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Embracing the Four-Day Work Week

The concept of a four-day work week is stirring up significant interest globally, challenging traditional norms and promising a revolution in work-life balance and productivity. As we navigate the post-pandemic world, the push towards this model has gained momentum, with various countries pioneering the change and reaping its benefits.

Historical Shifts and Modern Productivity

The evolution from a six-day to a five-day work week marked a significant milestone in our pursuit of balancing work and life. With Henry Ford’s endorsement in the early 20th century, the five-day work week became a standard, heralding a new era of employee welfare and efficiency. Today, we stand at another pivotal moment, as studies reveal a 400% productivity increase since the inception of the five-day work week, challenging us to rethink how we can achieve even greater efficiency and well-being in our professional lives.

The Global Perspective: Lessons Learned

Countries like Spain, the UK, New Zealand, Belgium, and Japan have led the way in adopting a four-day work week, with remarkable outcomes. A Bloomberg study highlighted a seamless transition for over 70 UK companies, with a majority reporting substantial success in this new schedule. Closer to home, PRAXIS, a Toronto-based marketing communications agency, joined the 4-Day Week Global trial, aligning with 59 other North American companies to explore this model’s potential.

Tangible Benefits: Beyond Wellness

The shift to a four-day work week transcends employee wellness, offering substantial business advantages. From Perpetual Guardian’s 20% productivity boost in New Zealand to Microsoft Japan’s 40% productivity increase and significant reductions in operational costs, the evidence is compelling. This model not only promotes employee well-being but also drives efficiency and sustainability, presenting an attractive proposition for businesses and employees alike.

Managing the Shift: A Strategic Approach

Embracing a four-day work week requires planning and change management. Here’s how I propose to navigate this transformative journey:

The first step is understanding the current state of your organization. This involves assessing cultural readiness, existing workloads, and operational efficiency. It’s about asking the right questions: Are we operating at peak efficiency? Can certain tasks be automated or streamlined? This phase sets the groundwork for a successful transition by identifying potential barriers and opportunities for optimization.

With a solid understanding of your organization’s readiness, the next step is detailed planning. This involves setting clear objectives, defining success metrics, and developing a roadmap for implementation. Planning should also include stakeholder engagement, ensuring that all levels of the organization are informed and onboard with the proposed changes.

Before a full rollout, a pilot program is essential. This controlled trial allows you to test the four-day work week with a select group of employees, providing invaluable data on its impacts. Key performance indicators (KPIs) should be monitored closely, including productivity levels, employee satisfaction, and any operational challenges that arise. The pilot phase is crucial for fine-tuning the approach before a wider implementation.

Armed with insights from the pilot, the launch phase involves rolling out the four-day work week across the organization. This should be done gradually, allowing for adjustments based on departmental needs and feedback. Communication is key during this phase, as is continued monitoring of the same KPIs tracked during the pilot.

Finally, the sustainment phase focuses on embedding the four-day work week into the organization’s culture. This includes regular reviews of KPIs, continuous improvement initiatives, and maintaining open lines of communication with employees. The goal is to ensure the change is not only successful in the short term but is sustainable and beneficial in the long run.

Looking Ahead

As we stand on the brink of a potential work culture revolution, the four-day work week promises a future where efficiency and well-being are not mutually exclusive but mutually enhancing. The global and local evidence underscores the feasibility and benefits of this model, offering a blueprint for organizations ready to embrace change.

For those intrigued by the possibility of a four-day work week and seeking to understand the intricacies of such a transition, including insights from leaders who have embarked on this journey, I invite you to listen to our latest episode of Reroute Reflections. Join us as we delve deeper into this transformative topic and explore how your organization can navigate the path to a more balanced, productive, and satisfying work life.

For a deeper dive into the intricacies of this transformation, including personal insights and listener questions, I invite you to listen to our latest episode of the Reroute Reflections podcast. Join us as we explore the future of work and how we can collectively navigate these changes for a brighter, more balanced tomorrow.

