How the four-day workweek works

Studies show that employee well-being, job satisfaction, retention and productivity all increase with a compressed schedule. In a recent six-month trial in the UK, nearly 90% of companies that gave a four-day workweek a try kept with it over a year later. But is it as good as it sounds? And how exactly does it work across different industries?




Today, we’re talking with a researcher and veteran HR leader about the rising popularity of compressed schedules. We'll also hear from one employer about how she transitioned her family business to a four-day workweek and what it's like to work there now from one of the company's team members. Join us!




This episode was produced by Katherine Ceicys.




Guests:





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Timothy Munyon, associate professor of management at Haslam College of Business (https://haslam.utk.edu/) , University of Tennessee Knoxville



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Tracey Power, chief people officer at Vaco (https://www.vaco.com/) , a global talent solutions company based in Nashville



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Erin Richardson, third generation owner of family business, All-American Pest Control (https://www.allamericanpestcontrol.com/)



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Adrian Zavala, operator, All-American Pest Control (https://www.allamericanpestcontrol.com/)






Further Reading and Listening





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A study in the UK followed 60 companies that implemented a four-day workweek. Learn more about the results from this NPR story, These companies tried a 4-day workweek. More than a year in, they still love it (https://www.npr.org/2024/02/27/123427...)



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To learn more about the results of several studies on four-day workweeks, read this story from CNN, 4-day workweeks may be around the corner. A third of America’s companies are exploring them (https://www.cnn.com/2024/04/12/busine...) .



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Academic researcher and guest Tim Munyon shared some insight about a recent study published out of Iceland in this WATE-TV story, Is a 4-day workweek worth it? What a UT business expert says (https://www.wate.com/news/local-news/...) .



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Many restaurants are embracing the four-day workweek by only staying open for four days per week. For more on this trend, read the NY Times story, Can the Dream of the Four-Day Workweek Start With Restaurants? (https://www.nytimes.com/2023/08/08/di...)