240: How Has the Four-Day Work Week Reshaped Work-Life Balance and Productivity for Our Team?

improve it! Podcast – Professional Development Through Play, Improv & Experiential Learning

How does jumping off of a 40-foot cliff in Puerto Rico lead to an epiphany that a 4-day work week needs to happen?

We’re here to tell the tale.

In today’s episode, Erin shares her story of first pondering and ultimately implementing a 4-day work week with the improve it! team, how she’s found flexibility within the 4-day work week itself, and each internal team member’s reflections on how the 4-day work week has gone since October of 2023.

Erin shares The 3 Bs—balance, boundaries, and breaks—and how our team uses this system to reach our goals, now working 36-hour weeks instead of 40-hour weeks.

If you’ve ever considered a 4-day work week and want to learn more about how to actually implement it—this is the episode for you.

Special sprinkles on top of this episode: how we’re redefining what a “break” means in the middle of the workday

What are the consequences of a 4-day work week?

Pros of a 4-day work week can include cost savings, increased productivity, and employee retention. Some disadvantages, however, can include scheduling challenges, reduced productivity, and added stress. -TriNet

Is it healthier to work four days a week?

Results showed people in the program had higher self-perceived health status, reduced levels of stress, were less tired and felt happier and more personally satisfied. The drop in commuting also led to a reduction in nitrogen dioxide emissions and improved air quality. -The World Economic Forum

If you liked this episode, you might want to keep the party going with:

• Episode 210: Episode 210: Work Less, Achieve More: Tales from a 4-Day Workweek
• Episode 216: How Does a Four-Day Work Week Impact Your Team? with Special Guest, Jenna McDonnell

Show Links:

• Purchase Erin’s book, I See You! A Leader’s Guide to Energizing Your Team through Radical Empathy
• Get our free Book Club timeline and checklist here
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Connect with Erin Diehl:

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