I remember the life changing introductions of the internet and cell phones. I also remember life without these everyday conveniences connecting us to one another and our work 24/7. I remember my parents being 100% available to me as a child once they were home from the office.
At the dawn of a New Year, with 2024 just around the corner, I am excited about the prospect of all of us working a 4-day week! It combines so many of my passions — improving worker quality of life, increasing a company’s profitability and impact, improving societal welfare, saving the environment by reducing emissions, and helping to remove racial and socioeconomic barriers.
This Ted Talk by Juliet Schor, PhD, an economist and sociologist at Boston College, shares a powerful explanation of human behavior and our willingness to squeeze more productivity into less time when the reward is a third day off with 100% pay. Employers succeed by radically reducing turnover and saving money on healthcare costs because employees experience less burnout and have more time for self-care.
I have been watching the 4-day week movement and continue to be excited by the results from the perspective of being a previous corporate recruiter, current business school graduate student, and survivor of mental illness. Championing the cause has also earned me some recognition this year. I am grateful to be a nominee for the 2023 GOAT Award in Employee Wellness from Professionals for Association Revenue. I appreciate also being a finalist for the Community Advocate of the Year Award from PCMA.
You can learn more and become a champion — even change the way your organization is structured by taking a course about how to implement a 4-day week at 4dayweek.com or follow along on LinkedIn linkedin.com/company/4dayweek.
There is a mind-body connection to our joy and wellbeing. Happy employees are better stewards of their employer’s resources and contribute in more meaningful ways to society. Healthier families and communities start with a happier and healthier workforce.
Dayna J.
The 4-day week is the most exciting progress I am watching as we enter a new year. I was introduced to the internet and cell phones in the nineties as a teenager. Today as a 25-year workforce veteran at the midpoint of my career, the possibility of working less by becoming radically more efficient and working smarter makes sense and aligns with my focus on helping others optimize their mental health to achieve more happiness in their lives.
What would you do with an extra day off every week?
How would you spend another 52 free days in the new year?
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