Adjusting The Workplace and Workweek After Covid

Thoughts and Observations About The Four-Day Workweek:

“A 2022 Ernst & Young Global Consulting Services study into the "future of work" surveyed more than 500 U.S. C-suite and business leaders across a range of industries, and found 40% have either started using a four-day workweek or are in the process of implementing one.” Reported February 21, 2023 on NPR by Lauren Hodges – U.S. journalist, radio newscast producer,?associate producer for “All Things Considered”.

“The pandemic changed how (and where) many people work. It has also given momentum to the question of whether the five-day week is standard because it’s best — or whether it’s just the way things have long been done.” Reported on February 22, 2023 for 纽约时报 by Lora Kelley – U.S. journalist.

“…Research from Qualtrics shows that 36% of employees have ‘reduced their ambitions’ and only 22% want to work harder. This data, coupled with the fact that only 57% of employees believe their pay reflects their performance, is a wake-up call for management.” Josh Bersin – U.S. HR consultant

“The Great Resignation is shaking up the workforce while forcing companies to examine what employees want and need to feel satisfied. Much like the Industrial Revolution 100 years ago, the foundation is being laid to change the way we do things forever. Companies can take this opportunity to evaluate ways to introduce flexibility into their work environments and shake up the way things have traditionally been done.” Article posted March 16, 2023 on Indeed – U.S. worldwide job board/employment website by Nikki Carter-Ferry ?? – U.S. writer, editor, publishes the newsletter Will & Way.

“In a recent survey by 德勤 , 77% of respondents said they have experienced workplace burnout at their current job, with even those who are passionate about their jobs feeling frequently stressed at work. … Hundreds of companies, varying in size and industry, have embraced a four-day workweek, but there is no standard template.” Reported February 21, 2023 on Business News Daily by Ross Murdrick – U.S. journalist.

.… “At the beginning, this was about pandemic burnout for a lot of employers. Now it’s more of a retention and recruitment issue for many of them,” said Juliet Schor, an economist and sociologist at Boston College. Her team helped conduct the study with the nonprofit advocacy group 4 Day Week Global; U.K.-based think tank Autonomy, which focuses on issues including the future of work and climate change; and researchers at Cambridge University.” Reported on February 21, 2023 in The Wall Street Journal by Vanessa Fuhrmans – U.S. journalist, deputy bureau chief of The Wall Street Journal's Careers & Workplace bureau.

“The four-day workweek has been gaining momentum around the world in the last year. A majority of employers who've tried the schedule, predominately in Europe, plan to continue to pay employees for 40 hours for 32 hours of work. The decision comes after they tested the waters with a six-month pilot program organized by researchers at Cambridge University, Oxford University and Boston College. In Canada, an overwhelming majority—91 percent—of 1,449 senior managers surveyed by Robert Half favored some type of four-day workweek, although 45 percent favored a four-day week with employees working longer, 10-hour shifts. But is a four-day, 32-hour workweek feasible in the U.S.? "If you asked me three years ago, I would say it was a passing trend, but I think COVID has changed the lens [on] how we work," said Julie Voges, SHRM-SCP, regional managing director of HR at Atlanta-based OneDigital, an insurance, financial services and HR consulting firm. "This is just an iteration of how we work. I think it's inevitable. I think management needs to get its head around it. I think COVID has helped move the needle." U.S.-based organizations with global footprints will need to adapt to remain competitive and have alignment between domestic and internationally based employees, she said. There's also the matter of the employer proposition, which has changed, she pointed out. "Employees have the cards to play … they're demanding more paid time off, they want the hybrid, they want the remote [options]. … Employers have to be really creative in the total rewards package," she said. Very few people, she added, wouldn't be enticed by getting paid 40 hours for 32 hours of work. Employers also are cognizant that the birth rate decline and the number of Baby Boomers leaving the workforce are creating hiring challenges.” Reported for SHRM by Kathy Gurchiek – U.S. journalist.

