5 Steps for Adopting a Four-Day Workweek

1: Clarify what you mean by a four-day workweek and what you hope to achieve:-

Different organizations handle this differently. t's important to be clear at the outset what your intention is and to clarify exactly what you hope to achieve An upfront assessment on the benefits potential drawbacks impact to operations and overall cost are critical.

But don't try to come up with all of the answers yourself, Flexible Work Revolution Can Increase Productivity, Profitability and Wellbeing, and Create a Sustainable Future while maintaining their pay.

The organization's goals, he said, should include input from employees about what they are expecting to get out of a four-day week.

Leaders tend to want to step in and come up with all of the solutions, but, in fact, HR and leaders need to "get out of the way." Instead, let employees take the lead in determining how they will work differently to get their jobs done in a four-day week.

You have to have the confidence to let your team come up with the solutions. That is absolutely critical

Once you've clearly identified specific goals and objectives, determine how you will measure the effectiveness of the effort. What specific metrics will you monitor? What needs to be done is quite simple,

• look at revenue

• profitability

• profit per employee

• net promoter score and

• feedback from customer service

2: Consider the potential impact on your customers:- 

Two critical areas that must not be negatively impacted by the move to a four-day workweek productivity and customer service.

3: Consider policy and wage and hour issues:-

Overtime laws—require overtime pay not just for hours beyond 48 in a workweek but also beyond a daily threshold, which is usually eight hours but sometimes 10 or 12 In creating the four-day workweek, HR will be instrumental in helping to determine exactly how this will work.

As is the case with any flexible work arrangement, clear guidelines and parameters on how the program will work need to be established which should include who qualifies for the modified schedule and the steps for putting the schedule into place Policies, she said, should also account for any potential effects on leave, time off and overtime, with details on how those components will be administered and managed. Policies should also address any impact or changes to benefits eligibility that may result.

There may also be additional complexities and risk associated with managing leaves and extended workdays may have implications

Another issue to consider: Companies with collective bargaining environments may be limited in how they're able to redefine the workweek.

Organizations may also want to build flexibility into policies and define the conditions under which an individual employee may need to change this schedule to accommodate operational demands, peak business periods or customer needs.

4: Don't overlook the importance of communication and training:-

A move to a four-day workweek has to come as a policy statement from the top of the organization, ideally the company's senior leader. This statement should be tied to the results that the company wishes to achieve.

5: Try out the concept before implementing it fully:-

The final step—a trial implementation—is an opportunity to see how the shift will work, company has an opportunity to evaluate the effects on productivity, and employees can see how successful they are in shifting their work to fewer days.