The day I went viral on LinkedIn
The day I went viral on LinkedIn
It turns out people REALLY want to talk about the 4 day week...
Last month, inspired by the launch of the UK’s 4 day working week pilot, I jotted down a rushed LinkedIn post about my own 80% working schedule.
I checked in a few hours later to find hundreds of notifications and tens of DMs. The huge (and hugely unexpected) response was a wake-up call for the part of me that is passionate about changing the way we work: the 4 day week resonates, and people want to talk about it.
I’m a lawyer based in London. The last time I worked a Monday-to-Friday week was September 2019. Since then, I’ve made a 4 day schedule work in the intensely demanding environment of a City law firm, and in the equally demanding (but in all other ways very different) surroundings of a high-growth technology company. Despite the lingering perception that those who choose to work part-time are somehow less committed to their careers, I’ve hit some objectively big professional milestones without setting foot in “the office” — virtual or otherwise — on a Wednesday.
Although my 80% schedule isn’t perfect, a few factors have helped me to make the most of it:
the sometimes uncomfortable process of shifting mindsets (including my own) on productivity, career success and how I add value in my role
the leaders I’ve worked with, who have been willing to experiment and put their trust in an arrangement that is different from the current norms of my industry
the stark reality of needing to juggle an ambitious career with other passions and commitments. In my case that includes two small humans who enjoy spending their Wednesdays with an engaged parent who is happier and more fulfilled when she finds a balance.
Thanks to the UK’s 4 day working week pilot, now is the time to look more closely at these factors and establish whether an 80% schedule really works on a wider scale in the UK. The pilot puts the business case, benefits and challenges of a 4 day week to the test and will give us some rigorous data to inform the future of work.
In case you’re not familiar with the UK pilot, more information is available here. In short, more than 70 different organisations (from fish and chip shops to insurance companies) are taking part in a coordinated trial of a 4 day week for their 3000+ employees. Many of the participating organisations will remain open for their full working week, with employees rotating in and out on their own 4 day schedules. Others will close entirely for one working day. Crucially, the employees switching over to this arrangement will see no loss of pay, on the understanding that their output will remain consistent with a “normal” working week. It’s called the 100:80:100 model. 100% of the pay, for 80% of the time, achieving 100% productivity. If those numbers don’t compute for you, then you’re in the right place…
My own 4 day week is an individual arrangement and is not part of the UK pilot or any broader policy of my employer. I’ve effectively been running my own pilot, adjusting my working practices and measuring the impact to edge closer to achieving 5 days’ worth of output in 4 days. It’s about so much more than bagging an extra day off, or accommodating family commitments: it has completely changed the way I work. I’ve explored new ideas around productivity and time management, sought advice from mentors and fellow “part-timers”, and understood the power of doing things differently. It hasn’t always been perfect, but I’ve learned a lot of important lessons along the way.
It’s about so much more than bagging an extra day off, or accommodating family commitments: it has completely changed the way I work.
I mentioned above some of the key factors contributing to the success of my own 80% schedule: mindset, experimentation, trust and necessity. It’s no surprise that these factors are also at the heart of the UK pilot and are critical to making the 100:80:100 model add up. Each month I’ll be taking a deeper dive into these topics, sharing tips around how I make my own 80% schedule work (including the challenges I and others have encountered), and highlighting interesting resources for those who are curious about whether the 4 day week might one day become a reality for us all.
In the meantime, here are a few things to read, watch and listen to:
🌍 An interesting overview of coordinated 4 day week trials around the world. The UK pilot is part of a much broader movement, giving us a real opportunity to learn from the challenges and successes of others.
⭐ The TimeWise Power List 2022. An inspiring list of 25 senior individuals who have been hired or promoted on a part-time basis, including as part of a jobshare. Among the 4 day “Power Part-Timers” are a scientist whose work was instrumental to the UK’s COVID-19 vaccination efforts and a managing director whose arrangement was so successful that she introduced a company-wide 4 day week for her employees.
🎧 The FT’s “Working It” podcast: Get ready for the four-day working week (17:42). Includes a short but compelling interview with Andrew Barnes, a pioneer of the 4 day movement.
🗣️ TED Talk: The case for a 4-day work week (11:42). A talk by economist Juliet Schor, exploring the human, business and environmental benefits – and some of the challenges – of a shorter week.
💡 Harvard Business Review: What Leaders Need to Know Before Trying a 4-Day Work Week. A quick primer on two important contributors to success: (1) securing a reduction in workload (not just practical tasks, but also the mental load of doing the job), even if output remains consistent; and (2) ensuring that working fewer hours does not create an unsustainable increase in intensity on the remaining working days. I plan to write more about my own experience of “scaling” my work to fit into 4 days without losing time for creativity, innovation or collaboration.
Finally, I’ll acknowledge one of the biggest game-changers for the 4 day week: the emphasis on flexible and hybrid working in our “new normal”. Would the UK pilot be happening now if we hadn’t been forced, in the strangest of circumstances, to consider how, where and why we work? Would people be starting to think about work in terms of output, rather than hours? Would I be writing this newsletter? Probably not. All of this resonates because people want to do things differently, even if the 4 day week isn’t the right solution for all.
Next month I’ll tackle the big topic of shifting mindsets. Until then, please feel free to like or share this post and join the discussion by commenting!
The fine print:
All opinions expressed on The 4 Day Lawyer are my own and not those of my current or former employers. My 4 day working week is an individual arrangement and is not associated with the UK’s 4 day working week pilot.