 labour rules on August 8, 2019: the Code on Social Security, the Industrial Relations Code,2020, the Wage code, 2019 and the Code on Occupational Safety, Health, and Working Conditions, 2020. Because labour is a concurrent subject, the Centre wants the states to accept it all at once, according to the source. Employees’ take-home pay for the following fiscal year, i.e. April 2021, may be reduced as a result of the government’s Code on Wages, however components such as PF and Gratuity may increase. This is because the new pay rule stipulates that an employee’s basic income must equal at least 50% of their net monthly CTC. As a result, if this provision is implemented, employees will be unable to earn more than 50% of their net monthly compensation in the form of an allowance. As a result, the employee’s gratuity and PF payment are likely to increase. As a result, while employees’ take-home pay may decrease, the Gratuity and PF component of their salary may increase.

Experts believe that the new draft will have an impact on employees’ working hours, with some news sources reporting that employees may be allowed a four-day workweek starting next year, however they will be required to work for 12 hours on those four days. The ministry of labour appears to have said unequivocally that a minimum of 48 hours weekly work is required.

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Title:

Content: Work life

Summer Fridays walked so the four-day workweek could run

Employees are now in favor of flexibility over temporary time off.

· 3 min read

Level up your career and your life with Sidekick

Career advice, productivity hacks, entertainment, and more. If it’s worth your time, it’s in here.

What’s top of mind at the water cooler.

The legend of the Summer Friday: Once upon a time, for three sacred months every year between Memorial Day and Labor Day, employees were allowed to clock out after lunch every Friday and head immediately to the bar.

It’s said that the tradition started in NYC in the ’60s as companies searched for ways to boost employee productivity and morale during the summer months. (There’s even a brand named after it!) If you were lucky enough to work somewhere that offered this perk (usually publishing or advertising), your weekend started with midday happy hours and early bird beach days while friends at less generous corporations smoldered with jealousy.

But with the push toward remote work, Summer Fridays have become a ghost of workplace past as they may have ushered in something even better: the four-day workweek.

As companies scrambled to deal with office closures during the pandemic, most work suddenly became remote. Facing Covid variant after variant and a resistance to returning to the office, some employers like tech companies Bolt and Buffer opted to permanently remove a day from the workweek to better suit employee needs. A jumbo Summer Friday! Perfect, right?

Unfortunately, the exact logistics of the four-day workweek have been tricky. Who can and can’t participate? Does the four-day workweek mean longer working hours? What happens if there’s still work to be done once Friday rolls around?

To get some insight, Sidekick spoke with Alicia Garcia, chief culture officer at MasterControl and Jes Osrow, diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) expert and founder of The Rise Journey consultancy, who had these thoughts to share:

  • Fixed schedules ≠ productivity. While a five-day, nine-to-five workweek has worked for most US-based companies, that doesn’t mean employees produce their best work during that time.
  • Flexibility is king. “The biggest issue with policies like the four-day workweek or Summer Fridays is that they’re still rigid. Whether it’s a four-day or five-day workweek, the exact days and times employees are required to work are fixed…When approached by employees, the most common request is ‘flexibility,’” said Garcia.
  • Flexibility isn’t an option for everyone. “We’re not thinking about essential workers, we’re not thinking about folks on the ground, and we’re not thinking about grocery store owners. It’s important to recognize that even though we do talk the big talk about a four-day workweek, it only applies to a small fraction of workers in the US and/or globally,” Osrow explained.

As the highly discussed ✨future of work✨ continues to develop, employees are looking for more flexibility. Whether that means working remotely from far-flung corners of the world or logging off a little early to go pick your children up from daycare—employers should take notes, not dictate them.—MW

Level up your career and your life with Sidekick

Career advice, productivity hacks, entertainment, and more. If it’s worth your time, it’s in here.

Title:

Content: Internationalisms
US congressman: 32 hours a week is key to happiness
California Rep. Mark Takano has again submitted to Congress his bill, which would impose 32 hours of work a week in the United States, to become a federal labor law.
Once passed, the number of working hours per week in the United States would be reduced from 40 to 32.
The law also includes a proposal for overtime pay for any work done after 32 hours, which will encourage companies to pay extra salaries to employees working longer hours, and encourage companies to hire more people.
The bill applies to workers in fields such as entertainment, hospitality, transportation, construction, manufacturing, wholesale and retail.
Insisting on the bill after it was first introduced in 2021, Takano told CNBC Make It that he wanted to stimulate debate in order to benefit and protect all workers as well as enhance their happiness and achieve what he called “social justice. ”
Nearly 3,000 UK workers from 61 companies have recently been experimented with four days a week for six months, with positive results including improved productivity, revenue, morale and team culture, as well as improved employee health and personal lives.
Related Articles
Go to the top button

**Phased Approach**: Begin with trials similar to Iceland's model to assess feasibility and impact before full implementation.

Title:

Content: The country of Iceland has released the analysis of its 4-day work week experiment and the results speak for themselves.

The trials run by Reykjavík City Council and the national government took place from 2015 to 2019 and included about 1% of Iceland’s working population, making it the world’s largest shortened workweek trial to date. The findings show that paying people the same amount to work fewer hours per week results in a happier, healthier workforce with similar or increased productivity. Who knew?

Will Stronge, director of research at Autonomy, a UK think tank that co-conducted a study of the trials, said in a statement: “This study shows that the world’s largest-ever trial of a shorter working week in the public sector was by all measures an overwhelming success. It shows that the public sector is ripe for being a pioneer of shorter working weeks—and lessons can be learned for other governments.”

So what are those lessons we can learn?

1) There’s nothing magical about a 40-hour workweek.

Most of the workers in the trial reduced their hours from 40 […]

Read the Full Article

Title:

Content: Internationalisms
US congressman: 32 hours a week is key to happiness
California Rep. Mark Takano has again submitted to Congress his bill, which would impose 32 hours of work a week in the United States, to become a federal labor law.
Once passed, the number of working hours per week in the United States would be reduced from 40 to 32.
The law also includes a proposal for overtime pay for any work done after 32 hours, which will encourage companies to pay extra salaries to employees working longer hours, and encourage companies to hire more people.
The bill applies to workers in fields such as entertainment, hospitality, transportation, construction, manufacturing, wholesale and retail.
Insisting on the bill after it was first introduced in 2021, Takano told CNBC Make It that he wanted to stimulate debate in order to benefit and protect all workers as well as enhance their happiness and achieve what he called “social justice. ”
Nearly 3,000 UK workers from 61 companies have recently been experimented with four days a week for six months, with positive results including improved productivity, revenue, morale and team culture, as well as improved employee health and personal lives.
Related Articles
Go to the top button

**Productivity Focus**: Ensure smarter working practices and productivity improvements accompany reduced hours, rather than simply compressing the same amount of work into fewer days.

