It would be nice if employers could figure out a four-day work week that doesn’t involve basically adding that 5th work day on to the other four in terms of hours and doesn’t involve making less money because you work fewer hours. Four work days (8 hours a day), but the same pay as five. I know it doesn’t feel like it adds up to those who are responsible for paying employees. But if the four-day work week means getting paid only for 32 hours or working 10-12 hours four days a week, you can keep that four-day work week…
Gems:
“We continued to extend it each quarter and a year later when we reflected, we realized we had gotten more done that year than we had in a long time,” said Natalie Nagele, [Wildbit’s] CEO and cofounder.
Getting an extra day provides employees time to regenerate, she added.
“By Monday morning, everyone is kind of running to work. You can process challenges and think through things you were blocked by and then by Monday you feel more empowered to get work done.”
(Ummmmm…pretty sure the only people who are “running to work” on Monday mornings are people who are unhappy in their personal lives and/or with the people with whom they live, and workaholics. Four-day work weeks have nothing to do with it.)
“Burnout is real,” said Lindsay Grenawalt, chief people officer at Cockroach Labs. “When you hire brilliant people, they will give everything to your business. It’s on the business to say, ‘hold on, we don’t want you to burn out. We want you here for the long haul and to do your best work.’ You can’t do that if you are exhausted and angry.”
…perpetual three-day weekends didn’t work for the sales department.
“They have to be available to hit the goals,” said Grenawalt. The sales department does not get Fridays off, but is offered commission and bonuses that are not offered to other departments.
