Why We’ve Moved to a 4 Day Work Week (and what we’ve found so far!).

After years of dreaming, months of preparation and with much excitement and anticipation, Consult moved to a 4 Day Work Week in June.  The 4DWW movement is building and for good reason – many people and many organisations are ready for change and a new way of working.

So here is why we decided to move to a 4 Day Work Week:

• The health and life balance of our people is paramount.  Without our people being fresh and motivated, they can’t do an awesome job for our community.  So the 4DWW gives everyone an opportunity to catch their breath, take a moment and ensure they are able to be in top form.

• We believe there is power in a team and in being together. The flexi work, WFH environment can be lonely and is not great for anyone in a compromised home environment – ( for example those flatting, with kids, those struggling with mental separation of work and home, new employees).  By implementing a 4DWW, we’ve been able to get the band back together – we benefit from each other’s energy and knowledge, it’s more fun, plus we get catering from Catroux and coffee from Amano which we don’t get at home!  We love being together and helping each other, so we do this in 4 days to give us flexibility on the 5th.

• This whole working gig is changing.  COVID has advanced us more in the way we work than anything else in the last 20 years.  We are more agile, more tech-savvy and more open to new things.  We believe that as an organisation which is people and work-focused, we have to lead the way and try new things.  So we are!

• It’s the right thing to do and the right time to do it.  We fundamentally believe that by embracing good tech and developing our people to their full potential, they will be able to achieve even more than they currently do, while working fewer hours.

• Because we can!  We are so grateful to have a board that is supportive of innovation and new ways of doing things.  Further, they are focused on our overall wellbeing, but also on how we can lift the bar for the entire organisation.

SO HOW IS IT GOING SO FAR??

Well – actually – it’s been great.  We’ve had some wonderful feedback from our people about how it has made a massive impact on their lives already.  We’ve found that people are more motivated and feel like they have more mental space in their week and are more productive.

It’s interesting that we have also just had one of our most successful months.  EVER.

It’s early days and we’ve still got work to do on new tech and ways of being more efficient and effective but we are on our way!

If you’d like to know more about our 4DWW journey let us know.  Further reading is here:

The Atlantic:  Kill the 5 Day Work Week

Forbes:  Will the 4 Day Week Have its Day Post Pandemic?

Inc.:  Kickstarter is moving to a 4 Day Work Week.

Washington Post:  Japan Proposes a 4 Day Work Week

Irish Central: 4 Day Work Week to Be Trialled in Ireland.

Reuters:  Telefonica to Trial 4 Day Work Week.

For more information about the 4 Day Work Week – get in touch with Andrew Barnes at 4 Day Week Global