Title:

Content: [Workplace benefits] British Bank changed to 4 days of work artificial unchanged CEO: 5 days of work is a product of the 19th century
Personal Value Added 18: 50 2021 / 12 / 07
Share:
When Hong Kong people were still working nine nights, seven days a week, five days a week, or even six days a week, some banks in the United Kingdom had already started to work four days a week.
Portugal ’ s new remote work law prohibits employers from contacting employees during off-hours: Click here
Atom Bank, a fintech bank in the United Kingdom, recently announced that it will let employees choose whether to work four days a week, and said that the company will not reduce employee pay, which is expected to benefit 430 employees.
However, under the four-day work, although the total working hours per week will be reduced from 37.5 hours to 34 hours, the daily working hours of employees will be extended by one hour to compensate for the extra day of vacation, that is, the daily working hours of employees will be increased from 7.5 hours to 8.5 hours.
According to Mark Mullen, CEO of Atom Bank, five-day work was an industrial necessity in the 19th century, and it is now obsolete. As the epidemic has completely changed the working model of many employees, companies have begun to consider how they can work more efficiently, healthily and happily, and in addition to promoting working from home, reducing the number of working days and hours is one of the new norm.
Iceland Trials 4-Day Job Productivity to Rise
In fact, four-day work is not new, there have been companies in the past, but mainly in European countries, and many people have questioned whether four-day work is more efficient than five-day work.
In the early days of Iceland, a pilot scheme was conducted between 2015 and 2019 to test whether a reduction in working days would lead to higher productivity, with 2,500 participants across pre-school education, social services, health care and office white-collar workers, accounting for more than 1% of the Icelandic workforce.
The testers worked 4 days on a trial basis, and the work week was reduced from 40 hours to 35 to 36 hours.
It was found that the productivity of most of the testers who adopted the four-day work system remained unchanged or even improved.
Lidl is the UK ’ s highest paid supermarket: Click Here
The median working week in Hong Kong is 45 hours.
According to the Quarterly Report of the General Household Survey for the third quarter of 2021 released by the Government, the median number of working hours per week for wage earners in Hong Kong is 45 hours, which is 10 hours more than in Iceland.
US mobile security technology company KISI earlier released the "2021 work-life balance city ranking", Hong Kong ranked 45th out of 50 statistical places, is the largest city in the world in the statistics of overworked population, nearly 3 adults appear overworked.
Hong Kong people are known to love to work again, do you think it is possible to implement a four-day work in Hong Kong?
Editor-in-Chief: Yan Heiman
= = = = =
If you want to have financial freedom and retire early, download the Hong Kong Economic Times App for free now.
Column: Workplace Encyclopedia
Follow the latest financial news analysis, like hket Facebook
Subscribe to the Hong Kong Economic Times email newsletter
Receive first-hand financial news Learn more about investment and financial knowledge Submit my consent to receive promotional messages from Hong Kong Economic Times Group. You may also check the privacy policy of this website Terms of Use

Title:

Content: Dunelm is the latest UK business to trial a shorter hybrid-working model that allows some employees to work four days a week.

According to Retail Week, the homewares retailer is testing different four-day work patterns for its employees in particular departments, with the possibility of expanding the initiative once the trial period is completed.

A memo to employees said those taking part in the limited trial can work from home or in the office.

Read More: Retailers urge Christmas shoppers to hit the high street ahead of Royal Mail strikes

Dunelm is not the only retailer that allows employees to work four-day weeks.

Sainsbury’s announced last week that employees at its headquarters, warehouses, and store managers in its 1,400 UK stores would be able to work a four-day week.

Need Career Advice? Get employment skills advice at all levels of your career

Morrisons and M&S have also introduced compressed four-day work weeks as part of their flexible working policy, which aims to help employees achieve a better work-life balance.

Source:   Retail Gazette

Follow us on YouTubeTwitterLinkedIn, and Facebook

Title:

Content: The country of Iceland has released the analysis of its 4-day work week experiment and the results speak for themselves.

The trials run by Reykjavík City Council and the national government took place from 2015 to 2019 and included about 1% of Iceland’s working population, making it the world’s largest shortened workweek trial to date. The findings show that paying people the same amount to work fewer hours per week results in a happier, healthier workforce with similar or increased productivity. Who knew?

Will Stronge, director of research at Autonomy, a UK think tank that co-conducted a study of the trials, said in a statement: “This study shows that the world’s largest-ever trial of a shorter working week in the public sector was by all measures an overwhelming success. It shows that the public sector is ripe for being a pioneer of shorter working weeks—and lessons can be learned for other governments.”

So what are those lessons we can learn?

1) There’s nothing magical about a 40-hour workweek.

Most of the workers in the trial reduced their hours from 40 […]

Read the Full Article

Title:

Content: Work life

Summer Fridays walked so the four-day workweek could run

Employees are now in favor of flexibility over temporary time off.

· 3 min read

Level up your career and your life with Sidekick

Career advice, productivity hacks, entertainment, and more. If it’s worth your time, it’s in here.

What’s top of mind at the water cooler.

The legend of the Summer Friday: Once upon a time, for three sacred months every year between Memorial Day and Labor Day, employees were allowed to clock out after lunch every Friday and head immediately to the bar.

It’s said that the tradition started in NYC in the ’60s as companies searched for ways to boost employee productivity and morale during the summer months. (There’s even a brand named after it!) If you were lucky enough to work somewhere that offered this perk (usually publishing or advertising), your weekend started with midday happy hours and early bird beach days while friends at less generous corporations smoldered with jealousy.

But with the push toward remote work, Summer Fridays have become a ghost of workplace past as they may have ushered in something even better: the four-day workweek.

As companies scrambled to deal with office closures during the pandemic, most work suddenly became remote. Facing Covid variant after variant and a resistance to returning to the office, some employers like tech companies Bolt and Buffer opted to permanently remove a day from the workweek to better suit employee needs. A jumbo Summer Friday! Perfect, right?

Unfortunately, the exact logistics of the four-day workweek have been tricky. Who can and can’t participate? Does the four-day workweek mean longer working hours? What happens if there’s still work to be done once Friday rolls around?

To get some insight, Sidekick spoke with Alicia Garcia, chief culture officer at MasterControl and Jes Osrow, diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) expert and founder of The Rise Journey consultancy, who had these thoughts to share:

  • Fixed schedules ≠ productivity. While a five-day, nine-to-five workweek has worked for most US-based companies, that doesn’t mean employees produce their best work during that time.
  • Flexibility is king. “The biggest issue with policies like the four-day workweek or Summer Fridays is that they’re still rigid. Whether it’s a four-day or five-day workweek, the exact days and times employees are required to work are fixed…When approached by employees, the most common request is ‘flexibility,’” said Garcia.
  • Flexibility isn’t an option for everyone. “We’re not thinking about essential workers, we’re not thinking about folks on the ground, and we’re not thinking about grocery store owners. It’s important to recognize that even though we do talk the big talk about a four-day workweek, it only applies to a small fraction of workers in the US and/or globally,” Osrow explained.

As the highly discussed ✨future of work✨ continues to develop, employees are looking for more flexibility. Whether that means working remotely from far-flung corners of the world or logging off a little early to go pick your children up from daycare—employers should take notes, not dictate them.—MW

Level up your career and your life with Sidekick

Career advice, productivity hacks, entertainment, and more. If it’s worth your time, it’s in here.

Title:

Content: Internationalisms
US congressman: 32 hours a week is key to happiness
California Rep. Mark Takano has again submitted to Congress his bill, which would impose 32 hours of work a week in the United States, to become a federal labor law.
Once passed, the number of working hours per week in the United States would be reduced from 40 to 32.
The law also includes a proposal for overtime pay for any work done after 32 hours, which will encourage companies to pay extra salaries to employees working longer hours, and encourage companies to hire more people.
The bill applies to workers in fields such as entertainment, hospitality, transportation, construction, manufacturing, wholesale and retail.
Insisting on the bill after it was first introduced in 2021, Takano told CNBC Make It that he wanted to stimulate debate in order to benefit and protect all workers as well as enhance their happiness and achieve what he called “social justice. ”
Nearly 3,000 UK workers from 61 companies have recently been experimented with four days a week for six months, with positive results including improved productivity, revenue, morale and team culture, as well as improved employee health and personal lives.
Related Articles
Go to the top button

What are the challenges of 4-day workweek?

To ensure employees didn't fall back into old work mindsets or habits.

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

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

What are the challenges of 4-day workweek?

To ensure employees didn't fall back into old work mindsets or habits.

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

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

What are the challenges of 4-day workweek?

To ensure employees didn't fall back into old work mindsets or habits.

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

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

What are the challenges of 4-day workweek?

To ensure employees didn't fall back into old work mindsets or habits.

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

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

What are the challenges of 4-day workweek?

To ensure employees didn't fall back into old work mindsets or habits.

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

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

What are the challenges of 4-day workweek?

To ensure employees didn't fall back into old work mindsets or habits.

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

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

What are the challenges of 4-day workweek?

To ensure employees didn't fall back into old work mindsets or habits.

