Working For The Weekend

The band Loverboy got it right. Everybody is working for the weekend. The problem is, weekends are too damn short. We need three days off – every week!

Have faith, it’s happening.

Three-day weekends are all the rage in Europe. So far, productivity is up, expenses are down and everyone’s happy. Now, will American companies follow suit? It seems inevitable.

But long weekends are not for everybody.

Most retailers and restaurants need a full staff onsite. Front-line workers, too. But researchers, analysts and developers are perfect candidates. And many are already working remotely, though it’s no vacation. But that’s another blog.

More office teams will compress 40 hours into four days – and learn that ten-hour shifts can be exhausting. They cut into family time and pile on more stress.

So, are 3-day weekends worth it?

Here’s My Take. Top performers will be drawn to companies that offer a work-life balance. Shorter work weeks, flex schedules and remote working will be the norm. In fact, it’s the key to recruiting (and retaining) the best people and especially attractive to younger workers who crave more personal time.

But the new mantra will be ‘work four, then out the door’. And it will take many forms:   

Friday is a feel-good day, the natural pre-weekend escape. So, companies might take Fridays off, with an on-call staff to service clients.

Or, maybe take dreary Mondays off and jumpstart the week on Tuesday?

What if everyone took Wednesday off? Then we’d never work more than two days in-a-row.

Personally, I like the NASA/JPL model. Staffers work 9-hour days, then they’re off every other Friday. So, it’s like a mini-vacation.

Now we’re talkin’!

Beau Phillips is President of Rainmaker Media. 
He’s a creative marketing consultant, strategist and speaker.
Reach him at 203-256-9347   
Beau.phillips@gmail.com 
@RainmakerBeau

Leave a Comment

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *