02 Feb
I have been following with interest the trials of the 4-day workweek that is being run by various groups globally.
The results are resounding, employees love it, and productivity is high as is employee engagement. Will it last and can we sustain this long term?
Let’s face it, 2 days isn’t really long enough to recover when many of our people are doing long hours due to inefficient technology, increased client expectations, outdated systems and processes, and people not willing to drive and adopt change. All of which cause high levels of stress, unhappy clients and employees and ultimately loss of people from the business.
So would you be willing to work for a business that enables you to work four days a week where you must do 100% of the work in 80% of the time for 100% of the pay?
It would mean that we potentially would have fewer meetings, high levels of efficiency and automation, fewer emails, high levels of productivity and more connection and collaboration with our teams.
Imagine what you could do with that extra day off. And you must leave your phone behind at work, so you are genuinely not disturbed and those doing your work take the calls.
However, the key for a four-day week to work long term, I believe, is the ability for us to keep up the productivity. Can we do 100% of the work in 80% of the time long term?
We do need to rethink the world of work, we are being challenged to do so and the old paradigm of work is only done in the office is certainly dead.
The other consideration is whether will renumeration be impacted long term, will it open up the door for more job share opportunities, could we bring more women back into the workplace part-time?
The four-day work will trial is in play, and the results will be in over the next 6 months. It isn’t something I recommend you implement without these results and a strategy that involves your people.
In the meantime, here is my podcast with Michelle Rigg from Rent West in WA who is currently participating in one of the trials.
