“I have the impression that it will never be enough! How far will I have to go? »
I could feel the dismay in the voice of my client on the line. I had just announced my decision to implement a four-day week for my employees. I run a company that specializes in human resources, and that’s probably why my ad got so many reactions. I received praise, but also comments from entrepreneurs concerned about my initiative.
Let it be said: the four-day week is not a “flavor of the month”, according to a recent study carried out in the United Kingdom and reported by The Press September 26th. Most of the 73 companies that participated in the pilot project with the four-day week said they saw no loss in productivity with their employees. Many have even observed a significant improvement in their performance.
The big question: is the 4-day week really THE solution to keep our employees, motivate them and increase the productivity of our businesses in Quebec? Many entrepreneurs remain perplexed. Does the four-day week amplify the phenomenon of employee-kings? Do we really need to review our ways of doing things for employees who shop for their jobs?
I understand employers’ concerns. We are in a society that highly values individual well-being and work-family-leisure-Netflix balance. A company that encourages employees to ask and above all to demand more.
The truth is that by dint of always putting employees first, we tend to forget the entrepreneurs and managers who keep companies at arm’s length.
Because these women and men do not allow themselves four days a week, even if they grant it to their employees! I speak with knowledge: nothing has changed in my schedule, even though my employees rest three days a week.
Let’s be clear: the role of the entrepreneur has never been so difficult and this is the source of concern with the four-day week. The pandemic, inflation, shortages of labor and raw materials are adding unbearable pressure on the already well-laden shoulders of entrepreneurs, to such an extent that many are even considering giving up everything.
That said, employers considering the four-day week should consider it a tactic in their HR artillery. Each case is unique. Each company lives its own realities. Each core of employees has its own dynamic.
It’s much easier to implement the four-day week in an accounting firm than on a construction site in Montreal or in a manufacturing plant in Beauce. No, it’s not THE miracle solution. Let it be said: the 4-day week is ONE option among many to motivate employees and ensure their retention.
To entrepreneurs, here is my message: the debate on the four-day week should be a call to your creativity. Can you be creative to take better care of your employees? What benefit could you offer them that would make a real difference to their motivation, to their productivity, and to your own well-being? What initiative would allow you to breathe better?
Let’s listen to those who create wealth in Quebec. It’s up to all of us, including their employees, to never forget entrepreneurs. Because it takes healthy companies for employees to be able to take advantage of the four-day week.