Talks and Insights LEADERSHIP Meetup #5

Four-Day Workweek by Jan Eppers

SI LABS MEETUP Friday is My Day

Or

FROM THE IDEA TO A 4-DAY WORKWEEK IN THREE MONTHS

- May 04th, 2016 -

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DRESDEN

COULD THIS WORK LET ALONE AT AN PR AGENCY? !

!

! 16 COLLEAGUES. # KREUZBERG. DRESDEN. LONDON. + PR. , TECH FOCUS: IT & WEB. & INTERNATIONAL. // SOME BRANDS, BUT PREFERABLY START-UPS.

WHY I LOVED THE IDEA FLEXIBILITY BOOSTS QUALITY OF LIFE. SELF CHOSEN FLEXIBILITY! I LIVE IT MYSELF, WHY NOT MY COLLEAGUES?

Home office, flexi-time, long lunch breaks, comfortable office chairs, free fruits & coffee, extra-long vacations are nice, but feel like a gift. 01

Who am I to define everyone‘s best working time? Let the people chose! 02 Yes, there are external considerations, but at

first we‘re an internal company. 03 No, there‘s no 5 days from 09 – 05 law. 04

We‘re all people who care how we spend our time. 05 Honestly, how productive are Friday afternoons? To close at

1pm on Fridays would benefit only me, short-sighted. 06

Vehicle to tie talents and to attract new high-potentials. 07 Self-concept, no temporary hipster stuff. 08 M

Y RE

ASON

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HOW WE PREPARED ITNOV/DEC 2014: §  Several talks with Scottish agency §  Search for further examples,

especially in the agency business §  Draft a specific model for us §  Introduce the concept to my

colleagues §  One-on-one talks with each

colleague §  Check with accounting for formal

stuff §  Xmas respite to reflect (partners,

families)

HOW WE DID IT JANUARY 2015:!!§  Team introduction to the

concrete 4-day model!§  2nd round of personal talks!§  Draft a 4 lines appendix to

each labor contract!§  Send accounting a list of

changed work schedules!

è  Small step for me, big step !for a good life.!

!§  Kicked-off in Feb 2015 §  10/15 started with 4 days §  Survey after 100 days: 90% loved it, 10% didn‘t care §  Nobody ever switched back to 5 days §  Nobody chose to reduce worktime (and salary) §  Current Status: 12/16 4-days, 2/16 4.5 days, 2/16 5 days §  Huge interest by media and other agencies

HOW WE

EVALUATED IT

Are my colleagues really interested in a 4-days workweek? Which time models are favored? May all switch or just some colleagues? Continuous hopping between 4 and 5-days week possible? What happens in case of emergencies? How to survive steady 10-hours workdays? How can I evaluate the change?

INTERNAL QUESTIONS (HUGE VARIETY POSSIBLE) !

!?

How to communicate the changes to customers/partners? Who announces these changes? What to do if customers don‘t like it? How

? EXTERNAL QUESTIONS (HUGE VARIETY POSSIBLE ALSO)

�  IF CRISES AND PEAKS ARE JUST NORMAL.

�  IF YOU DEPEND ON FREE EXTRA-HOURS.

�  IF YOU HAVE WALK-IN CUSTOMERS.

�  IF YOU‘VE COLLEAGUES WITH YOUNG KIDS AND NO FAMILY SUPPORT.

NO OTHER EXCUSE!

NOT TO RECOMMEND FOR... !

HAVE QUESTIONS BUT NEED TIME TO THINK FIRST?!

!

email jep@frische-fische.com. phone 0351.5633 870. snapchat @jantanplan. skype @janjaneppers.