“Work less, get more. A trial of a four-day workweek in Britain, billed as the world's largest, has found that an overwhelming majority of the 61 companies that participated from June to December (2022) will keep going with the shorter hours and that most employees were less stressed and had better work-life balance. That was all while companies reported revenue largely stayed the same during the trial period last year and even grew compared with the same six months a year earlier, … the companies from industries spanning marketing to finance to nonprofits and their 2,900 workers would respond to reduced work hours while pay stayed the same. Not surprisingly, employees reported benefits, with 71% less burned out, 39% less stressed and 48% more satisfied with their job than before the trial. Of the workers, 60% said it was easier to balance work and responsibilities at home, while 73% reported increased satisfaction with their lives. … For companies that rolled out the shorter work hours — whether it was one less workday a week or longer hours in parts of the year and shorter hours the rest of the time to make an average 32-hour week — revenue wasn't affected, the findings say. Revenue grew 1.4% over the course of the trial for 23 companies that provided adequate data — weighted for the size of the business — while a separate 24 companies saw revenue climb more than 34% from the same six-month period a year earlier. … For all those who participated in the trial, there was a drop in the likelihood of employees quitting, down 57% compared with the same period a year earlier, as well as those calling out sick, down 65% from a year ago, according to the findings.” Reported on February 21, 2023 by Courtney Bonnell – U.S. journalist for? The Associated Press .

“Among the 60-plus companies that participated in the trial, from marketing agencies to financial firms, education services to fish and chip shops, 92% of employers said they would continue with a shorter workweek following the program – with 30% making the change permanent. … the trial didn’t work for every business. Some firms abandoned the experiment; others haven’t yet made the move to adopt the format full-time. Even those firms continuing with reduced hours are navigating new challenges arising from shortened workweeks. Though this reflects a small portion of the trial’s participants, it means the four-day workweek isn’t an automatic solution for all. … In June 2022, Mark Roderick’s engineering and industrial supplies company Allcap joined the UK four-day workweek trial. After operating at full tilt through the pandemic, the managing director of the Gloucester-based firm hoped that the six-month pilot program would mean being able to offer his 40-strong team extra rest days. … Rather than offer workers a three-day weekend like most of the 61 companies on the scheme, Allcap employees would have one workday off every fortnight. ‘We’re a trading business – customers call up all the time for manufacturing and construction components,’ says Roderick. ‘We were already on a slightly reduced headcount, so we couldn’t afford to give staff one day off every week.’ But even with this bespoke four-day week model, Roderick says his firm quickly ran into problems. ‘As opposed to 10 normal workdays, we found that employees would have nine extreme ones – once they got to their scheduled day off they were exhausted. Once we factored in holidays, sickness and caring responsibilities, we also struggled to find cover for an employee on their rest day.’ As a result, Allcap abandoned its trial two months early at its three main trade sites (its warehouse and manufacturing centres have the resources to cope with a four-day week).?… Allcap's Roderick says if he could, he’d reintroduce the four-day week at his firm. Even over-stretched workers prized their extra day off. ‘Even though everyone could see what was happening and were always busy, they were still disappointed when we suspended our trial,’ adds Roderick. ‘If we could recruit more staff without a massive increase to our wage bill, we’d do it tomorrow. We were just too short-staffed to make it work.’” Reported on March 20, 2023 on the BBC News by Alex Christian – U.K. freelance writer.

“The British study isn’t the only one to look at whether a four-day workweek works. Experiments have also been conducted in the United States, Canada, Ireland, New Zealand and Australia. Not everyone is sold. Nick Bloom, a professor of economics at Stanford, said that while the British study raised interesting questions for managers to consider, paying workers full-time salaries for four days of work was “a tough sell to managers and investors” because “most businesses are already trying hard to operate efficiently.” He also noted that the study had involved a small number of firms and that they had volunteered to participate. Some 3,300 workers from banks, marketing, health care, financial services, retail, hospitality and other industries participated in the pilot program.” Reported on February 22, 2023 for 纽约时报 by Lora Kelley – U.S. journalist.

