Organizational Change and the 4-Day Work Week Debate

In addition to the debate over work environment, the 4-day work week has been percolating over the past couple of years.

Everyone gained new perspectives during the Pandemic. What a successful work environment can look like was a clear by-product as companies were forced to support a remote workforce. For many organizations, however, the jury is still out as to whether or not a flexible, hybrid, or fully in-person work model works best.

The 4-day work week debate starts with what that abbreviated week looks like. Some leaders require more work hours in four days, allowing employees to take one day off. In comparison, other companies offer 100% of the pay for 80% of the time with 100% productivity. Some allow the employee to decide whether the days off are Fridays, Mondays, or staggered.

Pros and Cons

Regardless of the structure, many data sources are showing that the 4-day work week reduces burnout and turnover while productivity and performance stay high. And it seems to be helping with employee retention and job satisfaction as well. In some instances, it even cuts corporate expenses.

There are, however, definite drawbacks as well. If your product is dependent on collaboration, quality might come into question. Some organizations don’t have the leadership structure to provide oversight for all required days. And evaluating leadership development could be difficult. It also makes sense to explore what is prompting your search for change.

Should Your Company Adopt the 4-Day Work Week?

Whether or not your organization adopts a 4-day work week depends entirely on the unique factors your situation presents. So, the short answer is that it depends. Like any other organizational change, leaders must follow a logical process to ensure success.

Beyond identifying opportunities and risks, leaders should take a step back and objectively evaluate the current health of the company culture and the success of internal and external communication. Trust should be at the core. That means each employee knows how their role fits into the greater mission of your organization. It means you know which challenges to present to which team and how to communicate the needs and requirements. And it means everyone knows who to go to with feedback, ideas, and problems.

The more clear and consistent you are and valued your teams feel, the more likely you will be able in creating the buy-in for any organizational change. Successful implementation takes forethought, measured review, and planned alternative actions. Even if the idea of a 4-day work week looks good on paper, there is always the chance that something you did not expect will arise.

Liddell Consulting Group has been working with leaders struggling with difficult decisions or faced with organizational change since 2002. Our personalized approach addresses specific challenges, results in actionable plans, and produces measurable results. Contact us to discuss how we can help.