This may sound politically incorrect, but the pandemic pushed Corporate America to make powerful employee-empowering changes to the workplace that enhanced the lives of millions of people.
Only two years ago, it would’ve been unimaginable to believe that we could successfully work remotely at scale. Now remote, hybrid, flexibility (you can choose when and where you work), digital nomads and relocating to lower cost locations at the same pay all became acceptable and commonplace.
In this tight, competitive job market, with millions of jobs left unfilled and large numbers of people quitting, in pursuit of better opportunities, leaders recognize that they need to offer enticements and incentives to attract, recruit and retain top talent. Money is clearly important, but having a healthy work-life balance is also crucial for people, especially in this stressful, anxiety-ridden environment. The four-day workweek is a great way to show workers that they’re valued and appreciated.
In a radical, revolutionary move, Ryan Breslow, the young dynamic founder and CEO of Bolt, a fast-growing fintech unicorn, with a mission for “changing the world of e-commerce by fixing a spot with the most headaches: checkout,” exemplifies this newly emerging trend. Breslow, heading a multibillion-dollar tech company, made a big bet on the belief that in taking good care of his team, they’ll happily outperform. The pilot program was a phenomenal success and the company has now transitioned to a permanent four-day workweek.
Other great companies have put in place abbreviated workweeks, but sometimes you need a big-name organization to gain mass attention to a movement, which will inspire other business leaders to shift toward the shortened workweek.
For decades, we were herded into crowded buses and trains, commuting over two hours a day to get to the office. Once there, you’re stuck in a skyscraper building with windows that are hermetically sealed, blinded by staring at a computer screen for over eight hours under harsh fluorescent lighting. Your micromanaging boss is constantly looking over your shoulder to ensure that you’re working. It’s all about face time and not productivity. To feel important, bosses schedule lots of meetings. There’s a meeting to discuss the upcoming meeting, the meeting itself and then the after-meeting debriefing meeting. This old-school style of working is punishing and exhausting.
A two-day weekend is not sufficient to recharge after a long, tedious workweek. One day consists of running errands, shopping for groceries, doing the laundry, tending to your children, doing work around the house or yard and the endless list of chores. You’re probably checking Slack and emails and doing catch-up work on Sunday night. Monday morning rolls in and you’re still exhausted.
Breslow says that by providing time away from the office to rest and recuperate, people will return to work with greater energy and enthusiasm. They won’t be like the “zombies” you see at the office or on Zoom video calls, dragging themselves through the workday with great fatigue.
Breslow believes that “increased balance leads to increased output.” He said, “The biggest problem with remote work wasn’t people working less, it was people working way too much.” The tech founder “flipped the script,” rationally pointing out that “when your team is healthy, your organization is healthy.”
With a truncated workweek, employees are more conscious of how they allocate their time. Each meeting is scrutinized to determine if it’s an appropriate usage of everyone’s valuable time. Just like a sporting event that entails a clock, workers, like athletes, need to intentionally and judicially spend their precious time. By reducing meeting time, not feeling the pressure to be present only to impress the boss, it improves the mental health and well-being of people and greatly enhances productivity.
Breslow posed the question, “What if we worked like lions?” Like the king of the jungle, people can operate with “short bursts of energy, high intensity and then rest and recover for the next sprint.” With a four-day workweek, he believes employees will have more energy and become much more productive. “With a four-day workweek, we can feel confident going all in on those four days. We can truly give it our all.”
Instead of playing the game, watching the clock tick down to 5 p.m., when you could dash out of the building or log off the computer at home, results are more important than face time. He says about this business philosophy, “High performance isn’t about how much you put in; it’s how much you get out.”
A number of countries and companies have been experimenting with four-day workweeks. The governments of Iceland, Spain, Scotland and Japan have instituted abbreviated workweeks. Companies, such as Kickstarter, Unchartered, Microsoft Japan, Unilever, Perpetual Guardian, the Wanderlust Group, Elephant Ventures, Tower Paddle Boards and Digital Enabler are some of the businesses that initiated or plan to pilot a four-day workweek. Congressman Mark Takano (D-Calif.) proposed legislation for a three day weekend.
- Here are some of the results from Bolt’s pilot program:4% of employees and 91% of managers are in favor of continuing the four-day workweek
- 86% have been more efficient with their time
- 85% of managers reported that their teams are able to hit their objectives and key results
- 84% say their work-life balance has improved
- 84% have been more productive at work
- 80% have been able to eliminate unnecessary meetings
Jennifer Christie, chief people officer at Bolt, offered her advice on companies seeking to try out a four-day workweek. Christie said that management should start slowly with a pilot program. There’s no need to go all-in right away. Ensure that this type of program is a fit for the corporate culture. Start with a two-to-three-month experiment. Have clear goals of what you want to achieve with the abbreviated workweek. Train leaders how to manage this new type of work style. Ask for feedback from employees. Be understanding and empathetic, as people will need time to acclimate to this new culture. Listen, learn and make adjustments when needed.
