WHAT WILL THE AUDIENCE LEARN? Our audience will learn the benefits of implementing a 4-day work week for their employees, and will further learn how to maximize employee productivity while reducing hours per week.
EPISODE SUMMARY: The Covid-19 pandemic brought a renewed focus on employees’ work/ life balance and wellness. Advances in technology – some expedited by Zoom and the remote workplace – have opened up new means of working effectively and efficiently. Consequently, many companies across the globe are exploring a 4-day work week for their employees.
How can employers maintain – or even improve – their employees’ productivity and output when their working hours are cut by 20%? What steps can you, the employer or business owner, take to properly implement a 4-day work week for your workers? What are the pros and cons?
Join me and my special guest, Joe O’Connor, activist, advocate, and Chief Executive Officer at 4 Day Week Global, for a discussion of this newly evolving trend in the workforce, right here on Employment Law Today!
By Segment
SEGMENT 1
0:57 – 13:44 – Eric introduces his guest Joe O’Connor, CEO at 4 Day Week Global. He breaks down the focus of today’s episode, which deals with a 4- day work week and increasing employees’ productivity. Eric asks Joe what drew him to 4-Day Week Global; what was his motivation? Eric asks Joe if there was anything in his formative years that motivated him to advocate for worker’s rights. Joe was always involved in the campaign industry while living in Ireland. In 2018, Joe organized a conference that dealt with the future of working time. In 2019, Joe was involved with forming the 4-day week Ireland group. Joe is looking to develop something similar for his US campaign. Joe explains what intentionally led him down the path to advocate for workers’ rights.
SEGMENT 2
15:58 – 29:21 – Eric and Joe discuss the pandemic and how it forced us to work remotely. Joe shares his experience with clients and their methods of working. Eric and Joe discuss why a 4-day workweek benefits the employer and employee. Eric comments that society is accustomed to a 5-day workweek, but there are viable reasons to cross over to a 4-day work week. Joe points out how virtual communication has become accessible for the workforce, yet we still see employees on a 5-day work week schedule. Eric and Joe discuss essential time management and how it can benefit working methods and expedite the process. Joe talks about structuring a meeting and assuring there is a focused agenda. One of the ways we can minimize the workload is if we look at meeting culture and find ways to work smarter, not harder.
SEGMENT 3
31:27 – 43:18 – Eric and Joe discuss work and life balance and how employees need to set boundaries in order to properly recharge. Joe says employers need to be more deliberate with their work distribution in order to complete responsibilities efficiently. Eric and Joe continue to talk about structured time management that can increase productivity. Joe says we should reassess what we consider professional standards. He talks about his clients and what 4-Day Week Global offers them. He tells Eric what can be expected from their services and how they’ve benefited their clients.
SEGMENT 4
45:17 – 56:35 – Eric and Joe continue to point out how a more efficient work structure benefits not only the employee but also the employer. When there is an equal work and life balance, employees are likely to increase their productivity. Joe talks about the companies that took on the 4-day work week methods and the changes they’ve seen in their employees. He shares what upcoming events to expect with 4-Day Week Global. If you are interested in the program or think your company can benefit from it, you can ask for more information at program@4dayweek.com.
About Employment Law Today
Helping Business With Employment Law Issues.
For many business owners, it can be overwhelming to keep up and comply with the federal and state labor and employment laws that govern how they run their business. With the COVID-19 pandemic, there are new laws and regulations regarding hiring, firing, and workplace practices and protocols — all of which can increase business owners’ anxieties about regaining traction or thriving again. On my weekly show, we will be discussing the most common employment law related questions and challenges that business owners have been facing in these uncertain times.
The show will have three main goals: (1) to inform businesses about employment law updates, (2) to inspire businesses by giving them the tools to move forward, and (3) to demonstrate how some business owners have overcome their employment law problems, walked through the challenges imposed by this pandemic, and have taken steps to regain traction during the reopening phases of this pandemic.
Our guests will include professionals who advise businesses from an H.R., legal, and financial perspective, along with thriving business owners who will share their experiences and insights into running a successful company while complying with labor and employment law mandates during COVID-19.