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

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

Title:

Content: Internationalisms
US congressman: 32 hours a week is key to happiness
California Rep. Mark Takano has again submitted to Congress his bill, which would impose 32 hours of work a week in the United States, to become a federal labor law.
Once passed, the number of working hours per week in the United States would be reduced from 40 to 32.
The law also includes a proposal for overtime pay for any work done after 32 hours, which will encourage companies to pay extra salaries to employees working longer hours, and encourage companies to hire more people.
The bill applies to workers in fields such as entertainment, hospitality, transportation, construction, manufacturing, wholesale and retail.
Insisting on the bill after it was first introduced in 2021, Takano told CNBC Make It that he wanted to stimulate debate in order to benefit and protect all workers as well as enhance their happiness and achieve what he called “social justice. ”
Nearly 3,000 UK workers from 61 companies have recently been experimented with four days a week for six months, with positive results including improved productivity, revenue, morale and team culture, as well as improved employee health and personal lives.
Related Articles
Go to the top button

**Flexible Models**: Consider various approaches (e.

Title:

Content: 4 Easy Ways To Maintain A Healthy Work-Life Balance

Balancing professional and personal life has become a major challenge especially since 2020 because the majority of us are working from home. For most people, work always takes preference over everything else in our lives, even our family and health. We become so desirable to achieve professional success that we keep ignoring other important things.

Maintaining harmony in both personal and professional life is very essential not only to improve our physical, emotional, and mental well-being but to perform well in our work. Regular stress from the never-ending workday can have negative effects on our personal relationships and overall happiness.

Considering the strong side effects of overworking many organizations have started incorporating flexible learning solutions in their work culture. Tools like Trainual help employees overcome the challenge of managing employee training along with their work.

While organizations are doing their bit to help employee’s build a healthy work-life balance, here are some of the ways employees can do it themselves:

  1. Set Work Hours

Try to set a boundary for your work hours and inform your colleagues, teammates, and even your manager about it to avoid burning the midnight oil. Inform them politely that you will not be accessible after your working hours unless it is very important. This will ensure they respect your boundaries and expectations.

Try to take your mind off your work after you clock out. Whether you are working from home or office, it is necessary to decide when to work and when to stop working; else, you will end up working late nights and even on weekends.

  1. Manage Your Priorities & Goals

Invest some time thoughtfully thinking about what is most important and relevant to you, and make a list of your top priorities. Then analyze it by asking yourself these key questions: What is most important and urgent? What do I need to start doing right now? What do I need to stop doing?

This will provide you with strong and measurable goals. Block some time from your busy schedule for activities that need urgent attention like a doctor’s appointment or running through some errands.

  1. Workout & Meditate

We are so busy with our lives that we have forgotten the power of exercise and meditation, and we either neglect it or procrastinate doing it. Exercising and meditation keep not only our physical health in check but also calm our minds, help us to make much better decisions in life, and reduce stress.

If you feel too lazy to exercise sometimes, try to add some easy habits to your lifestyle that will make a lot of difference. These habits are walking when you are on call, some stretching and face exercises while working, taking stairs instead of the lift whenever possible, and meditating for at least 5 mins in regular intervals.

  1. Take A Break

Overstretching yourself at work may give you professional success but you will lose a lot more valuable things in life like your physical health, mental health, and relationships. It is good to give yourself a break and take a day off when you have overworked someday and you feel that your brain is completely saturated.

Make some time for your loved ones, watch your favorite TV show, read, sleep, and do whatever you enjoy to relax your mind. Make use of your leaves and take a vacation once in a while.

CONCLUSION:

Having self-awareness about your own personal and professional priorities is very important. While we all need to work hard to achieve success in our careers, we also have to take into account that taking some time out for ourselves is very essential too. Having a healthy work-life balance can bring you satisfaction and allow you to stay more productive at work.

g.

Title:

Content: 4 Easy Ways To Maintain A Healthy Work-Life Balance

Balancing professional and personal life has become a major challenge especially since 2020 because the majority of us are working from home. For most people, work always takes preference over everything else in our lives, even our family and health. We become so desirable to achieve professional success that we keep ignoring other important things.

Maintaining harmony in both personal and professional life is very essential not only to improve our physical, emotional, and mental well-being but to perform well in our work. Regular stress from the never-ending workday can have negative effects on our personal relationships and overall happiness.

Considering the strong side effects of overworking many organizations have started incorporating flexible learning solutions in their work culture. Tools like Trainual help employees overcome the challenge of managing employee training along with their work.

While organizations are doing their bit to help employee’s build a healthy work-life balance, here are some of the ways employees can do it themselves:

  1. Set Work Hours

Try to set a boundary for your work hours and inform your colleagues, teammates, and even your manager about it to avoid burning the midnight oil. Inform them politely that you will not be accessible after your working hours unless it is very important. This will ensure they respect your boundaries and expectations.

Try to take your mind off your work after you clock out. Whether you are working from home or office, it is necessary to decide when to work and when to stop working; else, you will end up working late nights and even on weekends.

  1. Manage Your Priorities & Goals

Invest some time thoughtfully thinking about what is most important and relevant to you, and make a list of your top priorities. Then analyze it by asking yourself these key questions: What is most important and urgent? What do I need to start doing right now? What do I need to stop doing?

This will provide you with strong and measurable goals. Block some time from your busy schedule for activities that need urgent attention like a doctor’s appointment or running through some errands.

  1. Workout & Meditate

We are so busy with our lives that we have forgotten the power of exercise and meditation, and we either neglect it or procrastinate doing it. Exercising and meditation keep not only our physical health in check but also calm our minds, help us to make much better decisions in life, and reduce stress.

If you feel too lazy to exercise sometimes, try to add some easy habits to your lifestyle that will make a lot of difference. These habits are walking when you are on call, some stretching and face exercises while working, taking stairs instead of the lift whenever possible, and meditating for at least 5 mins in regular intervals.

  1. Take A Break

Overstretching yourself at work may give you professional success but you will lose a lot more valuable things in life like your physical health, mental health, and relationships. It is good to give yourself a break and take a day off when you have overworked someday and you feel that your brain is completely saturated.

Make some time for your loved ones, watch your favorite TV show, read, sleep, and do whatever you enjoy to relax your mind. Make use of your leaves and take a vacation once in a while.

CONCLUSION:

Having self-awareness about your own personal and professional priorities is very important. While we all need to work hard to achieve success in our careers, we also have to take into account that taking some time out for ourselves is very essential too. Having a healthy work-life balance can bring you satisfaction and allow you to stay more productive at work.

, reduced daily hours, compressed weeks with longer days, or rotational schedules) to accommodate different roles and employee preferences.

Title:

Content: Dunelm is the latest UK business to trial a shorter hybrid-working model that allows some employees to work four days a week.

According to Retail Week, the homewares retailer is testing different four-day work patterns for its employees in particular departments, with the possibility of expanding the initiative once the trial period is completed.

A memo to employees said those taking part in the limited trial can work from home or in the office.

Read More: Retailers urge Christmas shoppers to hit the high street ahead of Royal Mail strikes

Dunelm is not the only retailer that allows employees to work four-day weeks.

Sainsbury’s announced last week that employees at its headquarters, warehouses, and store managers in its 1,400 UK stores would be able to work a four-day week.

Need Career Advice? Get employment skills advice at all levels of your career

Morrisons and M&S have also introduced compressed four-day work weeks as part of their flexible working policy, which aims to help employees achieve a better work-life balance.

