Would the 4 day work week ever be considered if a global pandemic didn’t force the entire world indoors? Murmurings of such an endeavour were left to employee coffee-stations or workplace functions. Now, as 2023 comes to an end, the latest figures show businesses in 18 countries have already trialed the 4-day work week; and as more look to sign up, what does the future of the modern work/life balance look like, and do organisations truly benefit when productivity is the traditional measurement of success?
History tells us global disruptions are usually pretty good indicators for change. 2019 would put this to the test with Covid 19, forcing countries to make difficult decisions. Lock everything down, learn how to make it work (mostly with pajama bottoms) and once safety is restored, reclaim familiarity. The trouble with that is, the new normal became the normal, and returning to old ways faces further disruption because people become comfortable (again thinking of pajama bottoms here) with this new way of working.
Finding a Solution to the Work/Life Balance
A solution needed to be explored, where the emphasis on work/life balance wasn’t just a mental health day you were allowed to take once a year, but a complete overhaul of the ideology. Enter the think tanks… a multitude of brains hoping to figure out the input vs output conundrum… and with a mighty drum roll please (take as long as you need) the 4 day work week emerged victorious.
Although this type of thinking isn’t lost on academics, staffroom lunches and disruptive start-ups, Andrew Barnes and Charlotte Lockhart can be attributed to bringing the idea to the mainstream by founding 4 Day Week Global. Their pilot program promoted the principle of 100:80:100, where employees receive 100% pay for 80% time worked with 100% productivity targets achieved. Now with various case studies to suggest the 4 day work week provides a far greater outcome than the traditional approach, why isn’t every brand jumping on board? The quick fire answer – the businesses in question are well established, large organisations who have the capability and employee numbers to trial such an endevour.
The Start-up Outlook
Let’s look at start-up for an example. It’s an exciting time when investment has been secured and everyone is eager to hit the ground running. Is a 4 day work week feasible when personal determination, along with investment expectation pushes those in charge to work even more hours than the average 9-5? Such is the culture of running a new enterprise that you hope is successful. So does that mean the 4 day work week is potentially only reserved for more established businesses?
How would a start-up apply the 4 day work week when they’re not in a financial position to assign an outside entity for support? Well, let’s try and break it down. First comes the commitment from those running the organisation. If the discussion wasn’t originally on the agenda, this might be a difficult transition – you try asking a start-up CEO to step away from a business they’ve been trying, potentially for years, secure investment for. They’ve just opened their doors, and the idea of them not being inside those doors as much as possible might be a tussle worth avoiding. After all, like the Forbes article, and various others have surmised, there are a lot of challenges start-ups need to face on the road to success. Making sure your investment works for your business is a priority that might trump all others.
If we continue on, another element needing to be addressed is the structure of productivity goals. These will need to be established prior to the commitment, ensuring a clear measurement of goal achievement is a reality under such a setting. If there are only two of you, this might be difficult. Each will have an enormous workload anyway, and knowing that it still needs to be done, might be already keeping them away from home longer than the traditional workload.
A recent article with Startups looked at the pros and cons of the 4 day work week, and despite the obvious pros around greater work/life balance, two specific cons stood out for us. 36% of participants noticed a slight increase in work intensity, and a 5th day off couldn’t be promised in sectors like hospitality and leisure. For start-ups looking to make their mark, the 4 day work week is definitely something that will require belief in the system to get through the challenges.
Enough of the negatives… time for those positives. Let’s assume you’re great at structuring your week, but your workload is still massive. Giving yourself a mental break will be important. Instead of forcing yourself to work, treat the day with the intention of its purpose – a day off to recharge so when you’re back, you hit the ground running. Your employees will benefit from this too – as mentioned earlier, start-up work hours can be demanding. You’ll also get good at delegating, and if there are only two of you, it’s an excellent exercise in trust, as the other picks up the slack, and you do the same.
If you’re willing to commit at the start, then you’ll most likely get good at time management. Knowing how much time you have to do something can be daunting, but if you stick to the agenda, living with the consequences can be a great lesson for future improvement. This will promote a better outlook when things start becoming overwhelming, and will set a tone that will soon become the work/life balance of your company. Congratulations… your employees are going to love you!
Right… well, now that we think about it… it does sound achievable. The hard part, like always, is the commitment. So being the amazing business person that’s managed to get this investment, set up this business and employee staff, why not give the 4 day work week a trial? It might just be the second best thing your business has done… besides hire Talet Tent to support all your HR and staffing needs.
The Reality Still Unfolding
The 4 day work week is slowly gaining momentum, and as reports continue to emerge that support the claim, the potential of a global shift might be on the horizon. However, with countries like the UK still not convinced, as the government informs local councils to cease any 4 day working trials, businesses may need to take matters into their own hands, and trust those committed to the brands success.
Leave a Reply