Viewpoints from Claire Letourneau
Finally! The news for which we’ve all been hoping – four-day workweeks are a go! This is not a prank by one of Santa’s elves. This summer, a company in Japan piloted a four-day workweek (drum roll please) and they found that productivity increased by 40%. I’m calling HR. Kidding.
Here’s more good news: this company also saved on electricity expenses, cut out unnecessary meetings, and printed less.
Whether this company makes the policy permanent remains to be seen. You may find yourself waiting for the bad news. There really isn’t any, other than that companies are not racing to implement this policy.
I think this idea is so appealing for the same reason emotional wellness and mindfulness are trending wellness topics. Employees experience far more work-life imbalance than they would like and they’re looking for any option that could improve that. This time of year may be particularly stressful, but work-life balance is a year-round issue that needs to be addressed.
Employees want to work, they want to be successful, they want to be productive – more importantly, they want to thrive in every facet of life. Today’s workforce is struggling to make that a reality.
Whether it’s a four-day workweek, flexibility with work hours or work-from-home policies, the best place to start with efforts to improve employee wellbeing is to get employee input and be open to new ideas. A great benefits consultant can help you get the ball rolling.