Source:   Retail Gazette

Follow us on YouTubeTwitterLinkedIn, and Facebook

Title:

Content: Survey: 45% of Hong Kong workers would rather be unemployed than unhappy at work Staff loyalty is low
Author: Olivia Lin
Published: Updated:
Today, more and more employees pursue work-life balance (Work-Life Balance), human resources company Randstad released a job trend report today (15), showing that 40% of employees would rather be unemployed than unhappy at work, including 18 to 24 years old and agree with the proportion of employees as high as 60%.
In addition, the loyalty of Hong Kong employees to their employers is also lower than the global average. What do Hong Kong employees expect from their employees?
The survey was conducted from 21 February to 13 March this year, with a total of 1,000 Hong Kong employees aged 18 to 67.
The results showed that an average of 45% of respondents would rather be unemployed than unhappy at work. Among them, 60% of employees aged 18 to 24 agreed, followed by 25 to 34 years old.
Hong Kong employees' loyalty to employers is lower than global average
Compared to work, many employees attach more importance to their personal life and psychology, and if the work conflicts with their own expectations, the employee may choose to leave the job.
The survey also showed that only 52% of Hong Kong employees committed to remaining in their current company jobs, which is lower than the global average, while the proportion of mainland Chinese employees was as high as 87%.
Forty-four percent of respondents have quit their jobs because they don ’ t fit in with their personal lives, and things that make them happy include more freedom in where and how many hours they work, as well as a pay rise.
45% of employees attach importance to training and development but have not received training opportunities in the past year
On the other hand, many employees in the workplace also attach importance to personal development, and about 60% of the respondents agree with the importance of training and development, but only half of them have received new training opportunities in the past 12 months, which means that about 40% of the employees have not received training although they agree with the importance of training.
As for the types of training, about 5 adults each intend to improve their technical skills, soft skills, and growth in their current position.
The report points out that if companies actively invest in employee development, they will be better able to attract motivated talent.
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**Equitable Compensation**: Maintain full pay where possible to maximize employee buy-in and well-being benefits.

Title:

Content: Internationalisms
US congressman: 32 hours a week is key to happiness
California Rep. Mark Takano has again submitted to Congress his bill, which would impose 32 hours of work a week in the United States, to become a federal labor law.
Once passed, the number of working hours per week in the United States would be reduced from 40 to 32.
The law also includes a proposal for overtime pay for any work done after 32 hours, which will encourage companies to pay extra salaries to employees working longer hours, and encourage companies to hire more people.
The bill applies to workers in fields such as entertainment, hospitality, transportation, construction, manufacturing, wholesale and retail.
Insisting on the bill after it was first introduced in 2021, Takano told CNBC Make It that he wanted to stimulate debate in order to benefit and protect all workers as well as enhance their happiness and achieve what he called “social justice. ”
Nearly 3,000 UK workers from 61 companies have recently been experimented with four days a week for six months, with positive results including improved productivity, revenue, morale and team culture, as well as improved employee health and personal lives.
Related Articles
Go to the top button

Title:

Content: Internationalisms
US congressman: 32 hours a week is key to happiness
California Rep. Mark Takano has again submitted to Congress his bill, which would impose 32 hours of work a week in the United States, to become a federal labor law.
Once passed, the number of working hours per week in the United States would be reduced from 40 to 32.
The law also includes a proposal for overtime pay for any work done after 32 hours, which will encourage companies to pay extra salaries to employees working longer hours, and encourage companies to hire more people.
The bill applies to workers in fields such as entertainment, hospitality, transportation, construction, manufacturing, wholesale and retail.
Insisting on the bill after it was first introduced in 2021, Takano told CNBC Make It that he wanted to stimulate debate in order to benefit and protect all workers as well as enhance their happiness and achieve what he called “social justice. ”
Nearly 3,000 UK workers from 61 companies have recently been experimented with four days a week for six months, with positive results including improved productivity, revenue, morale and team culture, as well as improved employee health and personal lives.
Related Articles
Go to the top button

**Industry-Specific Adaptations**: Tailor implementation approaches to address sector-specific challenges and requirements.

Title:

Content: Benefits

Employee Benefits Can Increase Productivity

July 25, 2018 ·

Best practices from our HR experts

Are you offering the employee benefits your workforce wants and deserves? Benefits make for happy employees, and happy employees are naturally more productive. There are many studies backing this up, including research that involved 700 people by the Social Market Foundation and the University of Warwick Centre for Competitive Advantage in the Global Economy in Britain. They found that happy workers who were given “happiness shocks” (these were perks like snacks—not actual electricity jolts) and then asked to perform a task were up to 20 percent more productive than control groups who weren’t given such happy “shocks.”

What else is shocking? Just how easy and affordable it often is to modify and increase benefits and perks for your employees. Think outside the box. Employee benefits extend beyond good healthcare and ample vacation days. Plus, happy employees rich in benefits aren’t just more productive, they tend to stick with their companies longer. These benefits can also attract better new-hires, so the circle of happiness and productivity continues.

Employee Productivity

To determine if your perks are helping productivity or not,  you should start by gauging employee productivity. This measurement can depend on your business, industry, and the individual job requirements of the employee. For instance, if your business is selling cars, it’s pretty easy to gauge how productive your salespeople are. But what about your admin staff? That’s not so easy.

Before you modify benefits to increase productivity, make sure you have current, measurable, and fair standards in place to gauge the productivity of each position. Starting from scratch? Bring in a third party that specializes in employee productivity and have your current team be active participants.

Employee Benefits

Ask anyone to name employee benefits, and the basics like healthcare and sick days are at the top of the list. Some benefits are mandated by state and federal law, but don’t let that limit you. Consider these popular and trending benefits:

  • Free or low-cost childcare. This has been a staple at many universities for years. It’s not possible for all employers, but it’s certainly a major perk that will attract working parents committed to “doing it all.”

  • Free gym membership. Bonus points if the gym is on-site or walkable. Happy employees are more productive, and so are healthy employees. Here are some other wellness programs to consider.

  • Birthdays off. It’s so simple, and so much better than the standard sheet cake and singing “Happy Birthday” in the break room.

  • Flexible hours and telecommuting options. Not every role is a match for telecommuting or virtual offices, but many can be. Not all employees are the right match, either, so it takes a little trial and error. However, you might be able to lower overhead and give employees the benefit of working remotely if that’s the right fit.

Health Benefits

Health benefits don’t have to mean just good quality healthcare coverage. Take a fresh look at available plans and policies every year and ask your current employees what they want in a healthcare plan. Many want more holistic options and alternative care covered, such as licensed massage therapy and acupuncture. Workers want and deserve mental health days that are covered, and they’re looking for quality coverage without unbearable deductibles. If healthy employees equate to happier employees who need fewer sick days, then it’s a win-win for everyone.

Benefits can make or break a job offer. They can attract the best candidates and, more importantly, keep them.

Title:

Content: Internationalisms
US congressman: 32 hours a week is key to happiness
California Rep. Mark Takano has again submitted to Congress his bill, which would impose 32 hours of work a week in the United States, to become a federal labor law.
Once passed, the number of working hours per week in the United States would be reduced from 40 to 32.
The law also includes a proposal for overtime pay for any work done after 32 hours, which will encourage companies to pay extra salaries to employees working longer hours, and encourage companies to hire more people.
The bill applies to workers in fields such as entertainment, hospitality, transportation, construction, manufacturing, wholesale and retail.
Insisting on the bill after it was first introduced in 2021, Takano told CNBC Make It that he wanted to stimulate debate in order to benefit and protect all workers as well as enhance their happiness and achieve what he called “social justice. ”
Nearly 3,000 UK workers from 61 companies have recently been experimented with four days a week for six months, with positive results including improved productivity, revenue, morale and team culture, as well as improved employee health and personal lives.
Related Articles
Go to the top button

**Measurement and Evaluation**: Establish clear metrics to assess productivity, employee well-being, and business performance before and after implementation.

Title:

Content: Benefits

Employee Benefits Can Increase Productivity

July 25, 2018 ·

Best practices from our HR experts

Are you offering the employee benefits your workforce wants and deserves? Benefits make for happy employees, and happy employees are naturally more productive. There are many studies backing this up, including research that involved 700 people by the Social Market Foundation and the University of Warwick Centre for Competitive Advantage in the Global Economy in Britain. They found that happy workers who were given “happiness shocks” (these were perks like snacks—not actual electricity jolts) and then asked to perform a task were up to 20 percent more productive than control groups who weren’t given such happy “shocks.”

