MGM Resorts Establishes Meeting-Free Fridays

The classic 80’s rock song “Working for the Weekend” is all about people working Monday through Friday so that they can live it up on the weekends. The song takes on a different meaning, however, when applied to the hospitality industry. MGM Resorts is a 24/7 business and we are at peak guest capacity during the weekends. So much so that during the weekdays, the majority of our staff are quite literally working to prepare for the weekend masses. As a result, Fridays are always crunch time.

Having worked my way up in the industry, I’m quite familiar with this dynamic. On Fridays, every second counts and, as a leader, your time needs to be spent problem-solving and making sure your team has everything they need for the coming two days. This work can’t go undone, so when the day fills up with meetings, you’re left burning the midnight oil to ensure everything is in place for the weekend.

This is an unacceptable outcome, both in terms of productivity and work-life balance. At various times throughout our careers, all of us will be called upon to work long hours. But to do so as a standing practice is unsustainable and will lead to burnout. That’s why, earlier this month, MGM Resorts instituted Meeting-Free Fridays company wide.?

As a company, we value our people for their great commitment to guest experience. We know it’s our employees who provide the unmatched hospitality and entertainment offerings for which we’re so widely known. Our new Meeting-Free Fridays policy helps employees balance work-life with home-life and provides them with a designated day to direct their focus in the most impactful and time-efficient way, whether that be through connecting with their teams and guests, creative ideation, or simply uninterrupted work time.

Meeting-Free Fridays is just one of the company’s many people-first initiatives that we’re committed to launching.?I look forward to sharing more information about other improvements to our employee experience in the coming months.