This really is about making the best use of your time (whether leisure or work) saying that if you make the best use of every day – “the life in your days” – you’ll get so much more out of life and for your business.
It came up as I’ve been thinking a good deal over the past month about the 4-day work week that many companies are trialling around the world.
Why? Simply because with Easter, Freedom Day (27th April) and Workers’ Day (observed on 2nd May) the South African economy experienced 4 successive 4-day weeks – something it can ill afford – a decade ago, the cost to the economy of a public holiday was at least R7 billion, so it’s likely even higher today. And one of the quasi-government bodies is currently pushing for another one (Ancestors’ Day), a week after Workers’ Day, which would then be 5 short weeks in a row.
A study, cited here, carried out for financial firm Jefferies among young Americans (22-35) who had recently quit their jobs found 32% of would have stayed if offered a 4-day week, with 80% of respondents overall being in favour of it.
Another survey, here, among 1000 Americans found over 95% in favour of a 4-day week, with 97% believing they’d be more productive. Nearly 60% said they’d make up the time by working an extra 2 hours a day (in effect, what’s sometime called a ‘Compressed work week’) while other benefits people would be prepared to sacrifice included free company-provided healthcare (43%) and unlimited paid time off (38%), with 74% saying they’d switch jobs for this.
It is, of course, still fairly early in the ‘experiment’ on a 4-day work week with most of the companies that have implemented it being smaller, new companies who find it a great way to compete for talent with larger, more established businesses.
So, are we looking at the next major shift in working weeks? It is, after all, a little less than a hundred years since the current 40-hour, 5-day week became standard practice, so has it run its course?
And, if so, what form will this take – a 4-day, 32-hour week, or a 4-day, 40-hour week?
In my next post I’ll explore the pros and cons of the 4-day week and what companies are finding in their implementation. After all, it seems something that many companies might want to consider in this changing business world.
#BusinessFitness #BusinessModels #4DayWeek #Change #Culture #JobSatisfaction #Motivation #Planning #Productivity #Recruitment #Trends #WorkLifeBalance #QOTW
Learn more from these related posts:
- Will Your Business Survive “The Great Resignation?”
- “Happy employees lead to happy customers, which leads to more profits.” — Vaughn Aust
- “Company culture matters. How management chooses to treat its people impacts everything for better or for worse.” – Simon Sinek
- “Attitude, not Aptitude, determines Altitude.” – Zig Ziglar
- “Lack of direction, not lack of time, is the problem. We all have twenty-four hour days.” – Zig Ziglar
- TACK – Effective Business Leadership in a Remote Working World
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