What else is shocking? Just how easy and affordable it often is to modify and increase benefits and perks for your employees. Think outside the box. Employee benefits extend beyond good healthcare and ample vacation days. Plus, happy employees rich in benefits aren’t just more productive, they tend to stick with their companies longer. These benefits can also attract better new-hires, so the circle of happiness and productivity continues.

Employee Productivity

To determine if your perks are helping productivity or not,  you should start by gauging employee productivity. This measurement can depend on your business, industry, and the individual job requirements of the employee. For instance, if your business is selling cars, it’s pretty easy to gauge how productive your salespeople are. But what about your admin staff? That’s not so easy.

Before you modify benefits to increase productivity, make sure you have current, measurable, and fair standards in place to gauge the productivity of each position. Starting from scratch? Bring in a third party that specializes in employee productivity and have your current team be active participants.

Employee Benefits

Ask anyone to name employee benefits, and the basics like healthcare and sick days are at the top of the list. Some benefits are mandated by state and federal law, but don’t let that limit you. Consider these popular and trending benefits:

  • Free or low-cost childcare. This has been a staple at many universities for years. It’s not possible for all employers, but it’s certainly a major perk that will attract working parents committed to “doing it all.”

  • Free gym membership. Bonus points if the gym is on-site or walkable. Happy employees are more productive, and so are healthy employees. Here are some other wellness programs to consider.

  • Birthdays off. It’s so simple, and so much better than the standard sheet cake and singing “Happy Birthday” in the break room.

  • Flexible hours and telecommuting options. Not every role is a match for telecommuting or virtual offices, but many can be. Not all employees are the right match, either, so it takes a little trial and error. However, you might be able to lower overhead and give employees the benefit of working remotely if that’s the right fit.

Health Benefits

Health benefits don’t have to mean just good quality healthcare coverage. Take a fresh look at available plans and policies every year and ask your current employees what they want in a healthcare plan. Many want more holistic options and alternative care covered, such as licensed massage therapy and acupuncture. Workers want and deserve mental health days that are covered, and they’re looking for quality coverage without unbearable deductibles. If healthy employees equate to happier employees who need fewer sick days, then it’s a win-win for everyone.

Benefits can make or break a job offer. They can attract the best candidates and, more importantly, keep them.

Title:

Content: Nearly a quarter of business owners don’t feel optimistic about their business succeeding in 2024, according to new research released today. The nation-wide survey, commissioned by Speakers’ Corner, drew responses from 500 business owners and directors with at least 20% equity, for companies with at least 100 employees.

With rising costs, economic volatility and technological challenges given as the main three reasons for their outlook, the next twelve months look set to be challenging for many.

“2024 was always going to be an unsettled year with economic, political and geopolitical uncertainty at the forefront of many business owners’ minds,” comments Nick Gold, Managing Director of Speakers’ Corner, the UK’s leading speaker bureau. “But what we’re seeing is an increased focus on workplace productivity with, reassuringly, 54% of business owners encouraging productivity from their staff by supporting them in work-life balance and employee well-being.”

More than half of the 500 businesses surveyed said their business’ main priority over the next two years will be improving employee productivity. Inefficient processes, lack of knowledge or skillsand time constraints were identified challenges to performance.

Top five things business owners and directors believe could improve the productivity of their workplace:

1. Train and/or develop knowledge and skills (e.g., skills within technology advancements) (41%)

2. AI adoption (40%)

3. Improve employee satisfaction and engagement (37%)

4. Improve the availability of resources and technology (35%)

5. Hybrid working (29%)

Title:

Content: Internationalisms
US congressman: 32 hours a week is key to happiness
California Rep. Mark Takano has again submitted to Congress his bill, which would impose 32 hours of work a week in the United States, to become a federal labor law.
Once passed, the number of working hours per week in the United States would be reduced from 40 to 32.
The law also includes a proposal for overtime pay for any work done after 32 hours, which will encourage companies to pay extra salaries to employees working longer hours, and encourage companies to hire more people.
The bill applies to workers in fields such as entertainment, hospitality, transportation, construction, manufacturing, wholesale and retail.
Insisting on the bill after it was first introduced in 2021, Takano told CNBC Make It that he wanted to stimulate debate in order to benefit and protect all workers as well as enhance their happiness and achieve what he called “social justice. ”
Nearly 3,000 UK workers from 61 companies have recently been experimented with four days a week for six months, with positive results including improved productivity, revenue, morale and team culture, as well as improved employee health and personal lives.
Related Articles
Go to the top button

## Conclusion

The 4-day workweek represents a promising evolution in labor policy, with substantial evidence indicating benefits for both employees and organizations.

Title:

Content: [Workplace benefits] British Bank changed to 4 days of work artificial unchanged CEO: 5 days of work is a product of the 19th century
Personal Value Added 18: 50 2021 / 12 / 07
Share:
When Hong Kong people were still working nine nights, seven days a week, five days a week, or even six days a week, some banks in the United Kingdom had already started to work four days a week.
Portugal ’ s new remote work law prohibits employers from contacting employees during off-hours: Click here
Atom Bank, a fintech bank in the United Kingdom, recently announced that it will let employees choose whether to work four days a week, and said that the company will not reduce employee pay, which is expected to benefit 430 employees.
However, under the four-day work, although the total working hours per week will be reduced from 37.5 hours to 34 hours, the daily working hours of employees will be extended by one hour to compensate for the extra day of vacation, that is, the daily working hours of employees will be increased from 7.5 hours to 8.5 hours.
According to Mark Mullen, CEO of Atom Bank, five-day work was an industrial necessity in the 19th century, and it is now obsolete. As the epidemic has completely changed the working model of many employees, companies have begun to consider how they can work more efficiently, healthily and happily, and in addition to promoting working from home, reducing the number of working days and hours is one of the new norm.
Iceland Trials 4-Day Job Productivity to Rise
In fact, four-day work is not new, there have been companies in the past, but mainly in European countries, and many people have questioned whether four-day work is more efficient than five-day work.
In the early days of Iceland, a pilot scheme was conducted between 2015 and 2019 to test whether a reduction in working days would lead to higher productivity, with 2,500 participants across pre-school education, social services, health care and office white-collar workers, accounting for more than 1% of the Icelandic workforce.
The testers worked 4 days on a trial basis, and the work week was reduced from 40 hours to 35 to 36 hours.
It was found that the productivity of most of the testers who adopted the four-day work system remained unchanged or even improved.
Lidl is the UK ’ s highest paid supermarket: Click Here
The median working week in Hong Kong is 45 hours.
According to the Quarterly Report of the General Household Survey for the third quarter of 2021 released by the Government, the median number of working hours per week for wage earners in Hong Kong is 45 hours, which is 10 hours more than in Iceland.
US mobile security technology company KISI earlier released the "2021 work-life balance city ranking", Hong Kong ranked 45th out of 50 statistical places, is the largest city in the world in the statistics of overworked population, nearly 3 adults appear overworked.
Hong Kong people are known to love to work again, do you think it is possible to implement a four-day work in Hong Kong?
Editor-in-Chief: Yan Heiman
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Title:

Content: Dunelm is the latest UK business to trial a shorter hybrid-working model that allows some employees to work four days a week.

According to Retail Week, the homewares retailer is testing different four-day work patterns for its employees in particular departments, with the possibility of expanding the initiative once the trial period is completed.

A memo to employees said those taking part in the limited trial can work from home or in the office.

Read More: Retailers urge Christmas shoppers to hit the high street ahead of Royal Mail strikes

Dunelm is not the only retailer that allows employees to work four-day weeks.

Sainsbury’s announced last week that employees at its headquarters, warehouses, and store managers in its 1,400 UK stores would be able to work a four-day week.

