Four-day week pilot project struggles with problems
100 Percent Performance in 80 Percent of the Time with 100 Percent Payment: This formula is intended to increase employee satisfaction. However, the introduction of a Four-Day Week is heavier for companies than initially assumed. Since February, a project for a Four-Day Week has been running in Germany, involving 45 organizations testing the model for half a year. According to the interim report, around 40 percent of the companies needed more time for preparations and could only start in March or later.
Carsten Meier from the consulting firm Intraprenör, who initiated the German version of the project, stated, "People think it's mainly about the work process and work style, but it's also about how to manage the team during this change process. Some employees are more open to it than others." Originally, the concept for the project was 100-80-100: 100 percent performance in 80 percent of the time with 100 percent payment. However, nearly half (48 percent) of the organizations reduced their working hours by no more than 10 percent. "Many companies apply the compressed Four-Day Week with working time reduction," Meier said. Employees work a little more at four days, and the fifth day is free. Thirty-eight percent of the companies reduced their working hours by exactly 20 percent.
A Push in Digitalization?
Intraprenör is working on the project with the organization 4 Day Week Global. The NGO has brought this project in a similar form to various other countries. In the UK, many of the participating companies showed great interest afterwards. Since the companies could volunteer for the project, the results from both the UK and Germany are not representative of the labor market.
According to Intraprenör, more than half of the participating companies have between 10 and 49 employees. The industry with the most representation is "Consulting and Business Services" (13 percent).
The interim report suggests that the change in working hours could give a push to digitalization. "It's also about the motto 'Finally put it into practice.' We've heard from companies that they've finally implemented long-planned digital solutions to adapt to the project," Meier said.
KI Surprisingly a Topic
The fact that in discussions about strategies, digitalization and also the use of AI were frequently mentioned surprised the initiators. "We're dealing with the SME sector, which is often criticized for being slow in these matters. But maybe this fear-inducing topic like AI, which many employees also have concerns about, can be re-energized," Meier said.
Some of the participating companies reported "significantly more applications - with the same quality." "Additionally, it was reported that employees in many cases were more willing to take on more responsibility and bring in new ideas," Meier said. However, two participating organizations had dropped out after two months. "That had less to do with the Four-Day Week and more to do with the overall economic situation that they wanted to focus on," Meier said.
The project is still ongoing until the summer. The publication of the first results is planned for the end of October.
The implementation of a Four-Day Week in German companies has led to a reevaluation of digital solutions by employers, as mentioned by Carsten Meier from Intraprenör. This shift in working hours could potentially serve as a catalyst for digitalization within these organizations.
Furthermore, some employers have reported an increase in job applications with equivalent quality, and employees showing greater willingness to take on new responsibilities and propose innovative ideas under the Four-Day Week model.
