Top Tips to Implement a 4-Day Week

The topic of a 4-day week is finally buzzing in companies!

I am a huge fan of it for many years. Already in 2019, I have written an article about a Danish company which successfully implemented it.

The idea is simple: you work 4 days a week – you are paid for 5 – you do the same amount of work but more efficiently.

More and more companies and countries are implementing officially the 4-day week:

👉  For example, Belgian employees won the right to perform a full workweek in four days instead of the usual five without loss of salary.

👉  In Scotland, a government trial is due to start in 2023 while Wales is also considering a trial.

👉  Companies in the UK who have run a six-month trial of the four-day workweek are now planning to make the shorter workweek permanent, after hailing the experiment as "extremely successful". Sources

👉   The 4 Day Week Global Foundation launched a global campaign and an International pilot program. You will find on their website many studies about it, a hands-on guide and top recommendations to successfully implement a 4-day week - 4 Day Week - Global

This topic is definitely buzzing so let’s find out more…

A few days ago, I interviewed Patrick TUNDO , Founder of ASSYMBA Sarl in Lausanne, Switzerland. He implemented the 4-day week since now 1,5 years with his team and can see the real benefits of it.

Let’s discover what are his “secrets” :

Patrick, what gave you the idea to try the 4-day week?

“I was in my car on a Monday morning going to work and heard a reportage on the radio about different companies in Nordic countries who were trying the 4-day week. It inspired me to give it a try in my own company. 2 hours later I was speaking about it with my team to start the implementation“

How did you implement the 4-day week at Assymba?

“It’s all about being well-organised, having the right mindset and including the team from the beginning.

If collaborators do not believe in it, it won’t work. We reflected together on how we could optimize our work in order to do the job of 5 days in 4 (without working longer hours per day).” - says Patrick

Patrick is paying extra attention that his collaborators are not working more than 8 hours per day. If they do, it has to be for a specific project and no longer than 2 weeks in a row. After max 2 weeks, they have to recover their hours.

🚨 Implementing a 4-day week does not mean that you have to work more during 4 days in order to have your 5th day as a day off!!!

➡️ Here are some of the initiatives that ASSYMBA implemented to make the 4-day week a success:

🟡 They reduced meeting duration: they now only plan 15 or 30-minute meetings instead of the old 60 minutes.

🟡 Therefore, their meetings are much more focused/organised and efficient

🟡 They included the whole team to think about how they could be more efficient

🟡 They handle better the administration work

🟡  They optimize and prioritize their travels (especially when they visit clients in order to optimize their travel times)

🟡 They try to prevent and plan challenges in order to be more efficient and handle unexpected situations better: it saves a lot of energy and work during crisis

🟡 They still continue their “get-together” to foster their relationships at work

🟡 They have the right to disconnect: “when they are off – they are off” no one will contact them during their day off or holidays. That’s why having a well-organised workplace and great communication between colleagues is crucial

“In reality and for a long time, in many companies employees are working mostly 80% instead of 100%”

Patrick does have a point.

We just don’t speak about it but no one is actually productive 100% of their time!

What are the impacts of having a 4-day week?

In his company, Patrick could see many advantages:

👉  + 20% more turnover

👉   Collaborators are more involved, better organised, more motivated

👉   Everyone is more responsible and takes more/better decisions

👉 The work is much more organised: well documented, better handover, more effective communication

👉    People are happy to come to work – even if they have the possibility to work from home when they want, they mostly come to the office.

And on top, Patrick’s company has now more visibility and a great image. Even though he didn’t do it for this purpose, his company attracts more talent.

💡Let’s not forget that it’s getting harder and harder to attract talents. The shortage of skilled workers in Switzerland is now escalating dramatically. As a result, recruiting new staff is becoming a serious challenge for companies (source)

💡Having a positive work environment and adapting to the needs of employees (such as the 4-day week) can be a real asset to attract and retain talents.

➡️ Some facts:

63% of businesses found it easier to attract and retain talent with a 4 day week.

78% of employees with 4 day weeks are happier and less stressed. Source

54% of workers want a 4-Day work week / 64% for Millennials and GEN Z

Are there any negative aspects of the 4-day week / or challenges?

Patrick: “I don’t see any negative aspects to be honest.

It can be challenging when people do not believe in it, that’s why it’s important to be surrounded by people with the right mindset in order for the 4-day week to succeed.

In my opinion, it shouldn’t be an argument for recruitment. At Assymba, we don’t even promote it publicly. New collaborators have to wait 1 year to benefit from the 4-day week. We want first to make sure that they fit into the team.

Do you think it would be possible to implement the 4-day week in a large company?

Patrick: “Yes, as long as employees have the right mindset, are motivated and willing to adapt their way of working”

Implementing a 4-day week in smaller companies such as Patrick’s or other startups might sound of course easier. Smaller companies have more flexibility and are more agile. However, we see larger companies experimenting successfully the 4-day week (such as Unilever in New Zealand  – Microsoft in Japan).

What is your top advice for any team/company that would like to try a 4-day week?

🟡 “Ask yourself: Why do you want to implement a 4-day week? Have the right reasons – Companies should first care for the well-being of their employees and not only focus on the company’s good image 😊

🟡 Adapt it to YOUR business. There is no magic formula, the implementation has to be specific to your industry and type of work. Of course, a 4 -day week might not work for some positions or industries (such as in retail for example). Companies have then to concentrate on other benefits and adapt their company’s culture.

🟡 Find the right tasks to optimize/automate and use the right tools depending on your type of work

Thanks so much Patrick TUNDO , Founder of ASSYMBA Sarl for sharing his experience and wisdom with me. Hopefully, his experience inspired you to start the conversation within your team/division/company.  

And please remember:

Implementing a 4-day week can be wonderful depending on your industry and type of work. However, I truly believe that you need to work first on your company’s culture. Implementing a 4-day week in a toxic team will most probably not work. The employees need first to feel safe, to feel good at their job and need to trust each other.

💡 Once you have a stable and healthy team culture, a 4-day week can elevate your company’s performance to new heights and be the cherry on the top!

If you want to know more about the topic, feel free to reach out!

Written by Aurelie Litynski

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Check my website

Follow me

Watch my TEDx

Subscribe to my Linkedin Newsletter

Instagram

Read my latest articles