Need Career Advice? Get employment skills advice at all levels of your career

Morrisons and M&S have also introduced compressed four-day work weeks as part of their flexible working policy, which aims to help employees achieve a better work-life balance.

Source:   Retail Gazette

Follow us on YouTubeTwitterLinkedIn, and Facebook

Title:

Content: The country of Iceland has released the analysis of its 4-day work week experiment and the results speak for themselves.

The trials run by Reykjavík City Council and the national government took place from 2015 to 2019 and included about 1% of Iceland’s working population, making it the world’s largest shortened workweek trial to date. The findings show that paying people the same amount to work fewer hours per week results in a happier, healthier workforce with similar or increased productivity. Who knew?

Will Stronge, director of research at Autonomy, a UK think tank that co-conducted a study of the trials, said in a statement: “This study shows that the world’s largest-ever trial of a shorter working week in the public sector was by all measures an overwhelming success. It shows that the public sector is ripe for being a pioneer of shorter working weeks—and lessons can be learned for other governments.”

So what are those lessons we can learn?

1) There’s nothing magical about a 40-hour workweek.

Most of the workers in the trial reduced their hours from 40 […]

Read the Full Article

Title:

Content: DH Latest NewsDH NEWSLatest NewsNEWS

India’s new labour codes likely in 2022; 4-day work-week, reduced salary and more

According to a senior official, the four labour regulations covering salary, social security, occupational safety, industrial relations, health and working conditions are expected to be enacted by the following fiscal year. Working hours, wage restructure, and PF contribution, to name a few, would all be affected by the new wage law once it is enacted. At least 13 states have pre-published draft rules on these laws, according to the official, and the Centre completed the process of finalising the draft regulations on these codes in February 2021.

The central government announced 4 labour rules on August 8, 2019: the Code on Social Security, the Industrial Relations Code,2020, the Wage code, 2019 and the Code on Occupational Safety, Health, and Working Conditions, 2020. Because labour is a concurrent subject, the Centre wants the states to accept it all at once, according to the source. Employees’ take-home pay for the following fiscal year, i.e. April 2021, may be reduced as a result of the government’s Code on Wages, however components such as PF and Gratuity may increase. This is because the new pay rule stipulates that an employee’s basic income must equal at least 50% of their net monthly CTC. As a result, if this provision is implemented, employees will be unable to earn more than 50% of their net monthly compensation in the form of an allowance. As a result, the employee’s gratuity and PF payment are likely to increase. As a result, while employees’ take-home pay may decrease, the Gratuity and PF component of their salary may increase.

Experts believe that the new draft will have an impact on employees’ working hours, with some news sources reporting that employees may be allowed a four-day workweek starting next year, however they will be required to work for 12 hours on those four days. The ministry of labour appears to have said unequivocally that a minimum of 48 hours weekly work is required.

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Title:

Content: Work life

Summer Fridays walked so the four-day workweek could run

Employees are now in favor of flexibility over temporary time off.

· 3 min read

Level up your career and your life with Sidekick

Career advice, productivity hacks, entertainment, and more. If it’s worth your time, it’s in here.

What’s top of mind at the water cooler.

The legend of the Summer Friday: Once upon a time, for three sacred months every year between Memorial Day and Labor Day, employees were allowed to clock out after lunch every Friday and head immediately to the bar.

It’s said that the tradition started in NYC in the ’60s as companies searched for ways to boost employee productivity and morale during the summer months. (There’s even a brand named after it!) If you were lucky enough to work somewhere that offered this perk (usually publishing or advertising), your weekend started with midday happy hours and early bird beach days while friends at less generous corporations smoldered with jealousy.

But with the push toward remote work, Summer Fridays have become a ghost of workplace past as they may have ushered in something even better: the four-day workweek.

As companies scrambled to deal with office closures during the pandemic, most work suddenly became remote. Facing Covid variant after variant and a resistance to returning to the office, some employers like tech companies Bolt and Buffer opted to permanently remove a day from the workweek to better suit employee needs. A jumbo Summer Friday! Perfect, right?

Unfortunately, the exact logistics of the four-day workweek have been tricky. Who can and can’t participate? Does the four-day workweek mean longer working hours? What happens if there’s still work to be done once Friday rolls around?

To get some insight, Sidekick spoke with Alicia Garcia, chief culture officer at MasterControl and Jes Osrow, diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) expert and founder of The Rise Journey consultancy, who had these thoughts to share:

  • Fixed schedules ≠ productivity. While a five-day, nine-to-five workweek has worked for most US-based companies, that doesn’t mean employees produce their best work during that time.
  • Flexibility is king. “The biggest issue with policies like the four-day workweek or Summer Fridays is that they’re still rigid. Whether it’s a four-day or five-day workweek, the exact days and times employees are required to work are fixed…When approached by employees, the most common request is ‘flexibility,’” said Garcia.
  • Flexibility isn’t an option for everyone. “We’re not thinking about essential workers, we’re not thinking about folks on the ground, and we’re not thinking about grocery store owners. It’s important to recognize that even though we do talk the big talk about a four-day workweek, it only applies to a small fraction of workers in the US and/or globally,” Osrow explained.

As the highly discussed ✨future of work✨ continues to develop, employees are looking for more flexibility. Whether that means working remotely from far-flung corners of the world or logging off a little early to go pick your children up from daycare—employers should take notes, not dictate them.—MW

Level up your career and your life with Sidekick

Career advice, productivity hacks, entertainment, and more. If it’s worth your time, it’s in here.

Title:

Content: Internationalisms
US congressman: 32 hours a week is key to happiness
California Rep. Mark Takano has again submitted to Congress his bill, which would impose 32 hours of work a week in the United States, to become a federal labor law.
Once passed, the number of working hours per week in the United States would be reduced from 40 to 32.
The law also includes a proposal for overtime pay for any work done after 32 hours, which will encourage companies to pay extra salaries to employees working longer hours, and encourage companies to hire more people.
The bill applies to workers in fields such as entertainment, hospitality, transportation, construction, manufacturing, wholesale and retail.
Insisting on the bill after it was first introduced in 2021, Takano told CNBC Make It that he wanted to stimulate debate in order to benefit and protect all workers as well as enhance their happiness and achieve what he called “social justice. ”
Nearly 3,000 UK workers from 61 companies have recently been experimented with four days a week for six months, with positive results including improved productivity, revenue, morale and team culture, as well as improved employee health and personal lives.
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Go to the top button

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.

What were the results of UAE's trial of 4-day workday?

A 90% increase in job performance, happiness, and mental health.

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.

What were the results of UAE's trial of 4-day workday?

A 90% increase in job performance, happiness, and mental health.

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.

What were the results of UAE's trial of 4-day workday?

A 90% increase in job performance, happiness, and mental health.

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.

What were the results of UAE's trial of 4-day workday?

A 90% increase in job performance, happiness, and mental health.

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.

What were the results of UAE's trial of 4-day workday?

A 90% increase in job performance, happiness, and mental health.

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.

What were the results of UAE's trial of 4-day workday?

A 90% increase in job performance, happiness, and mental health.

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.

What were the results of UAE's trial of 4-day workday?

A 90% increase in job performance, happiness, and mental health.

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.

What were the results of UAE's trial of 4-day workday?

A 90% increase in job performance, happiness, and mental health.

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.

What were the results of UAE's trial of 4-day workday?

A 90% increase in job performance, happiness, and mental health.

While challenges exist in implementation, particularly regarding work intensity and industry-specific adaptations, the growing global trend suggests that these barriers are surmountable with careful planning and innovative approaches.

As digital technologies continue to increase productivity, the rationale for maintaining traditional 5-day, 40-hour workweeks diminishes.

Title:

Content: Dunelm is the latest UK business to trial a shorter hybrid-working model that allows some employees to work four days a week.

According to Retail Week, the homewares retailer is testing different four-day work patterns for its employees in particular departments, with the possibility of expanding the initiative once the trial period is completed.

A memo to employees said those taking part in the limited trial can work from home or in the office.

