On a typical Friday afternoon, one worker at Emtrain, a California-based human sources know-how firm, settles in for a nap.

One other enjoys horseback using classes, whereas others play piano, observe images or go to members of the family or pals they have not seen shortly. 

They will do that as a result of Emtrain adopted a four-day work week pilot program in 2021, one of many many corporations throughout the globe experimenting with a brand new manner of working.

Even the boss likes it. “It has been very, very touching to see the period of time that individuals have had again of their lives,” stated Emtrain President Odessa Jenkins. “We hear tales on a regular basis the place our workers are studying one thing new, participating with household that they have not earlier than, and it truly is altering the way in which they dwell their lives.”

Profitable pilots of the four-day work week, each within the US and overseas, have seen a large number of advantages to each corporations and workers, together with improved worker well-being, elevated productiveness and a brand new method to retain and recruit expertise in a aggressive labor market. 

We requested three enterprise leaders and one Fortune 500 government coach about why four-day work weeks are gaining recognition. This is what they are saying are the primary advantages of this new manner of working — and find out how to successfully promote your boss on the thought.

Staff have extra time exterior of labor

A four-day work week provides again to workers certainly one of their most precious sources: time.

After Emtrain switched to a four-day work week, Jenkins was struck by the impression the change had on her workforce. 

“Giving your individuals extra time to do what they wish to do — to seek out out issues about themselves, to discover — provides you an worker base who’s extra dedicated to you, but additionally extra dedicated to their private well being,” stated Jenkins. “That is bringing more healthy workers and happier workers to us.”

Katie Klumper, CEO of Black Glass Consulting, a CMO consultancy primarily based in New York, stated she’s seen related outcomes at Black Glass throughout their four-day work week pilot. Lots of her workers are utilizing their Fridays off as a “private admin” day to handle primary duties like laundry, grocery buying or cleansing. 

“This permits them to have actually two days of break [on the weekend], which permits them to have 4 days [at work] refreshed, current, targeted, and extra productive,” Klumper stated. 

Having extra private time may also enhance constructive psychological well being outcomes for workers in a time when burnout is on the rise. “It is extremely useful for individuals’s psychological well being and wellbeing to know that they now have an additional day to only [do life],” stated Daryl Appleton, a licensed psychotherapist and Fortune 500 government coach.

Productiveness typically improves

A four-day work week forces you to be extra environment friendly in all points of your work, together with communication, stated Jenkins. “It means committing to being very, very targeted while you’re at work. And we instantly noticed that from our worker base.”

In keeping with an inner firm survey, 92% of Emtrain workers agreed that they had been in a position to meet their high-priority work milestones throughout the four-day work week. Odessa has not seen an uptick in workers working longer days, both. “It’s extra targeted work perhaps, no more work,” Jenkins stated.

Klumper stated that transitioning to a four-day work week has led to her workforce being extra intentional about how they handle their restricted time at work. 

“Time is among the most precious belongings we’ve as professionals, and valuing that and being actually deliberate about the place you apply that was positively a profit,” she stated. “It wasn’t constructed to be longer workdays. It was meant to be the identical hours that we had been working, however do it in 4 days.”

The opposite piece is focus, stated Klumper. Engaged on a tighter schedule has helped her workers hone their craft and abilities to get by means of their work faster. “There’s been quite a lot of constructive outcomes by way of the groups having the ability to collaborate at a faster pace and having the ability to be rather more intentional and intense about how the work will get performed,” she stated.

It helps recruit and retain expertise in a aggressive labor market

In a 2022 survey carried out by the Forbes Well being-Ipsos Month-to-month Well being Tracker, 90% of employed respondents stated it was necessary that their job supplied work-life steadiness. And 82% stated it was necessary that their job supplied flexibility in after they labored. 

“I feel if there’s something the Nice Resignation has taught us, it is that given a possibility to take a seat again, individuals wish to be a part of corporations the place they will really feel that it helps the life-style they wish to dwell,” stated Anthony Reynolds, CEO of Utah-based expertise expertise platform HireVue. (As an alternative of a four-day work week, HireVue provides its workers each different Friday afternoon off.)

