The way things were, is not the way things are. So why are we clinging to the 9 – 5?

This isn't a group benefits blog post. It's more of a work perk, culture, burnout, examining why society is clinging to a work structure that's no longer working.  I suspect it has a lot to do with not wanting to change and internal bias.  I did a blog post about risk and change that applies to this situation. 

We’re at a space in time where the classic 9-5 is being revaluated. Are there better ways to work? One of the ways being tested around the world is the 4 days workweek. Most think of this as a 32 hour week, not 40 hours condensed into 4 days. But that is an option being tested and applied as well. There’s other ways to rethink the 9-5, flexible working hours is one. But here I recap some of the findings on the 4 day week.

Recently in the news was an update on the worlds largest trial of a 4-day workweek. Back in June over in the UK, over 3300 workers across 70 companies are taking part in the trial that gives workers 100% ay for logging 80% of their normal hours.

Previous to this, Unilever, Panasonic, and Microsoft all did their own trials with great success. Microsoft said it’s experiment saw productivity surge 40% Iceland famously trialed the 4 day workweek with over 2500 public sector workers and it was an overwhelming success. the results found that a reduction of working hours maintained or increased productivity across all sectors in the economy. The findings also indicated improved wellbeing and work-life balance among workers.

In 2018 a trial at Perpetual Guardian in New Zealand found engagement levels rose between 30 and 40 percent, work-life balance metrics rose by 44 percent, empowerment by 26 percent
Why try this?

1. You help employees have a better life
2. You help increase gender equality by enabling a better distribution of caring responsibilities between parents and guardians.
3. You help yourself as the company drive better productivity
4. You help the environment (less commuting) and in the GenZ/Millennial post we saw how important this is. 

The early verdict is in – it’s a life changer.  People are rested and engaged, and companies aren’t losing productivity or profit.  One participant said “I don’t want to prejudge the outcome of the pilot, but I'd be surprised if we got to the end of this and said,  - right let's go back to our old way of working”.

4 Day Week Global is a not-for-profit community that provides a platform for people interested in supporting a 4 day week as part of the future of work. Some of their findings include

1. 63% of business found it easier to attract and retain talent
2. 78% of employees are happier and less stressed.

In the service industry, fast-casual restaurant chain Dig started its own pilot of a four-day workweek in September 2020 and announced after 18 months that they were implementing the schedule full-time.

This doesn’t come without any headaches – you of course have change management to deal with. Beyond that, figuring out the best new scheduling pattern will take some trial and error. You also need to consider what to do with employees who were already working on a reduced schedule. You also have to balance the pressure to perform in a shorter amount of time and the ability to track productivity changes… or do you?

It’s also not a miracle fix. If burnout is a problem, it probably still will be. If you don’t address the core of the issue (in burnout’s case that’s complex – flexibility, feeling valued, the literal workload) a shorter work week won’t solve the problem.

If you do want to try this 4 Day Week Global recommends:

• Give clients a heads-up that you are introducing a flexible working week and an assurance that there will be no drop-in client service.
• Plan for staff to take different ‘rest days’ to ensure clients and customers always have access to key personnel during standard business hours.
• Be clear that the policy has to benefit shareholders as well as employees.
• Understand that there are better ways to work than the traditional nine-to-five work week.
• Don’t introduce a flexible working week just to look good.
• Be consistent in your messages to staff and clear that staff must meet, or exceed, performance expectations.

Here's the recap on the large study happening now from CTV News

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