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HRchat Podcast

Four-Day Work Week with Joe O’Connor

April 14, 2023 The HR Gazette Season 1 Episode 565
HRchat Podcast
Four-Day Work Week with Joe O’Connor
Info
HRchat Podcast
Four-Day Work Week with Joe O’Connor
Apr 14, 2023 Season 1 Episode 565
The HR Gazette

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, productivity-focused working in 2021 and 2022.

Joe recently led a research project on

Feature Your Brand on the HRchat Podcast

The HRchat show has had 100,000s of downloads and is frequently listed as one of the most popular global podcasts for HR pros, Talent execs and leaders. It is ranked in the top ten in the world based on traffic, social media followers, domain authority & freshness. The podcast is also ranked as the Best Canadian HR Podcast by FeedSpot and one of the top 10% most popular shows by Listen Score.

Want to share the story of how your business is helping to shape the world of work? We offer sponsored episodes, audio adverts, email campaigns, and a host of other options. Check out packages here.

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Show Notes

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, productivity-focused working in 2021 and 2022.

Joe recently led a research project on

Feature Your Brand on the HRchat Podcast

The HRchat show has had 100,000s of downloads and is frequently listed as one of the most popular global podcasts for HR pros, Talent execs and leaders. It is ranked in the top ten in the world based on traffic, social media followers, domain authority & freshness. The podcast is also ranked as the Best Canadian HR Podcast by FeedSpot and one of the top 10% most popular shows by Listen Score.

Want to share the story of how your business is helping to shape the world of work? We offer sponsored episodes, audio adverts, email campaigns, and a host of other options. Check out packages here.

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