Read More: Retailers urge Christmas shoppers to hit the high street ahead of Royal Mail strikes

Dunelm is not the only retailer that allows employees to work four-day weeks.

Sainsbury’s announced last week that employees at its headquarters, warehouses, and store managers in its 1,400 UK stores would be able to work a four-day week.

Need Career Advice? Get employment skills advice at all levels of your career

Morrisons and M&S have also introduced compressed four-day work weeks as part of their flexible working policy, which aims to help employees achieve a better work-life balance.

Source:   Retail Gazette

Follow us on YouTubeTwitterLinkedIn, and Facebook

Title:

Content: DH Latest NewsDH NEWSLatest NewsNEWS

India’s new labour codes likely in 2022; 4-day work-week, reduced salary and more

According to a senior official, the four labour regulations covering salary, social security, occupational safety, industrial relations, health and working conditions are expected to be enacted by the following fiscal year. Working hours, wage restructure, and PF contribution, to name a few, would all be affected by the new wage law once it is enacted. At least 13 states have pre-published draft rules on these laws, according to the official, and the Centre completed the process of finalising the draft regulations on these codes in February 2021.

The central government announced 4 labour rules on August 8, 2019: the Code on Social Security, the Industrial Relations Code,2020, the Wage code, 2019 and the Code on Occupational Safety, Health, and Working Conditions, 2020. Because labour is a concurrent subject, the Centre wants the states to accept it all at once, according to the source. Employees’ take-home pay for the following fiscal year, i.e. April 2021, may be reduced as a result of the government’s Code on Wages, however components such as PF and Gratuity may increase. This is because the new pay rule stipulates that an employee’s basic income must equal at least 50% of their net monthly CTC. As a result, if this provision is implemented, employees will be unable to earn more than 50% of their net monthly compensation in the form of an allowance. As a result, the employee’s gratuity and PF payment are likely to increase. As a result, while employees’ take-home pay may decrease, the Gratuity and PF component of their salary may increase.

Experts believe that the new draft will have an impact on employees’ working hours, with some news sources reporting that employees may be allowed a four-day workweek starting next year, however they will be required to work for 12 hours on those four days. The ministry of labour appears to have said unequivocally that a minimum of 48 hours weekly work is required.

shortlink

Back to top button

Title:

Content: Work life

Summer Fridays walked so the four-day workweek could run

Employees are now in favor of flexibility over temporary time off.

· 3 min read

Level up your career and your life with Sidekick

Career advice, productivity hacks, entertainment, and more. If it’s worth your time, it’s in here.

What’s top of mind at the water cooler.

The legend of the Summer Friday: Once upon a time, for three sacred months every year between Memorial Day and Labor Day, employees were allowed to clock out after lunch every Friday and head immediately to the bar.

It’s said that the tradition started in NYC in the ’60s as companies searched for ways to boost employee productivity and morale during the summer months. (There’s even a brand named after it!) If you were lucky enough to work somewhere that offered this perk (usually publishing or advertising), your weekend started with midday happy hours and early bird beach days while friends at less generous corporations smoldered with jealousy.

But with the push toward remote work, Summer Fridays have become a ghost of workplace past as they may have ushered in something even better: the four-day workweek.

As companies scrambled to deal with office closures during the pandemic, most work suddenly became remote. Facing Covid variant after variant and a resistance to returning to the office, some employers like tech companies Bolt and Buffer opted to permanently remove a day from the workweek to better suit employee needs. A jumbo Summer Friday! Perfect, right?

Unfortunately, the exact logistics of the four-day workweek have been tricky. Who can and can’t participate? Does the four-day workweek mean longer working hours? What happens if there’s still work to be done once Friday rolls around?

To get some insight, Sidekick spoke with Alicia Garcia, chief culture officer at MasterControl and Jes Osrow, diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) expert and founder of The Rise Journey consultancy, who had these thoughts to share:

  • Fixed schedules ≠ productivity. While a five-day, nine-to-five workweek has worked for most US-based companies, that doesn’t mean employees produce their best work during that time.
  • Flexibility is king. “The biggest issue with policies like the four-day workweek or Summer Fridays is that they’re still rigid. Whether it’s a four-day or five-day workweek, the exact days and times employees are required to work are fixed…When approached by employees, the most common request is ‘flexibility,’” said Garcia.
  • Flexibility isn’t an option for everyone. “We’re not thinking about essential workers, we’re not thinking about folks on the ground, and we’re not thinking about grocery store owners. It’s important to recognize that even though we do talk the big talk about a four-day workweek, it only applies to a small fraction of workers in the US and/or globally,” Osrow explained.

As the highly discussed ✨future of work✨ continues to develop, employees are looking for more flexibility. Whether that means working remotely from far-flung corners of the world or logging off a little early to go pick your children up from daycare—employers should take notes, not dictate them.—MW

Level up your career and your life with Sidekick

Career advice, productivity hacks, entertainment, and more. If it’s worth your time, it’s in here.

Title:

Content: Internationalisms
US congressman: 32 hours a week is key to happiness
California Rep. Mark Takano has again submitted to Congress his bill, which would impose 32 hours of work a week in the United States, to become a federal labor law.
Once passed, the number of working hours per week in the United States would be reduced from 40 to 32.
The law also includes a proposal for overtime pay for any work done after 32 hours, which will encourage companies to pay extra salaries to employees working longer hours, and encourage companies to hire more people.
The bill applies to workers in fields such as entertainment, hospitality, transportation, construction, manufacturing, wholesale and retail.
Insisting on the bill after it was first introduced in 2021, Takano told CNBC Make It that he wanted to stimulate debate in order to benefit and protect all workers as well as enhance their happiness and achieve what he called “social justice. ”
Nearly 3,000 UK workers from 61 companies have recently been experimented with four days a week for six months, with positive results including improved productivity, revenue, morale and team culture, as well as improved employee health and personal lives.
Related Articles
Go to the top button

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

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

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

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

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

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

Organizations and policymakers should seriously consider this model as part of broader efforts to improve work-life balance, employee well-being, and sustainable productivity in the modern eco

Title:

Content: Dunelm is the latest UK business to trial a shorter hybrid-working model that allows some employees to work four days a week.

According to Retail Week, the homewares retailer is testing different four-day work patterns for its employees in particular departments, with the possibility of expanding the initiative once the trial period is completed.

A memo to employees said those taking part in the limited trial can work from home or in the office.

Read More: Retailers urge Christmas shoppers to hit the high street ahead of Royal Mail strikes

Dunelm is not the only retailer that allows employees to work four-day weeks.

Sainsbury’s announced last week that employees at its headquarters, warehouses, and store managers in its 1,400 UK stores would be able to work a four-day week.

Need Career Advice? Get employment skills advice at all levels of your career

Morrisons and M&S have also introduced compressed four-day work weeks as part of their flexible working policy, which aims to help employees achieve a better work-life balance.

Source:   Retail Gazette

Follow us on YouTubeTwitterLinkedIn, and Facebook

Title:

Content: The country of Iceland has released the analysis of its 4-day work week experiment and the results speak for themselves.

The trials run by Reykjavík City Council and the national government took place from 2015 to 2019 and included about 1% of Iceland’s working population, making it the world’s largest shortened workweek trial to date. The findings show that paying people the same amount to work fewer hours per week results in a happier, healthier workforce with similar or increased productivity. Who knew?

Will Stronge, director of research at Autonomy, a UK think tank that co-conducted a study of the trials, said in a statement: “This study shows that the world’s largest-ever trial of a shorter working week in the public sector was by all measures an overwhelming success. It shows that the public sector is ripe for being a pioneer of shorter working weeks—and lessons can be learned for other governments.”

So what are those lessons we can learn?

1) There’s nothing magical about a 40-hour workweek.

