A few years ago, Amy Balliett, CEO of a Seattle-based design and marketing firm, noticed that as the work week slogged on, her employees’ energy and productivity wilted.
“That would slump to such an extent that the same task on Monday would take double the time by Friday,” says Balliet, CEO of Killer Visual Strategies.
So she decided to squeeze the work week into four 10-hour days, with her 30 employees taking off either Friday or Monday. Now, she says, “Our team has more energy throughout the week since they have three days to recharge instead of just two.” And with less time to complete tasks, “They’re far more efficient and focused,” producing 25% more with the same-size staff.
The perk also has bolstered recruitment, cutting in half the time it takes to fill vacancies despite a 3.7% unemployment rate that has spawned the tightest labor market in half a century.
A small but growing number of U.S. businesses are adopting a four-day workweek to boost productivity and morale, and provide a competitive edge in the scramble for employees. While some scrunch the standard 40 hours into four days, others simply shed a day and require four eight-hour days, typically with no cut in pay.
“In this intensely competitive labor market, employers are figuring out that to attract talent, they have to start offering incentives that differentiate them from competitors...
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