Permitting extra flexibility within the office may also assist corporations retain present workers and assist employees to achieve their most potential.  

“It has been an enormous expertise driver,” stated Klumper. “Persons are accountable. If in case you have the correct individuals on the workforce, you can make each day [paid time off] and they’d nonetheless be a part of as a result of they’re passionate concerning the enterprise. … If in case you have the correct expertise, they’ll do the job they usually’ll do a fair higher job after they get to do it on their phrases.”

Each the staff and the corporate profit

“It is exhausting to say [the four-day work week pilot] hasn’t been useful, each from a qualitative and a quantitative standpoint, as a result of we’re additionally smashing our enterprise aims,” stated Jenkins. “Understanding that each from a gentle abilities standpoint we have improved, in addition to from a monetary or enterprise productiveness standpoint we have improved, it is exhausting to say that it wasn’t an incredible thought.”

In keeping with an inner survey, 82% of Emtrain workers reported that they had been experiencing higher well being and well-being on account of the four-day workweek, whereas 71% to 75% of workers stated they had been experiencing much less unproductive stress at work. 

Emtrain is not alone. In keeping with a survey by the Society for Human Useful resource Administration, 60% of the surveyed organizations that had carried out a four-day work week famous features in worker satisfaction and productiveness ensuing from fewer conferences.

The nonprofit Four Day Week World, which is working a pilot program serving to over 70 UK corporations check a four-day work week, additionally reported related leads to its newest survey of the taking part organizations. In keeping with the survey, 88% of respondents acknowledged that the four-day work week was working “properly” for his or her corporations three months into the six-month trial. As well as, 95% of respondents stated that productiveness has stayed on the identical stage or improved, and 86% stated they had been “doubtless” to think about retaining the four-day work week coverage after the trial ended. 

Find out how to suggest a four-day work week to your boss

Until you are a high-level government in your group, trialing a four-day work week will doubtless require getting your management on board. Listed here are some skilled tips about the best methods to pitch the thought.

1. Compile the information

Earlier than proposing an thought to your group’s management, do your analysis, stated Appleton. Pull collectively the information and the sources, and most significantly, be ready to elucidate why your thought issues. 

“That is the factor with management — they do not need extra work,” Appleton stated. “Come ready with every part you’ve got on the desk as a result of that may be the one probability that you simply get.”

2. Think about how a four-day work week matches together with your firm’s present values

Most “new” concepts are merely an iteration of one thing we have seen earlier than, stated Jenkins. Take a look at your organization’s present core values and see if any of them naturally match with a extra versatile schedule or four-day work week.

For instance, Emtrain already had an infinite PTO coverage earlier than its four-day work week pilot, which meant the corporate was already used to not having workers within the workplace on a strict schedule. Switching to a four-day work week was simply one other step in the identical path for a corporation that positioned flexibility as certainly one of its core values.

“[Ask yourself] what are the issues you have already got in your organization that may lend to extra versatile work, and amplify that,” stated Jenkins.

3. Give attention to enterprise objectives and aims 

On the finish of the day, you will want to point out your boss how a four-day work week will profit the corporate. Pull collectively success tales from different corporations much like the one you’re employed at, and be ready to point out how your proposal will enhance or preserve earnings, whereas probably slicing down on bills and boosting productiveness.

“Include a proposal that is targeted on establishing success after which transferring ahead from that success,” stated Jenkins. “That is at all times very consumable from [a leadership team’s perspective]. As an government chief, in case you deliver me one thing that feels decrease threat, greater reward, and confirmed, it is going to be very exhausting for me to say no.”

4. Recommend a pilot program 

In case your management is hesitant to implement such an enormous change, beginning with a brief pilot is an efficient method to ease right into a four-day work week. 

“Begin sluggish,” advises Jenkins. “Do not attempt to take your organization any sooner or additional than it may be able to go. Pilot it.”

Emtrain and Black Glass each began their four-day work week packages as a pilot, and HireVue did the identical with its biweekly Friday half-day schedule. 

For those who’re searching for a spot to begin, the nonprofit group Four Day Week World is coordinating six-month pilot packages that present coaching, mentoring, and analysis for organizations curious about testing a four-day work week. 

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