Most of the workers in the trial reduced their hours from 40 […]

Read the Full Article

Title:

Content: 4 Easy Ways To Maintain A Healthy Work-Life Balance

Balancing professional and personal life has become a major challenge especially since 2020 because the majority of us are working from home. For most people, work always takes preference over everything else in our lives, even our family and health. We become so desirable to achieve professional success that we keep ignoring other important things.

Maintaining harmony in both personal and professional life is very essential not only to improve our physical, emotional, and mental well-being but to perform well in our work. Regular stress from the never-ending workday can have negative effects on our personal relationships and overall happiness.

Considering the strong side effects of overworking many organizations have started incorporating flexible learning solutions in their work culture. Tools like Trainual help employees overcome the challenge of managing employee training along with their work.

While organizations are doing their bit to help employee’s build a healthy work-life balance, here are some of the ways employees can do it themselves:

  1. Set Work Hours

Try to set a boundary for your work hours and inform your colleagues, teammates, and even your manager about it to avoid burning the midnight oil. Inform them politely that you will not be accessible after your working hours unless it is very important. This will ensure they respect your boundaries and expectations.

Try to take your mind off your work after you clock out. Whether you are working from home or office, it is necessary to decide when to work and when to stop working; else, you will end up working late nights and even on weekends.

  1. Manage Your Priorities & Goals

Invest some time thoughtfully thinking about what is most important and relevant to you, and make a list of your top priorities. Then analyze it by asking yourself these key questions: What is most important and urgent? What do I need to start doing right now? What do I need to stop doing?

This will provide you with strong and measurable goals. Block some time from your busy schedule for activities that need urgent attention like a doctor’s appointment or running through some errands.

  1. Workout & Meditate

We are so busy with our lives that we have forgotten the power of exercise and meditation, and we either neglect it or procrastinate doing it. Exercising and meditation keep not only our physical health in check but also calm our minds, help us to make much better decisions in life, and reduce stress.

If you feel too lazy to exercise sometimes, try to add some easy habits to your lifestyle that will make a lot of difference. These habits are walking when you are on call, some stretching and face exercises while working, taking stairs instead of the lift whenever possible, and meditating for at least 5 mins in regular intervals.

  1. Take A Break

Overstretching yourself at work may give you professional success but you will lose a lot more valuable things in life like your physical health, mental health, and relationships. It is good to give yourself a break and take a day off when you have overworked someday and you feel that your brain is completely saturated.

Make some time for your loved ones, watch your favorite TV show, read, sleep, and do whatever you enjoy to relax your mind. Make use of your leaves and take a vacation once in a while.

CONCLUSION:

Having self-awareness about your own personal and professional priorities is very important. While we all need to work hard to achieve success in our careers, we also have to take into account that taking some time out for ourselves is very essential too. Having a healthy work-life balance can bring you satisfaction and allow you to stay more productive at work.

Title:

Content: DH Latest NewsDH NEWSLatest NewsNEWS

India’s new labour codes likely in 2022; 4-day work-week, reduced salary and more

According to a senior official, the four labour regulations covering salary, social security, occupational safety, industrial relations, health and working conditions are expected to be enacted by the following fiscal year. Working hours, wage restructure, and PF contribution, to name a few, would all be affected by the new wage law once it is enacted. At least 13 states have pre-published draft rules on these laws, according to the official, and the Centre completed the process of finalising the draft regulations on these codes in February 2021.

The central government announced 4 labour rules on August 8, 2019: the Code on Social Security, the Industrial Relations Code,2020, the Wage code, 2019 and the Code on Occupational Safety, Health, and Working Conditions, 2020. Because labour is a concurrent subject, the Centre wants the states to accept it all at once, according to the source. Employees’ take-home pay for the following fiscal year, i.e. April 2021, may be reduced as a result of the government’s Code on Wages, however components such as PF and Gratuity may increase. This is because the new pay rule stipulates that an employee’s basic income must equal at least 50% of their net monthly CTC. As a result, if this provision is implemented, employees will be unable to earn more than 50% of their net monthly compensation in the form of an allowance. As a result, the employee’s gratuity and PF payment are likely to increase. As a result, while employees’ take-home pay may decrease, the Gratuity and PF component of their salary may increase.

Experts believe that the new draft will have an impact on employees’ working hours, with some news sources reporting that employees may be allowed a four-day workweek starting next year, however they will be required to work for 12 hours on those four days. The ministry of labour appears to have said unequivocally that a minimum of 48 hours weekly work is required.

shortlink

Back to top button

Title:

Content: Work life

Summer Fridays walked so the four-day workweek could run

Employees are now in favor of flexibility over temporary time off.

· 3 min read

Level up your career and your life with Sidekick

Career advice, productivity hacks, entertainment, and more. If it’s worth your time, it’s in here.

What’s top of mind at the water cooler.

The legend of the Summer Friday: Once upon a time, for three sacred months every year between Memorial Day and Labor Day, employees were allowed to clock out after lunch every Friday and head immediately to the bar.

It’s said that the tradition started in NYC in the ’60s as companies searched for ways to boost employee productivity and morale during the summer months. (There’s even a brand named after it!) If you were lucky enough to work somewhere that offered this perk (usually publishing or advertising), your weekend started with midday happy hours and early bird beach days while friends at less generous corporations smoldered with jealousy.

But with the push toward remote work, Summer Fridays have become a ghost of workplace past as they may have ushered in something even better: the four-day workweek.

As companies scrambled to deal with office closures during the pandemic, most work suddenly became remote. Facing Covid variant after variant and a resistance to returning to the office, some employers like tech companies Bolt and Buffer opted to permanently remove a day from the workweek to better suit employee needs. A jumbo Summer Friday! Perfect, right?

Unfortunately, the exact logistics of the four-day workweek have been tricky. Who can and can’t participate? Does the four-day workweek mean longer working hours? What happens if there’s still work to be done once Friday rolls around?

To get some insight, Sidekick spoke with Alicia Garcia, chief culture officer at MasterControl and Jes Osrow, diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) expert and founder of The Rise Journey consultancy, who had these thoughts to share:

  • Fixed schedules ≠ productivity. While a five-day, nine-to-five workweek has worked for most US-based companies, that doesn’t mean employees produce their best work during that time.
  • Flexibility is king. “The biggest issue with policies like the four-day workweek or Summer Fridays is that they’re still rigid. Whether it’s a four-day or five-day workweek, the exact days and times employees are required to work are fixed…When approached by employees, the most common request is ‘flexibility,’” said Garcia.
  • Flexibility isn’t an option for everyone. “We’re not thinking about essential workers, we’re not thinking about folks on the ground, and we’re not thinking about grocery store owners. It’s important to recognize that even though we do talk the big talk about a four-day workweek, it only applies to a small fraction of workers in the US and/or globally,” Osrow explained.

As the highly discussed ✨future of work✨ continues to develop, employees are looking for more flexibility. Whether that means working remotely from far-flung corners of the world or logging off a little early to go pick your children up from daycare—employers should take notes, not dictate them.—MW

Level up your career and your life with Sidekick

Career advice, productivity hacks, entertainment, and more. If it’s worth your time, it’s in here.

Title:

Content: Internationalisms
US congressman: 32 hours a week is key to happiness
California Rep. Mark Takano has again submitted to Congress his bill, which would impose 32 hours of work a week in the United States, to become a federal labor law.
Once passed, the number of working hours per week in the United States would be reduced from 40 to 32.
The law also includes a proposal for overtime pay for any work done after 32 hours, which will encourage companies to pay extra salaries to employees working longer hours, and encourage companies to hire more people.
The bill applies to workers in fields such as entertainment, hospitality, transportation, construction, manufacturing, wholesale and retail.
Insisting on the bill after it was first introduced in 2021, Takano told CNBC Make It that he wanted to stimulate debate in order to benefit and protect all workers as well as enhance their happiness and achieve what he called “social justice. ”
Nearly 3,000 UK workers from 61 companies have recently been experimented with four days a week for six months, with positive results including improved productivity, revenue, morale and team culture, as well as improved employee health and personal lives.
Related Articles
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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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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.