4 Day Work Week
The 4 day work week is a topic of much debate and interest. When approached thoughtfully and tactfully, it can be a huge boost to your employees’ well being and your overall productivity. According to data from studies conducted by 4 Day Week Global, 78% of employees with 4 day weeks reported being happier and less stressed. They also found that productivity is not affected. When implemented correctly, you are getting 100% of the results for 80% of the time. It is also a huge boost to recruitment efforts. When given such astounding results, you can see why this trend is sweeping across companies worldwide. However, there are definitely factors to consider before making the commitment. Here are a few things to keep in mind while you contemplate moving your team to a 4 day work week.
How does the 4 day work week affect salary?
A 2022 survey conducted by 15Five asked 1,000 employees what was most important in their jobs. Unsurprisingly, the top answers were compensation and benefits, followed by work-life balance. The goal of the 4 day work week is not to save money by paying your employees for 32 hours instead of 40. In this 4 day work week world, pay is determined by work performed, not the time spent doing that work.
How does reducing hours affect performance and results?
As mentioned above, 15Five found that the second most important factor for employees is a work-life balance. A 4 day work week is the perfect opportunity to provide this balance, though there are many changes that need to be made in order to operate successfully in such a drastic new schedule.
Schedules
In an ideal situation, you will be eliminating all distractions and unproductive time from your employees schedules and allowing them to focus on their main objective. Before anything else, this transition will require a thorough evaluation of your team’s current schedules and performance expectations. What meetings or activities can be eliminated? Will responsibilities need to be shifted in order to support the reduction in hours? You should approach this with the goal of keeping productivity stable and not overwhelming your team in the process. Without the proper preparation and planning, you're liable to drive your employees to the point of burnout or force them to complete their work off the clock in order to keep up with expectations. Neither of these are signs of a successful 4 day work week rollout.
Don't eliminate socialization
One of the first places employers will find excess time to eliminate from their employee’s schedule will be meetings, social events and down time that does not directly involve their work. While these will likely be a good portion of the hours you remove, do try to keep in mind that team building and socialization are key to some employees’ happiness at work. Brainstorm options such as IM platforms like Teams or Slack that will allow employees to stay engaged with their teams without wasting time. Annual or quarterly social events are another great opportunity to work in team building and company values without imposing on work time.
4 day work weeks aren’t for everyone
A realistic factor to consider is the possibility that your company is not a good fit for the 4 day work week. Client needs, production expectations or the state of your current workforce may eliminate the possibility entirely. If this is the case, you always have the option to continue utilizing a 40 hour week, or plan out what needs to be done to support transitioning to a 32 hour week in the future.
How to determine if you should implement a 4 day work week and next steps
If making the move to a 4 day work week seems to be in your future, there are definitely resources to assist in preparation. Organizations such as 4 Day Global offer trials that include training and provide data so you know exactly what needs to be done in order to successfully roll out a 4 day work week. You can always implement the change on your own, but take care to make a plan of actions to prepare. Here are some key points to keep in mind for your journey:
First decide if your company can support the switch to a 4 day work week.
Get feedback from managers and employees. You will want to know if your team is interested and motivated to make this change and stick with the new schedule.
Evaluate your current team schedule and determine what can be eliminated. This is a good opportunity to encourage employees to journal their time so you have a clear understanding of what can be removed without affecting job performance.
Get help from a 4 day work week trial program, or look to other companies of your size and industry that have made the switch. There are plenty of examples to draw inspiration from, and this is a great opportunity to learn from other companies' mistakes
Restructure performance expectations and responsibilities, if necessary.
Communicate the changes clearly to your team. They must understand why certain things are being removed and what their new schedules should look like. Every employee should understand if and why their performance expectations have changed. You should also be prepared to explain that if employees are unable to keep up with their new performance expectations, the 4 day work week will revert back.
Ensure you still provide ways for employees to socialize.
Stick to the schedule. If you are setting your work week at 32 hours and expect your employees to follow, you must also hold yourself accountable. If you don’t expect your employees to work off the clock, you should lead by example.
As always, if you need help implementing this change in your company, contact HENSLEE for support!
We hope that you’ve found inspiration in our guide to implementing a 4 day work week. While it may not be an option for everyone, we at HENSLEE fully support any efforts made to increase employee happiness and wellbeing. If you are interested in discussing what this may look like for your company, don’t hesitate to contact us. We’d be delighted to dig in and find the best solution to fit your team and your company!
Stay tuned for more information, resources, tips and tricks from the HENSLEE team. Keep it wavy! 🌊
Resources
How the World’s Biggest Four-Day Workweek Trial Run Changed People’s Lives CNN
More companies are trying out the 4-day workweek. But it might not be for everyone NPR
What Leaders Need to Know Before Trying a 4-Day Work Week HBR
How to Optimize Talent in an Almost Recession 15Five (source of survey results)