Productivity Redefined in a Post-Pandemic World

As we continue to adapt and learn in this post-pandemic world, one thing is for certain: change is inevitable. Workplaces have shifted to remote environments, Zoom has become the central hub for meetings, and casual conversations around the proverbial watercooler have vanished. Despite a growing trend of employers urging employees to return to the office, a significant portion, around 30-50%, is expected to continue working from home. While remote work offers benefits such as reduced commute times and increased family time, employees have reported longer working hours, heightened stress levels, and diminished engagement. We believe that the way productivity has been traditionally defined plays a significant role in these challenges.

While having a productive workforce is important, focusing too much on productivity can lead to burnout, loss of work-life balance, reduced creativity, undue stress and anxiety, and turnover. Firms are always looking for new ways of leveraging the wellness benefits of remote work with the business benefits of in-person collaboration. The focus should also be on how to approach productivity in the workplace to keep up with the changing times. Maintaining productivity is difficult because various factors of work and the work environment are in flux. The notion of a 9-to-5 workday is evaporating, and the tools available to get the work done are almost limitless and evolving quickly. Employees are part of an interdependent web of people who all contribute to deliver a finished product. As a result, the productivity of a workplace is affected by the work environment, culture, job satisfaction, and job performance.

So how do we maintain a balanced approach to ensure high performance?

Recognizing that every individual is different and that workplace dynamics are ever-changing is key to fostering balance and high performance. Google, for example, has implemented remote work options, “focus hours” to limit internal meetings, and “Reset Days” to help employees recharge. Google CEO, Sundar Pichai, said that he is excited about the changes and believes that as time goes on, people and teams will figure out the best solutions in terms of how, where and when they work.

The first step that leaders can take today to implement this change is by first researching the options available, testing out an approach, and monitoring the results. Adjustments should be made as needed. Gaining clarity on workplace issues is essential for determining appropriate solutions. Building trust and providing a safe space for employees to fail and learn is crucial.

Remember adapting to a new mindset involves leaving the old identity behind and embracing the change. In a hybrid work environment, the focus should be on performance rather than hours logged. Prioritizing quality over quantity can and will improve job satisfaction and performance.

In conclusion, leaders must trust their employees and work as a team to ensure everyone’s success. Leadership effectiveness is the most critical determinant of employee productivity. People typically work in complex organizations with interdependencies among individuals. It is often these relationships that most impact personal productivity. Ultimately, an organization’s success can be measured not only by short-term metrics but also by supporting well-being, collaboration, and innovation while enabling individuals, teams, and the organization to achieve their goals.

Job-Hopping. Threat or Opportunity?

A major trend happening in the business world is job-hopping among millennials. Millennials are people who were born between 1981 and 1996. One survey reported that employers expect 45% of their newly hired college grads to remain with the company for under two years, and the study showed that by age 35, about 25% of junior employees will have worked five jobs. The main reason for this job-hopping trend is that millennials are looking for more meaningful and impactful work that will make them feel purposeful. Gallup is reporting that a staggering 87% of employees worldwide are disengaged at work.

As seen during the pandemic, it is more important than ever for people to find jobs that challenge them, allow them to learn, and make an impact. Otherwise, as the Great Resignation proved, employees are prepared to find work elsewhere. In fact, according to Gallup, millennials are the most willing to act on better opportunities; 36% report that they will look for a job with a different organization in the next 12 months.

Employers need to be willing to make a change and invest in their most valuable assets to ensure they feel valued. This goes beyond competitive compensation and benefit packages, firms need to consider a more holistic approach. A recent Gallup report confirms that claim. Organizations that invest in their employees have seen absenteeism down 41%, profitability up by 21%, sales productivity increased by 20%, and overall quality of work increased by 40%.

So how do we solve the job-hopping threat?

Well, what if we stop thinking about job-hopping as a threat, but rather an opportunity.

