Going out on a limb here on a Friday . . .
I am a firm believer that businesses should start to shift to a 4-day workweek. Why?
1. Baby boomers for the most part have or are thinking about retiring - so the old adage of 'it's always been that way' is kind of a specious argument. As new generations jump onto the work bus and technology continues to improve, you are going to feel a sea-change from work-harder to work-smarter.
2. It will become a competitive asset when hiring the best people for your business. Who would you rather work for? There's no comparison.
3. I predict per hour productivity will soar when they get the same work done in a smaller amount of time. They will be forced to streamline, delegate, and retire unnecessary activities and focus on what really moves the company forward.
4. Think of the impact of commuting - losing 20% of the commuting traffic will greatly impact your travels. The day-off can be up to the employee - MON or FRI or WED - whatever works. This can apply to retail, manufacturing, service, etc. - spread out the resources and still deliver the products and services.
5. Couple the 4-day workweek with telecommuting. We have seen the impact over the past year on employee productivity, facility financials, and the environment, etc. Also, who loves to come to work when you've spent 2+ hours commuting every day?
6. Your employees will spend less on daycare and spend more time with their families. Your employees will be MUCH happier spending 3 days off and 4 days on -- more time for helping the family as their parents grow older. More time for volunteering for charities and non-profits, more time to educate themselves, and more time to just relax and recharge.
Oh - there are probably some negatives that people will think of -- customer impact, compressed hours/workload, 'this won't work here', and the ever-present fear of employees demanding a 3-day workweek (even though we've had the 5-day, 40-hour workweek for almost 100 years.
What are your thoughts? I would love to hear from you.
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