Companies should explore implementing a 32-hour, four-day work week with no reduction in pay, aiming for 100% productivity (100-80-100 model) or accepting slightly less output (100-80-80 model), as this significantly improves employee well-being, reduces burnout, and boosts retention.
Companies should systematically scrutinize all tasks, documents, and approval steps (process engineering) to identify and eliminate time-wasting activities, bottlenecks, and inefficiencies, which is crucial for maintaining productivity in a shorter work week.
Drastically reduce the number, duration, and attendance of meetings, and create dedicated ‘focus time’ for employees to work without interruptions, as these changes are key to improving productivity and reducing stress in a condensed work week.
Senior leadership should make decisions earlier and provide more detailed instructions to teams, while teams should prioritize documenting processes (e.g., customer service solutions) to avoid repeated work, prevent burnout, and handle increased demand more effectively.
If a 4-day work week leads to significantly reduced employee turnover, companies can leverage this stability by offering clients guaranteed team consistency in contracts, potentially earning bonuses and securing more business from existing clients.
Employees should not assume a 4-day work week is impossible; proactively start conversations with their boss or co-workers, presenting evidence of its benefits, as a significant portion of senior executives are open to the idea.
Dedicate extra free time to leisure activities, hobbies, and relaxation without guilt, as this is shown to significantly improve overall well-being, mental health, and life satisfaction.
Utilize additional free time to engage in more exercise, recognizing its crucial role in enhancing well-being and happiness.
Prioritize getting more sleep or catching up on rest, as an extra day off can reduce the frenetic pace of other days and the need to recover on weekends, contributing to better physical and mental health.
Use newfound free time to connect with family and friends, as increased time at home and with loved ones can significantly boost satisfaction with relationships.
Access online resources and organizations (e.g., workfor.org) that provide guidance, evidence, and communities of practice for implementing a 4-day work week, or invite experts to speak to your team.
Actively question and work against the cultural expectation that employees must always prioritize work over family and personal life, as this norm fuels stress, burnout, and work-life conflict.
For roles with inherently high intensity and little ‘slack,’ use the extra day off primarily for decompression and rest, as this directly combats burnout and improves overall performance and patient/customer outcomes.
Listen to ‘This is Uncomfortable’ every Thursday on your favorite podcast app to navigate the practical and emotional sides of money through shared stories.
Listen to ‘The Happiness Lab’ to hear about decision-making and advice on how to make choices that more closely match your values.