Job-hopping provides employees with an opportunity to become well-rounded and develop a deep and thorough understanding of all parts of the business. They are exposed to a variety of roles and responsibilities and as such, can provide significant value to the organization.

If employees prefer job-hopping, why not find ways to embrace it? New employees are learning to make significant impacts at a faster pace than ever before and instead of trying to fight against the trend, organizations may want to consider a “join them” mentality instead.

Perhaps introducing a job rotation program aimed at encouraging top performing “job-hoppers” to stay within the organizations while also being able to scratch the proverbial itch to try something new. The program should focus on providing employees with exposure to different departments in the company and providing them with ample opportunities to expand their skill sets to help them continuously learn and grow within the company.

If you’re finding it difficult to retain top millennial talent this may be a strategy to consider. While it is specifically aimed at retaining top talent within the organization, you may very well find that it becomes a solid talent acquisition strategy. The change associated with this transformation will be complex and require significant investment to launch successfully, but how can one argue that an investment in a company’s most valuable assets is not worthwhile?

If you are embarking on a similar strategy, contact us today. We can help!

The 4-Day Work Week: Is It Just a Dream?

What are the benefits and risks associated with this change?

One of the most popular trends in the global corporate world is the 4-day work week. In Canada, we have yet to adopt this model, though it has been adopted in other countries, including Spain, the UK, New Zealand, Belgium, and Japan. A Bloomberg study reported that 78% of leaders at over 70 UK companies that shifted to four-day schedules said their transition was good or “seamless”. Most (88%) said that four-day schedules are working well.

This concept is getting the attention of senior management as firms try to reduce their turnover rate and stay competitive amidst the aftereffects of the COVID pandemic. Locally, one Toronto company, PRAXIS, a marketing communications agency, announced it will join the 4-Day Week Global trial, along with 59 other North American companies.

Iceland has been piloting the four-day work week since 2015, they have seen significant improvements in overall employee well being following this change. Employees were less likely to suffer from workplace stress, anxiety, depression, and burnout. This has been further substantiated by Gallup, who conducted a poll in March 2020 and found that people working four-day weeks reported lower levels of burnout and higher levels of well-being compared to those working five- or six-day weeks.

However, this is more than just an employee wellness play, there are significant business benefits associated with this change. For example, a New Zealand company, Perpetual Guardian, reported a 20% productivity increase after switching to a four-day work week. Similarly, in Japan, Microsoft reported that implementing a four-day workweek led to a 40% boost in productivity compared to the previous year. Furthermore, one less day of work is one less day the lights are on at the office. Microsoft Japan saw a 23% reduction in electricity consumption and a 59% reduction in paper printing after implementing a four-day workweek.

A recent Gallup report estimated that millennial turnover costs the U.S. economy $30.5 billion annually. According to that same report, millennials rank work-life balance high on their list of priorities when considering employment options. A work schedule that provides employees with an additional non-workday a week may be attractive to your workers.

It’s clear that the 4-day work week has the opportunity to provide both employees and firms with a significant amount of benefits. However, implementation of a change of this magnitude is highly complex and there are risks that must be managed effectively. However, if you have the right tools and support to manage the change, the 4-day work week could be a blessing for your firm and employees.

Are you thinking about implementing a 4-day work week across your organization? Contact us, we can help!

‘Quiet quitting’ is a signal for change

What is the root cause and how can firms address it before it’s too late

Quiet quitting is the new trend wreaking havoc on the corporate world. First, we experienced the Great Resignation, which is far from over in my opinion, and now, employees are actively reducing their level of productivity as a form of protest to their employers who have failed them; failed to provide an acceptable level of work-life balance by continuing to overwork them without regard to the mental and physical health repercussions.

At what point are we going to stop and say, “enough is enough” and start to make real change to improve the lives of employees. They are your most valuable asset and you’ve neglected that fact for too long. If employees are en mass consciously choosing to do the bare minimum, that’s on the employer, not on them. If you don’t agree, you’re part of the problem.

There has always been a myth surrounding productivity and employee engagement. Traditional employers believe that the two are negatively correlated, meaning that we can’t achieve both increased productivity and increased employee engagement. That is not true. In fact, the truth is that the only way to generate sustainable, the key word being sustainable, increases in productivity is through a relentless pursuit of continually improving the employee experience.

Now, I don’t mean stamping “we’ve heard you” across every corporate communication that comes from the CEO. I’m talking about a real focus on the employee experience. Understanding what your employees want and need and delivering it. If you think the investment isn’t worth, I’d ask what investment is worth more than the engagement of your employees. Firms invest in new innovations every day to improve the lives of their customers. Who is ultimately responsible for the customer experience at your organization? You guessed it, your employees. Treat employees with the respect and dignity they deserve, and the returns will be ten-fold, mark my words.

Where to start is often the most difficult task for any change. Here are six areas that have the most significant impact on the level of employee engagement. It’s likely that one or more are areas of opportunity that should be investigated further.

Roles & Responsibilities

A clear articulation of what your employee’s roles and responsibilities are can significantly influence their level of engagement. It prevents feelings of uncertainty and allows them to focus their efforts on what’s expected, rather than spending all their time “putting out fires” for others.

Autonomy

Employees need to have the autonomy to make decisions and be held accountable for the outcomes. Furthermore, the means to which performance is evaluated must be measurable, transparent and objective. Leaders oftentimes use judgement alone to determine the quality of performance, however that creates subjectivity that oftentimes leads to conflict. An employee believes their work was impeccable, only to find out it’s not what their leader expected. Let’s be honest, how many times has that happened to you?

There seems to be this trend toward compartmentalization which has reduced the level of autonomy for employees over the years. Employees no longer have full autonomy to make decisions, fail, try again and improve. Instead, there is this culture of “never fail” that has permeated the corporate landscape which makes innovation and engagement impossible to achieve. Employees who seek remote levels of autonomy are forced to enter the start-up space and that needs to change.

Continuous Improvement

The concept of continuous improvement in terms of how things are done and continuing to educate employees and leaders on topics that are relevant to their work and development goals are crucial to ensure they continue to bring forward new ideas to help the firm and team innovate.

Some organizations might say that they support continuous learning, but is there a package of required learning that employees in different groups are required to complete prior to onboarding (excluding entry level positions)? Are new packages developed as the industry matures for new and existing employees? Do they receive dedicated time away from work to complete these sessions and are they given the opportunity to apply what they learned on the job?

Employees are “ASSETS” not “COSTS”

I’ve talked about this at length already but it’s important to emphasize again.

I have seen time and time again that when an employee leaves an organization, they are often immediately replaced. There is little done to retain the individual; determine whether there are areas within the company that would be a better fit, attempt to understand what went wrong or provide any support for them as they embark on a new journey.

It is my belief that employees hold an immense amount of knowledge that is both unique and highly transferable across organizations. A number of employees I think underestimate how transferrable their knowledge is, which keeps them loyal. But that’s not how you want to retain employees. You want employees to want to be part of your organization and to do that you need to treat them like the assets they are. How is your organization doing this? What is attracting employees to the company – and I don’t mean the bare minimum that all other employers are providing like benefit packages, share ownership plans and the like. If you deliver the bare minimum, why are you so surprised when your employees do the same.

It’s time for a change…

If after reading through this you feel like your organization can use some help. I’m sure you’re not alone and in this era of the Great Resignation and, now, Quiet Quitting, this is likely something that should be tackled sooner rather than later.

This requires dedication of all levels, from senior executives to line managers. However, it’s not impossible if you spend time trying to understand the problem, testing out solutions and remain laser focused on sustainment efforts. Employee experiences, like customers, evolve rapidly and the organization needs to be flexible enough to adjust their approach quickly in order to ensure the employee experience isn’t ever compromised. This is easier said than done, however if you’re committed enough to making a sustainable change for your employees then anything is possible.

Need help improving the engagement of your team? Contact us, we can help!