HRchat Podcast Four-Day Work Week with Joe O’Connor
In an era where burnout, ‘quiet quitting’, and work-life balance have permeated the conversation around employment, how can employers stand out?
The implementation of a shorter work week is the most equitable way to strive towards this universal goal of balance and happiness. While a Canadian pilot of a four-day week is still underway, recent results from a similar UK trial show a four-day workweek can significantly improve employee wellness. Key findings include:
- 54% of employees reported a reduction in negative emotions
- 43% reported an increase in mental health
- 71% reported a decrease in burnout
- 54% reported a better work-life balance
Helping Bill Banham to delve into these findings today is Joe O’Connor a globally recognized expert in shorter working weeks. Joe leads the Toronto-based Work Time Reduction Centre of Excellence (WTR-CoE) that's focused on how a four-day week might work in the HR field and what it might mean for recruitment, retention and employee happiness.
Questions for Joe Include:
- Can you tell us what inspired you to get involved with the four-day workweek movement?
- What are some of the benefits of a shorter working week?
- How does a shorter workweek affect retention and recruitment?
- What are some key obstacles to the four-day week you’ve seen that HR professionals might encounter and how can we best overcome them?
- What’s your hope for the future of the shorter workweek movement?
- What are some things HR professionals can implement (such as training, tools and technology) to make a shorter work week a reality?
More About Joe O'Connor, Director &Co-founder, Work Time Reduction Center of Excellence
Joe is the Director and Co-founder of the world's first Center of Excellence in Work Time Reduction, a new global initiative based in Toronto, Canada, which has been launched in partnership with leading people-first transformation company Curium Solutions.
Previously, as the chief executive officer of 4 Day Week Global, Joe led the design and implementation of four-day week trials all over the world, supporting hundreds of employers and thousands of employees to make the transition to reduced-hour, pro
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