#ElvisEnergyExperiment: The four day week

We’re huge believers that as humans we are simply not designed for business, and we spend far too much of our time trying to fit in with its needs rather than the other way around. Yet if we can make work fit us everything becomes easier, more fun, and more successful….

And what better way to make work fit us, than with a 4-day week.

It’s proven to be great for our wellbeing as we get the time and space to focus on our lives outside of work, but it’s also a winner when it comes to getting stuff done, with trials by big companies such as Microsoft in Japan and Buffer in the US  showing that a four-day week creates a huge boost to people’s productivity.

And if that wasn’t enough to convince us to give it a go, it’s good for the planet too…. with research showing that a four-day week could reduce the UK's carbon footprint by 127 million tonnes per year - the equivalent of taking 27 million cars off the road!!!

We’re sold…

There’s no weekly programme to follow for this month’s experiment, we’re simply going to make our working week Monday to Thursday throughout August, with a view to it becoming part of how we work going forwards.

To help us with this, the awesome team at 4dayweek.co.uk have shared some top tips with us to help us all embrace this experiment and our new 4-day week fully….

So, if you fancy joining us on this one, give these top-tips a go:

1) Involve your people in the decision. Talk to your staff & discuss why you’re deciding to do a four-day week and how it could be implemented.

2) Ask for feedback. We love feedback as it’s the best way we know of to learn about the impact you create, and also make sure everyone’s enjoying this new approach to work.

3) Experiment. If your people are concerned about going straight for a permanent commitment, launch a trial first and see how it fits you as a team.

4) Commit. If you go for it and permanently reduce your working hours, sign up to the '4 Day Week Employers' accreditation scheme and join the growing network of UK employers who have already made the transition.

5) Have fun. A 4-day week should make work and life easier, more fun and more productive.  But it can only do that if you’ve got your energy right for the experiment. Approach it with a smile on your face and look for the positive it brings into your life.  There’ll be loads!

We’ll be reporting back throughout the month on how the experiment’s going for us and will be sharing the impact our 4-day week has had, so keep a look out for our updates on our social media channels.

You can find out more about how to start your own 4-day week and some brilliant tips to make it a roaring success at www.4dayweek.co.uk

And you can join in with us on this experiment by following us on Instagram, LinkedIn and Twitter and sharing any pics or stories of your own 4-day week experience – we can’t wait to see them.

Have fun with this one…

Big Love,

Upping Your Elvis.

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Photo by Nick Morrison on Unsplash