Four-Day Work Week Aims to Boost Productivity and Work-Life Balance

In work-life balance vs productivity battle, companies must face the music.

Adam Grant , an #organizationalpsychologist and noted authority on the nature of work, recently tweeted:

“To all the companies calling people back to the #office full-time: Don’t mistake presence for performance. Showing up is not a sign of commitment or contribution. It’s an act of compliance. What matters is the value people create, not the place they inhabit. “

I could not agree more with Adam’s conclusion.?But it is not a solution. It does not go far enough. I think he knows of a solution, and he didn’t go there. I am disappointed in him and think he made a mistake in not linking the solution to his conclusion. His voice is too important for him not to push for an answer.

I am willing to posit a solution. I think we can find common ground where #organizations can see positive #productivity and their #employees have the #worklifebalance they desire. I think we can simultaneously bolster the world’s economy, improve people’s lives, and strengthen the foundation of our companies. And we are going to prove it!

Effective September 15,?2023, Birkman is adopting a #fourdayworkweek.??Each employee will work four (4) eight-hour days per week — and those days will be spent in the office. We firmly believe that being together in a shared #workplace increases #collaboration as well as the speed at which we can deliver new products.?

Will this be difficult to implement? Possibly, but I am certain we will meet the challenge.?Together, we will develop the rules of engagement and adapt to new routines. For example, we recognize that many of our clients need us to be available five days a week, so some employees will work Monday through Thursday while others work Tuesday through Friday. We are determined to remain responsive to our colleagues and clients while fostering a work environment and #culture that allows for focused, productive task completion. And I am confident we will succeed.

The Great Philosopher, Steven Stills, wrote the iconic song,?For What it’s Worth, in 1966 while he was still with the band Buffalo Springfield. More than 50 years later, the counterculture anthem is still relevant. No, we are not talking about the Vietnam war or protests, but we are talking about modern society and conflicting views on how we should live and work together.

My favorite verse from the song says:?

There’s battle lines being drawn

Nobody’s right if everybody’s wrong

Young people speaking their minds

Getting so much resistance from behind

Today, you could apply that same verse to the battle being waged over #remote vs. in-office work. The pandemic demonstrated that it is possible to work from home, and employees have enthusiastically embraced the flexibility of working remotely and hybrid schedules.

The pendulum clearly swung over to the flexibility side of the arch.?But being a pendulum, it must reverse at some point to get back to equilibrium. Employers are trying to push it that direction in growing numbers and with a more forceful voice. They are watching the numbers and saying?this is not working for me.

So, the battle lines are drawn — #flexibility vs. #productivity.?Both sides are entrenched, producing studies and statistics that support their position and offer little room for resolution.?Much like the cold war, we are setting ourselves up for Mutually Assured Destruction. If we do not get movement, #employeeturnover will climb and productivity will fall further. The result will be continued inflation, and possibly even stagflation. I believe the time for action is now.

I understand our solution may not work for every company, but I think it could work for an overwhelming majority of organizations. I encourage businesses to rethink how they work and employees to consider what it is they really want. There is a monumental shift happening in how we work today — if business leaders view this time as an opportunity to achieve a win-win, they can restore productivity and improve the quality of their employees’ lives.

I know there are questions in the back of your minds. To these questions, I return to the lyrics of Mr. Stills, “getting so much resistance from behind.” Get out of your head — don’t resist positive change just because it is not how things were done in the past. Both sides are speaking?their?minds. Someone needs to create movement. It’s time to face the music and move forward.