Relax on your day off!

Relax on your day off!

The US state of Utah has been trialling a mandatory 4 day working week for state employees (around 17,000 people). People work longer hours on the days they are at work, with Friday off.

This has the following benefits:

  • For the company, a reduction in power and energy on Fridays resulting in savings to the company/government and tax-payer as well as lower emissions from the reduction in commuting.
  • Increased productivity by 9% meaning happier works who can work more efficiently
  • Improved quality of life and work/life balance for those employees involved. No Friday commute, more time with the kids, time for exercise or hobbies, reduction in stress. 70% of workers say they prefer it.
  • Makes the employer more attractive to recruitment candidates with higher employee retention

On a personal note, I shifted to working 4 days a few years ago and it is definitely the best thing you can do to improve your mental and physical health if you are ground down by working every day.

Having that extra day means you get time to do things other than shopping, chores, washing and all the things you have to do just to maintain the status quo. You can improve relationships, exercise and generally feel like life is not just work after all!

If you think your company won’t go for it - well, just ask! You never know until you do ask and you may be surprised! In this economic climate, companies are more than happy to look for ways to reduce costs and retain key employees.

Image: Flickr Creative Commons Virginia Zuluaga

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