Thousands of workers across the U.S. are enjoying their first Friday off for the next six months in an experiment to test a four-day workweek.
It’s part of a worldwide effort launched by 4 Day Week Global, a nonprofit associated with the University of Oxford that helps companies execute and measure the impact of a four-day workweek. This year, 38 companies in the U.S. and Canada are taking part in the program, with most running from April 1 through September.
Participants and observers around the world hope that if this six-month experiment works out, a four-day workweek could become a reality for a lot more people.
How it works
Through the 4 Day Week Global program, businesses go through workshops to figure out more efficient ways of working, get matched with a mentor company that’s done it before, and in the U.S. will work with researchers at Boston College to measure changes in productivity and employee well-being over time.
Most companies reduce the workweek to 32 hours over four days, rather than maintaining 40 hours within four days. The nonprofit calls this a 100-80-100 model: Workers receive 100% of their pay for 80% of the time and maintain 100% productivity.
One company taking part is Kickstarter, where chief strategy officer Jon Leland says piloting a shorter workweek is a next logical move after it became a fully remote company last year.
Leland says a lot of companies will think moving to a shorter workweek requires a top-down approach, when really he believes getting it right requires a grassroots effort. Managers have to be clear what their priorities and expectations are, but then workers and teams should feel empowered to figure out how to work more efficiently, like by reducing meetings and figuring out what tasks can be automated or eliminated.
“A lot of it is better management and being focused on the priorities and expectations of work so teams don’t spend as much time navigating ambiguity,” Leland says. That way, “when they do show up, they know exactly what they can do, they can do it, and then they can leave and go back to their families.”
Leaders also have to model good boundaries, he adds — as a manager, you might want to rethink sending Slack messages and emails on a Friday if it can wait.