“There are some issues with the four-day work week that can cause problems. Less than 4 in 10 (37%) of the employees surveyed by Qualtrics for a July 2022 Associated Press story would be willing to take a 5% or more pay cut for a four-day workweek . But nearly three-quarters (72%) of those surveyed said a four-day workweek would mean they would have to work longer days. However, 10-hour days often aren’t child care friendly. And if a company offers to pay for only four days of eight hours each, it could indicate a shorter workweek might be the result of a company trying to reduce expenses.” Reported on March 8, 2023 for (Warren, Pennsylvania) Times Observer by John Whitaker – U.S. journalist.

“There are, of course, industries that can't institute shorter hours because they need workers round the clock, such as nurses and first responders. Those workers and others have been walking off the job in the U.K. in recent months demanding better working conditions and pay that keeps pace with the high cost of living.” Reported on February 21, 2023 by Courtney Bonnell – U.S. journalist for The Associated Press .

“For some firms, particularly customer-facing businesses, creating enough slack in the schedule for a four-day week means extra hiring costs – making it prohibitive to move forward with a new model. (Alison Dunn, chief executive of the consumer-advice helpline Citizens Advice in Gateshead says her firm) invested in the equivalent of three additional full-time employees so 45 contact center staff could join the trial. ‘We didn’t want a situation where someone would be excluded from the opportunity,’ she adds. These customer-facing firms often face greater challenges in maintaining four-day workweeks. ‘Some employees can work extended hours during the week to catch up in order to have that extra day off,’ says Dunn. ‘But that’s not available to our contact center team, who have clearly defined opening hours. Their work is heavily monitored with specific KPIs set by our funder that need to be delivered – currently, they can only make marginal gains. … Conversely, Dunn says employees outside the contact center, who can work flexibly, have surpassed targets. ‘In those areas of the business, employees have knocked it out the park, exceeding KPIs and income projections. We’re left with a picture that’s not evenly spread.’ Instead of adopting or rejecting the new set-up outright, Dunn has extended Citizens Advice’s four-day week trial to May. She says unless targets are met by the contact center team, it’s unlikely the shorter workweek will be made permanent in any part of the business. ‘We have 220 employees: I can’t imagine that we’d allow a four-day for some and not for others. Rather than size, the difficulties with the four-day week come in a business's complexity – when you have different ways of operating and offer varied services.’” Reported on March 20, 2023 on the BBC News by Alex Christian – U.K. freelance writer.

“The 40-hour ‘typical’ workweek became the standard the last time we revolutionized the way we work nearly 100 years ago. The Industrial Revolution was a bustling time for the U.S., and with it, labor laws and practices were put to the test. ?Henry Ford was the first to examine productivity and noted that it decreased the more people worked. Because of this finding, he created the standard 40-hour workweek to maintain consistent productivity. In 1938, the Fair Labor Standards Act implemented overtime pay for work over 40 hours and, in turn, deterred employers from scheduling employees to work more than that amount per week. As The Great Resignation forges on, flexibility has become a bargaining tool on both sides of the table. Along with better compensation, job seekers are now going after sustained work-life balance, which can include remote work, holistic benefits and the four-day workweek. In a survey of Americans ages 22 to 35 who had recently resigned from their jobs, 80% of participants supported a four-day workweek. Notably, 32% of them would have remained in their job had this work arrangement been an option. … It’s important to note that while the pandemic did allow many people more flexibility than they had before because of work-from-home allowances, not all workers benefitted. Less than 40% of jobs can be done remotely. … (The online job board Indeed has) seen that 63% of businesses that meet those demands find it easier to both attract and keep people on board. … In Japan, Microsoft tested a four-day, 32-hour workweek and found that although workers were on the clock 20% less than before, productivity jumped by 40%. Employees reported being happier and more focused during working hours, and the company found that people used less time off, among other benefits. As a result, Microsoft Japan has moved to permanently implement the four-day workweek. Reduced costs and overhead - Depending on how companies choose to execute the four-day workweek, there can be a big impact on the bottom line. ?If you implement an across-the-board, three-day weekend, that means that there is now a weekly 72-hour window without operations. That cuts down on utility usage, wear and tear on machines such as printers, and potentially fewer sick days. It also lessens the costs of extras provided, like meals and snacks. For example, Microsoft Japan reduced costs by 23% a month in electricity charges alone while testing the four-day workweek.” Article posted March 16, 2023 on Indeed – U.S. worldwide job board/employment website by Nikki Carter-Ferry ?? – U.S. writer, editor, publishes the newsletter Will & Way.

