What is a 4-day work week?
While the tendency is to take this label literally, our recommendation is that you do not do so; it makes it too easy to dismiss the idea without giving it the consideration that it deserves. For some, it may mean cutting back from five and a half, or even six, days of work per week to five. For others, it may mean reducing the work week to four or even three days per week. For some business owners it may be a personal goal; others may want to bring their entire business along with them on this journey. There are businesses that are, by definition, 24/7, or that must at a minimum be available to their clients throughout the traditional 40-hour work week. For these businesses, it is a shift in the schedule for employees but not for the organization itself. The Do-Be Associates were recently quoted in the Bloomberg News article, The Smart Way to Shift to a Four Day Work Week.
Take our complimentary assessment to see whether the 4-Day Work Week might be right for you and your business.
You can download the 4-Day Work Week for Business Owners assessment here.
Download the assessment, answer “Yes” or “No” to each of the questions, and email it back to the address on the bottom of the first page. You will hear back from us shortly.
Life/Work Balance
Talk of “work/life balance” and of a four-day work week has been around for decades, yet most businesses continue to operate on a five, or even five-and-a-half, day model. Typically, those that have shifted to a four-day week maintain a forty-hour week with employees working ten hours a day. While the additional day off might contribute to employee satisfaction, the longer days can negatively affect innovative thinking, quality, and productivity in the workplace. In reality the work week of many employees from the front lines to the C-suite is even longer than forty hours. Smart phones and other “anywhere, anytime” technologies keep them connected to work, and working, at all hours of the day and night, seven days a week.
The bottom line is, to what degree is there a misalignment between the time spent at work and the time invested in other areas of your life? What are those important things—time with family, travel, leisure activities, etc.—that are sacrificed for the sake of your job? In order to create the alignment that you want for yourself and/or for your employees, what adjustment needs to be made in the hours being worked? That is your definition of a 4-day work week.
You can learn more about the benefits of a 4-day work week on the it’s DO-BE time podcast.
Meeting Smarter
Whether or not a 4-day work week is right for your business, there is no question that every leader wants to improve productivity. For most, the data is clear. Start by meeting smarter. The Do-Be Associates Meeting Smarter program engages key personnel in pre-workshop data collection and a half-day workshop to determine how your organization will implement smarter meeting practices. Find out more here.
Do-Be 4-Day Work Week Services
If you are committed to creating your version of a 4-day work week, the Do-Be Associates are committed to helping you make it come true. From offering DIY (Do It Yourself) guidance to being there with you every step of the way, we understand the importance of creating greater balance in life and we know the journey necessary to achieve and sustain it.
To find out more, write [email protected].