Innovation
at Work:

For 6 months this year, 33 companies experimented with a 4-day workweek for all employees – with no reduction in pay.

The result? Dramatic improvements in employee’s mental and physical health – and companies’ bottom line results.

What’s happening?

A global nonprofit, 4 Day Week Global, collaborated with researchers at Boston College, University College Dublin and Cambridge University to conduct a trial with over 900 employees from 33 companies, mostly in the US and Ireland. The companies spanned industries, including but not limited to: IT, telecom, healthcare, manufacturing, retail, and hospitality.

The results are in – and quite remarkable:

–  Employees reported lower levels of stress, fatigue, insomnia and burnout, and significant improvements in physical and mental health

–  97% of employee respondents want to continue with the 4-day week

–  A 38% average revenue increase at the participating companies when compared to the same period last year

–  0 of the 27 participating companies who responded plan to return to a 5-day week

“The 4-day week has been transformative for our business and our people,” says Jon Leland, Chief Strategy Officer at Kickstarter, one of the trial’s participants. “Staff are more focused, more engaged and more dedicated, helping us hit our goals better than before.”

Why it matters

Employees are the lifeblood of every organization, and employee wellbeing and mental health are key data points. No matter what business or industry you work in, working with people who are struggling is a real challenge. And yet, that is the reality facing most organizations: Employee mental health and wellbeing is suffering more than ever before. As we covered in the November edition of the Emotional Intelligence at Work newsletter, 76% of U.S. workers in a 2021 survey reported at least one symptom of a mental health condition. (anxiety, depression), an increase of 17 percentage points in just two years. Plus, things may be on the verge of getting even worse? A recent LinkedIn survey of nearly 3,000 global leaders found that a large majority think that current economic conditions (read: recession fears) will force them to cut back on things such as flexibility (68%), skills development (74%), and employee wellbeing (75%).

In the context of those alarming trends, this study offers reasons for hope. It shows that employee’s health and an organization’s financial health don’t have to be in conflict. In fact, they can support each other. 

How to respond

The pandemic has given companies a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to reimagine the workplace: when, where and how people get work done. Considering the state of the global workforce, now is a better time than ever for companies to experiment with innovative solutions, like flexible work schedules – and even a 4-day workweek.

Six Seconds does not have a formal stance on a 4-day workweek. We do, however, encourage companies all over the world to make intentional, purpose-driven choices. Organizations – like people – tend to form and follow previously formed patterns. To stay with the status quo. Studies like this can serve as a catalyst to question long held beliefs and behaviors – and as mentioned above – the pandemic has provided an opening for many organizations to do exactly that.

To get started, here are 3 resources to think creatively about employee wellbeing and productivity:

1. Who’s Afraid of a Four-Day Work Week?

In this episode of Plain English, Derek Thompson interviews Juliet Schor, an economist at Boston College and a lead researcher on the four-day work week trial. She offers details on the nuances of the pilot program and the changes the organizations made in conjunction with the switch to a 4-day workweek.

Learn more about the global 4-day workweek pilot →

2. Apply a Simple Emotional Intelligence Formula for Work Problems

The Six Seconds Model of Emotional Intelligence is a 3-step process for putting emotional intelligence into action. For any problem – big or small – we come back to these 3 questions:

• What am I feeling?
• What options do I have?
• What do I truly want?

Explore the Six Seconds Model of Emotional Intelligence →

3. Create Hybrid Work Policies for People

Use empathy and emotional intelligence to make hybrid work policies that create an even better workplace.

Prioritize people →

If you want to discuss comprehensive solutions for implementing emotional intelligence in the workplace, contact us and tell us about your most pressing needs. We’ll be happy to help.

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