Re-imagining how we work: the 4-day work week (4DWW)
By Chris Lau and Marlo Turner Ritchie, Principal consultants
Hi, I`m Chris, one of the principal consultants at Social Impact Consulting and I have worked in several community organizations over my professional career where we either already had, or where we chose to, put in place a 4-day work week (4DWW).
I wanted to share some of my experiences with those who are considering implementing this 4-day work week as a viable and preferred way of working. Join me for a three-part series which will include:
What is the 4-day Work Week and why do it?
Things to Consider Before Implementing a 4-day workweek at your workplace
How to Implement a 4DWW: A step-by-step guide
We begin with an introduction to the 4DWW and why teams across the world are choosing to try out this progressive work style.
Although the 4DWW was already in place for many organizationsbefore the pandemic, COVID-19 definitely made us all think about different ways of working. Certain countries, such as Iceland and Belgium, have already legislated, or are in the process of legislating around 4DWW while others are currently pilot testing the concept (UK, Portugal, USA, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, etc.). (1)
What is the 4-Day Work Week?
4DWW means working 4 days a week instead of the conventional 5-day work week (5DWW) for full-time positions that most workplaces expect from their employees.
Here are two ways to envision and test out a 4-day work week at your organization
. Test out a ut 4DWW during the summer months.
Stagger staffing to allow for the organization being open 5 days per week, while having some work the Friday and some work the Monday.
A 4DWW does not automatically imply the hybrid mode of office and working remotely from home, but some employers are considering all of it together.
Why Move to a 4-day Work Week?
Often staff desire greater flexibility in their work to deal with personal obligations or to pursue other projects.
Having an extra day to take care of these responsibilities can be a big advantage, leading to better work-life balance. It can be used for additional rest, reducing work stress, reducing the risk of burnout and improving mental health. However, implementing 4DWW models that include a reduction in work hours without any organizational efforts to make the work more efficient will lead staff to feel they are simply expected to work faster to get the same volume of work achieved, therefore increasing work stress and lowering staff quality of life.
Since many employees tend to prefer a 4DWW, this can attract more candidates for vacant positions and set you apart from other organizations. This could then increase your chances of recruiting higher-quality candidates. It can also increase staff retention for those who appreciate and seek this work model.
In the next part of our 4DWW overview we explore ”Things to Consider Before Implementing the 4-day Work Week at Your Workplace” Check back this February!
Sources:
https://worldpopulationreview.com/country-rankings/what-countries-have-4-day-work-weeks