Welcome & Introductions

Recently, we shared an article on social media about the growing interest in the four-day work week.

The Spanish government is considering a proposal to adopt it, and both Unilever and Microsoft have been testing pilot programs. So far, Microsoft reported a 40% increase in productivity--and proponents of the plan point to other advantages for workers, like job satisfaction and mental/physical health improvements (not to mention a reduction in the environmental impact).

Additionally, an article came up today on LinkedIn promoting a 3-2-2 work week concept that companies are exploring: three days in office, two days working remotely, followed by two days off.

As we start thinking about life after Covid, what are your thoughts on these concepts? How do you think the world will change--and how do you think it should change?

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Tiffany Leong
Beta Gamma Sigma
St. Louis MO
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Interesting. We proposed something similar in our winning entry for the 1987 Factory of The Future Competition. Where employees worked 10 hours a day for 4 days  followed by 3 days off, in a 2 shift, 24hr/day, 7 day a week operation. In addition to operator and emergency maintenance, maintenance occurred in the 4 hours between shifts.

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– SURVIVE / PROFIT / GROW –
Mularoni & Associates – (The performance improvement & turnaround company)
Christopher P. Mularoni – M.B.A., B.S.M.E.
Principal & Senior Business Consultant
cpmularoni@gmail.com
C: (313) 410-5354
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Funnily enough, this poll recently popped up in my LinkedIn news feed: They asked people if they thought the 4-day work week would (or could) be the future, and 72% of respondents said yes. 17% said no, and another 11% said "it depends."

I was surprised to see such a high number of people who believe this is the future--and although I support the concept myself, I really wonder how many companies would be willing to try it.

Christopher, to your point: I know a few factory workers who operate on a similar schedule, and they really love the flexibility it offers them. I'd love to see this become widely accepted. It sounds like some people expect it to be more popular in Europe, but not in the United States.

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Tiffany Leong
Beta Gamma Sigma
St. Louis MO
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Original Message:
Sent: 12-12-2020 13:23
From: Christopher Mularoni
Subject: The 4-day work week & 3-2-2 work week: the future of work?

Interesting. We proposed something similar in our winning entry for the 1987 Factory of The Future Competition. Where employees worked 10 hours a day for 4 days  followed by 3 days off, in a 2 shift, 24hr/day, 7 day a week operation. In addition to operator and emergency maintenance, maintenance occurred in the 4 hours between shifts.

------------------------------
– SURVIVE / PROFIT / GROW –
Mularoni & Associates – (The performance improvement & turnaround company)
Christopher P. Mularoni – M.B.A., B.S.M.E.
Principal & Senior Business Consultant
cpmularoni@gmail.com
C: (313) 410-5354
------------------------------

Hi Tiffany, the proposal is actually interesting and probably required for the after-Covid work conditions. I'm convinced that virtuality is not just a temporary countermeasure for the pandemics, but it has become an essential skill for new (and current) professionals. I believe that home office and virtual meetings can boost productivity and eliminate unnecessary transportation and wasted resources. However, this kind of change affects not only the organizational status quo of companies, but the required resources of employees at home. Is replacing the physical environment as easy as it looks like? New challenges are coming in the following years!

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Gibrán Sayeg Sánchez
EGADE Business School-Mexico City
Puebla
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Good Afternoon!

After having worked in a virtual environment for over a year (thanks COVID), I definitely think that in a lot of cases that the WFH option is here to stay.  it may not be a 100% WFH environment, but having seen the productivity levels between in-office versus WFH, the benefits are clearly there.  The WFH experience is not for everyone though, so that is something that employers are going to have to examine as there is a transition back into the office.  Some employees need that in person environment in order to be more productive, while others are able to successfully manage the virtual environment.  

It's an interesting study, one that I think many employers are going to have to closely examine - with the push to return back to the office becoming more and more prevalent - how are they going to manage those employees who are more productive in the office versus more productive in a WFH environment, AND - is the 3-2-2 (or however you want to arrange this) actually beneficial when you have employees who are less productive at home?

Nicole Daniels
Cincinnati, OH
Northern Kentucky University Alum

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Nicole Daniels
Florence KY
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Original Message:
Sent: 12-26-2020 13:54
From: Gibrán Sayeg Sánchez
Subject: The 4-day work week & 3-2-2 work week: the future of work?

Hi Tiffany, the proposal is actually interesting and probably required for the after-Covid work conditions. I'm convinced that virtuality is not just a temporary countermeasure for the pandemics, but it has become an essential skill for new (and current) professionals. I believe that home office and virtual meetings can boost productivity and eliminate unnecessary transportation and wasted resources. However, this kind of change affects not only the organizational status quo of companies, but the required resources of employees at home. Is replacing the physical environment as easy as it looks like? New challenges are coming in the following years!

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Gibrán Sayeg Sánchez
EGADE Business School-Mexico City
Puebla
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Hi! I think this is a great idea. I am currently a part-time intern and a full-time student. I work Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, and Friday and really like that schedule. It gives you something to look forward to every day because you essentially have 2 Fridays to look forward to a week. You're never working more than 2 days in a row either, thus reducing the chance of burnout. However, I think the concept of a 40-hour work week is outdated and should be re-examined, especially if the work week were to be reduced to only 4 days a week. If someone can work 20-30 hours a week and still achieve the same quality and quantity of work as what's required of someone who works 40+ hours a week, they should not have to be bound to the 40-hour concept.

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Olivia Guntner
Cantonment FL
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