Some employers who have initiated a four-day workweek:

亚马逊 - Between October 2021 and March 2022, almost one third of job listings for Amazon mentioned offering a four-day work week. While that's a far leap from embracing the trend entirely, it does point to a growing trend in the business world.

Basecamp - Adopted work-from-home in 2012, since 2008 has offered a four-day workweek in the summer. from May 1st through August 31st.

Bolt - In 2021 tested a four-day work week for three months and the results were overwhelmingly positive. Rather than return to the old way of doing things, the company embraced change and adopted the four-day work week for all employees on January 1st, 2022. Bolt still encourages employees to work when they want, but they've made those four days a week “when you collaborate,” so meetings can't get in the way of a perfectly good Friday.

Buffer – Responding quickly to the pandemic, immediately moved to remote hiring and quickly adopted a four-day workweek in May 2020. ?with 91% of employees stating they are happier and more productive after the shift, per a Buffer employee survey, company has fully implemented the policy for the foreseeable future.

DNSFilter - Adopted an every-other-week, three-day weekend policy in October 2021, currently offers fully remote roles.

G2i Inc. - After testing a four-day workweek, decided to implement it permanently citing that it contributes massively to a restful work environment where people can thrive.

Goosechase - Implemented a four-day workweek in June 2021, and while they do acknowledge some challenges for customer-facing roles, they’ve found the benefits far outweigh any cons and plan to continue with it.

Kickstarter - Like most companies, Kickstarter tested the policy before fully committing, and was shocked at how the four-day work week improved the bottom line of the company “through productivity gains that have resulted from staff finding smarter ways to work.” Remaining a fully-remote company, it shifted to a four-day, 32-hour workweek, while still paying workers’ their full salaries.

微软 - Microsoft Japan, which tested out the policy in 2019 and never looked back due to a 40% increase in productivity.?(Though) the US offices haven't followed suit just yet.

MxD (Manufacturing Times Digital) - All employees have the option to work four days a week. In 2021, the company had 54 employees. By the beginning of 2023 there are 76 employees, about a 40% increase with significant employee retention.

Nectafy - Adopted a 32-hour workweek pre-pandemic in January 2020. At present, also has a 100% remote workforce.

Panasonic - Perhaps the largest global company to introduce a four-day workweek so far, the 100-plus-year-old technology and electronics manufacturer decided in January 2022 to offer an optional three-day weekend for employees.

Shopify - …(O)ne of the companies offering employees a four-day work week during the summer. While the company has seen success in productivity with the four-day work week, it hasn't completely committed to providing its Canadian employees with the perk year-round.

ThredUp - Began offering a four-day workweek in 2021, now hires for both remote and hybrid roles at its San Francisco headquarters. Not only did it improve productivity, but thredUP CEO James Reinhart said that it also helped them attract top talent, with more than half of new hires noting the four-day work week is a primary driver in their decision to accept a position with the company.

Topstep - Has offered an optional four-day workweek for its employees since 2020. Employees at the firm are still expected to work 40 hours per week.

东芝 - Allows employees to work four days a week, but still requires 40 hours per week.

Uncharted - Implemented a seasonal 32-hour workweek in June 2020; they support their employees' work-life balance with remote and hybrid work options and flexible schedules.

Data and commentary for above list of companies complied from Indeed , Tech.Co, CBS News , CBS MoneyWatch and WTTW/Chicago PBS

“The five-day workweek is so entrenched in American life that everything, from vacation packages to wedding prices to novelty signs, is built around it. When you live it every Monday through Friday, year in and year out, it can be hard to imagine any other way. But there’s nothing inevitable about working eight hours a day, five days a week (or more). This schedule only became a part of American labor law in the 1930s, after decades of striking by labor activists who were tired of working the 14-hour days demanded by some employers. Indeed, one of the biggest goals of the American labor movement beginning in the 19th century was “an attempt to gain time back,” Erik Loomis, a history professor at the University of Rhode Island, told Vox. Now, there’s a growing conversation about how American workers can take back more of their time. The trauma and disruption of the last three years have prompted a lot of Americans to reevaluate their relationships to work, whether it’s restaurant servers tired of risking their safety for poverty-level wages or office workers quitting rather than giving up remote work. And part of that reevaluation is about the workweek, which many say is due for a reboot. … Over the past few decades, work for many salaried employees has ballooned far beyond 40 hours a week, thanks to a combination of weakened labor laws and technology that allows bosses to reach workers at any time of the day or night. At the same time, low-wage and hourly workers are frequently subject to unpredictable schedules that can change at a moment’s notice, and may not give them enough hours of paid work to live on. Today’s work schedules, with their combination of “overwork and then no work,” in many ways mirror the conditions that preceded the reforms of the 1930s, Loomis said. Then as now, the country may be ripe for a change. … In the 19th century, many factory and other low-wage workers were at work nearly all the time. The workweek was whatever your employer said it was, which “could be 14 hours a day, it could be six days a week, it could be seven days a week,” Loomis said. In “strike after strike after strike,” he explained, workers fought for a more livable schedule, a push exemplified by the 1880s slogan, “eight hours for work, eight hours for rest, eight hours for what we will.” They won some victories — the 福特 , for example, reduced its workweek from 48 to 40 hours in 1926 (though that may have been more about Henry Ford’s conviction that fewer hours made workers more productive). But it wasn’t until the 1930s that the Great Depression and more mass strikes convinced President Franklin Delano Roosevelt and reformers in the federal government that something had to change. The result was the Fair Labor Standards Act, passed in 1938, which — among other reforms — required overtime pay for many employees if they worked more than 40 hours a week. There were exceptions — farm workers, for example, were not guaranteed overtime — but for millions of workers, the eight-hour day and five-day week became the law of the land.” Reported February 22, 2023 on Vox by Anna North – U.S. journalist, novelist.

“The pandemic forced a new level of flexibility on many in the workforce with a quick, non-negotiable transition to remote work—a change that isn’t going away anytime soon. ?So, what do these changes look like? For one, the workforce is seeking increased flexibility in new and different ways. Meanwhile, employers are being challenged to become more competitive. Pay, benefits and flexibility are key considerations for companies looking to avoid The Great Resignation and lean into what we call The Great Realization. Among the work-life balance perks that are becoming more commonplace, more companies are testing and implementing the four-day workweek, and everyone is feeling the benefits.” Article posted March 16, 2023 on Indeed – U.S. worldwide job board/employment website by Nikki Carter-Ferry ?? – U.S. writer, editor, publishes the newsletter Will & Way.

“This 4-day workweek period is about well-being, mental health, and placing us as humans and our families first.” Joel Gascoigne – U.S. business entrepreneur, Co-founder and CEO of Buffer .

“I think being a pioneer is never easy, but I think if you take a first principles approach to how do you design work, ultimately what you find is?that employees who are well rested, engaged, happy and stable have longevity at the company.” James Reinhart – U.S. business entrepreneur, CEO and co-founder of ThredUp .

“We must support the wellbeing of our employees.” Yuki Kusumi – Japanese business executive, CEO of Panasonic .?

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