One of the amazing things about working for a startup, especially in technology, is to challenge everything by asking many, many questions. Most often, the answers to questions return to a central topic: “Because that’s how it’s always been done”. So I say: “Yes, I know this has always been the case – but is there a better way?”.
This is how Ryan Beslow, leader of tech company Bolt began his blog, where he tells us why the company went from a typical five-day week to four-day week. From now on, Friday is considered a normal Saturday or Sunday for employees.
In the first case, Bolt will try four days a week for three months. If employees become more productive, they will always make the scheme.
Bolt is the so-called “unicorn”, i.e. a startup that in a short time amounted to more than one billion US dollars. The tech company creates a payment platform for online stores, and it has nearly 300 employees.
Measures against exhausted employees
A risk for Bolt and many other companies that rely on skilled employees is that they overburden themselves at work. Therefore, the company places great emphasis on employee welfare, and knows that one of the risks it faces is that employees will be burned out due to the demands of the job. Therefore, the company became the first tech unicorn to experiment with a four-day work week.
The pilot project started right after the new year. Before starting, all employees were tasked with reviewing their calendars, cutting out unnecessary meetings and reducing the time they spent with others.
“I think the key is to be aware of how to get the most out of the four days,” Beslow told the newspaper. fast company.
He says employees are expected to really rest and recharge their batteries on the day off, but he also thinks that some of the extra days off will be used to get rid of work that would have been taken on a normal weekend.
Personally, I experience that I do best when I do everything in a four-day period, and take a long weekend where I can explore other interests like dancing, meditation, and hiking, he says.
Investigate in Norway
Four days a week is also a topic in Norwegian working life. Already in 2009 Nettavisen writes about Sapa Profiler Aluminum, which provided four days a week to 1,100 employees.
Trade union leader Mette Nord stated in 2018 that four days a week could be a tool to get people to stay in business for longer.
“Themes such as the six-hour workday and the four-day work week must be considered to maintain the workforce, make people spend more time at work and give more access to the labor market,” she said. ANB / Agendagasinet.
From 2009: Orkla’s daughter gives a four-day week
– While the Icelanders managed to get by four days a week, politicians here in Norway still insist that we should do more in the coming years, In this discussion post, MP Mimir Kristjanjon (right) wrote this summer.
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