Here's how to score a 32-hour work week
At Portland, Oregon company Treehouse, employees always get three-day weekends. You can, too, with these tips.
If you felt more productive last week leading up to the holiday on Friday, you’d probably like working at Treehouse, a Portland, Oregon-based company that only requires its employees to put in four days a week every week. The small company's 32-hour work week policy gained a lot of national press attention.
And no wonder, with so many of us struggling with work-life balance. An EY survey shows that 46% of managers globally are working more than 40 hours a week; four in 10 say their hours have increased over the past five years. Long hours and desire for flexibility are key reasons people—especially Millennials—quit their jobs.
EY CEO Ryan Carson said he doesn't believe you have to work more to be successful. "It’s possible to work less,” he said in a Today show segment.
Sound good to you? Get yourself down to four days with a few strategic moves.
Go work for a company with a standard 32-hour work week policy
2014 National Study of Employers from the Families and Work Institute found that 10% of companies allow all or most employees to work a "compressed work week"—meaning longer hours on fewer days for at least part of the year.
Other firms that make the four-day week a policy for all workers include Fort Wayne, Indiana, web development company Reusser Design and Latin American search engine elMejorTrator. Chicago-based project-management-app company Basecamp goes in for 32-hour weeks from May through August for employees who've been with the firm at least a year.
Smaller companies—which need to attract workers and may embrace startup culture—tend to be more flexible to flexible work hours. The National Study of Employers found that 14% of small companies vs. 5% of large ones allow all or most employees to work a compressed schedule.
Ask your boss to make an exception to the rules
OK, so what if you don't want to switch jobs right now? Your current employer may be more willing than you'd think to grant you flexibility with your schedule. The National Study of Employers found that 43% of all companies—regardless of size—allow some workers to work a compressed schedule.
You'll have better luck getting this perk if you're able to prove you’re a valuable asset.
So make an appointment with your boss and tell him or her that you're interested in a more flexible work arrangement. Show data on how you've already exceeded expectations, and mention that by being able to unplug during your time off you will prevent burnout and return on Monday with renewed energy and fresh ideas.
He or she may be more open to the idea if you ask for a trial period, such as three months.
Halfway through the trial, you'll want to check in with your boss to see how it’s going. If the manager is still reluctant, ask for an extended trial period of six months with plans to reassess again at that time. If you can make your work output the same—or better—than what you were doing in a 40-plus-hour workweek, you'll have a pretty good shot of making Friday a permanent day off.
Find a flexible company
You'll need to demonstrate your efficiency and productivity during your 32-hour work week, but it can be just as effective to look for a new job at a company that offers flexible work schedules. Want some help with that? Join Monster for free today As a member, you can upload up to five versions of your resume—each tailored to the types of jobs that interest you. Recruiters search Monster every day looking to fill top jobs with qualified candidates, just like you. Additionally, you can get job alerts sent directly to your inbox to cut down on time spent looking through ads. Your time is precious. Monster can help you find a company that gets that.