David Phillips, P.E., MBA, LEED AP’s Post

Does anyone want Fridays off? Understanding Parkinson’s Law revolutionized my personal and professional productivity and time management skills. To paraphrase: Any task, meeting, project, or other work will generally expand to fill the time allotted for it. Admittedly, moving to four-day (thirty-two-hour) workweeks might create added stress for some individuals. Also, it might not be practical in some industries, such as companies in a service industry with customers that span multiple time zones. However, this article suggests that for some employees in some industries shortening the workweek might have little or no impact on net productivity while creating healthier employees who stay with the company longer.

It's clear that we're on the cusp of big changes in how we work. Changes that will be true for everyone at some point. 40-hur work weeks didn't magically happen overnight, but now we can't imagine anything else. And that's the problem. Everything that's being done or discussed at this moment in time is related. 4-day work week with a full week's pay. 10 hour shifts 4 days a week. Any variation of hybrid schedules and remote work. It's all about worker dissatisfaction with the status quo. Companies can jump on board and help shape the future, or they can kick the can down the road. Either way, big change is coming.

We have been doing it for years and it works well. Less requests for time off to do doctor’s appointments or personal time. They are able to get in all their work within the 4 days. I also give the option to work more hours if they feel they need it to get tasks done. And we are still open 5 days per week the staff just pick the Mon or Friday they want off or will trade with others employees. As long as the shift is covered and work gets done I don’t mind. Most employees settle in and feel comfortable getting the work done around 33-37 hours per week. I love it and they love it. Productivity is good and they don’t have to stand around trying to look busy filling up 4 or 5 more hours of work they don’t have or clock watching or trying to rush out for a doctors appointment. They are even willing to give up a few hours of pay to have more flexibility, they get paid hourly so I’m saving money. They can work 40 if they want but realized they can get their work done in less time and like the option of having a few extra hours off. I offer telecomuting a day or two for the employees that can work from home they can concentrate better. Works out well.

It's exciting to see the conversation around workweek flexibility gaining momentum, and I'm curious to see how more companies will adapt to these new ways of working in the future. #WorkLifeBalance #FourDayWorkWeek

Interesting read.

Once a workers’ pipe dream, the four-day, 32-hour workweek is gaining ground as hundreds of employers try the schedules and businesses rethink the conventional ways of work. The United Auto Workers made the shorter week a demand in its contract talks with Detroit automakers. Lawmakers in California, Massachusetts and other states have introduced bills aimed at pushing more businesses to adopt a four-day schedule. Most proposals are long shots but signify the appeal in policy circles. Organizations that have dipped a toe into shortened workweeks say it has resulted in happier, healthier staff, less turnover and a wave of interest from job applicants—usually with little to no loss in productivity.   Yet working smarter, not harder, isn’t as easy as it sounds. Henry Ford cut the standard workweek to five days from six in the 1920s on the premise that a more compressed schedule, along with assembly-line innovations, would make work more efficient. Since then, predictions that technological and economic advances would result in our working less haven’t borne out. As far back as 1956, then-Vice President Richard Nixon declared a four-day workweek would be reality for most Americans in the “not-too-distant future.” One reason shorter weeks remain out of reach, skeptics say, is that it is tough for large companies with customers and staff across time zones and countries to find a shortened schedule that works for all. A handful of big brand names such as Unilever and Samsung have experimented with a shorter week on a limited basis, but most adoptees are much smaller firms. Nicholas Bloom, an economist at Stanford University, says it is doubtful most businesses can shed a fifth of the workweek and maintain productivity. “Whenever I talk to managers, they find the topic pretty insulting—they argue it implies they are completely wasting a day a week,” he said. A more viable approach for giving people more leisure time, he says, is to offer the option of four-day schedules, at four days’ pay.  “But that’s not a new idea,” he added. “It’s called part-time work.”

How a Four-Day Workweek Actually Works, From the Companies Pulling It Off Fewer meetings, busier days, and other ways to fit a week’s work into 32 hours At ThredUp, an Oakland, Calif.-based online clothing reseller, moving its nearly 300 salaried employees to a Monday-to-Thursday week meant culling meetings, focusing on the most important work, and curtailing lengthy email exchanges. The shorter week can get hectic, and work sometimes spills into Fridays, but employees say having more time to recharge is worth it.  #hrm #Workhours #4dayworkweek #workforcedevelopment READ THE FULL ARTICLE IN THE LINK BELOW

Summary : Her Comes the Four Day Workweek? Once a workers’ pipe dream, the four-day, 32-hour workweek is gaining ground as hundreds of employers try the schedules and businesses rethink the conventional ways of work. The United Auto Workers made the shorter week a demand in its contract talks with Detroit automakers. Lawmakers in California, Massachusetts and other states have introduced bills aimed at pushing more businesses to adopt a four-day schedule. Most proposals are long shots but signify the appeal in policy circles. Organizations that have dipped a toe into shortened workweeks say it has resulted in happier, healthier staff, less turnover and a wave of interest from job applicants—usually with little to no loss in productivity. Meeting bloat was one of ThredUp’s biggest targets as it gave the four-day week a test run before making it official early last year. Department heads cut meetings by roughly 20% after reviewing which were really necessary and which served mostly as progress reports. Managers and workers were trained on running more efficient huddles and volleying fewer emails. (One tip: Pick up the phone after three rounds of replies without a resolution.) Tuesdays were deemed “maker days,” devoted mostly to uninterrupted focus work. Still, voluntary turnover among corporate employees fell to 4% last year, less than half of what it was in 2020. More than half of new hires who were surveyed said the shorter workweek tipped the scale in their decision to join. And over 90% of employees, who the company says are meeting the same goals as before, said the four-day workweek has boosted their productivity. After the trial run, “at least two engineers said to me, ‘I’ll take a pay reduction to keep Fridays off,’” said Anton Naumenko, senior director of software engineering. To keep Monday through Thursday from feeling too intense, Qwick bosses break for lunch or organize occasional happy hours. After a decadelong career in technology, during which she would work from a coffee shop some Saturdays, Kekic said she occasionally has to remind herself not to message a colleague or her team on Fridays. 

Check out this insightful article about companies trialing 32-hour workweeks. Studies have shown that productivity remains constant, while working parents gain a much-needed day to catch up on chores and use the weekend to spend quality time with their families. Not only does this help with work-life balance, but it can also lead to happier and more engaged employees. In an environment where the workforce has changed so much already - is this the future? If so, I'm here for it! #worklifebalance #familytime #productivity

Disappointed about the omission of 4-day work week in Labour's Working Future whitewater. Many of the under-employed groups identified also want flexible conditions so that they don't have to choose between caring for their loved ones (or caring for themselves in the case of people with disabilities) and full employment. Implementing a 4-day work week is hard but it can encourage full-time employment and can lead to increased productivity. Is there a role for government to lead the way and encourage the private sector?