An idea that sparked a global rethink of the working life and the future of work is told in a new book published this month
New Zealand company Perpetual Guardian sparked global media fascination with its flexible work model after it successfully trialled and implemented the four-day week, resulting in a 20% lift in employee productivity, a 27% reduction in work stress levels, and a 45% increase in employee work-life balance.
From New Zealand to Davos, the impact of the 4 Day Week has been far reaching and demand is growing to make this new way of working the norm across the globe, most recently via a campaign in Ireland.
CLICK HERE to read the full story on the trial
In The 4 Day Week: How the Flexible Work Revolution Can Increase Productivity, Profitability and Wellbeing, and Create a Sustainable Future by Andrew Barnes with Stephanie Jones, Barnes presents a radical, convincing case for a sustainable, profitable future in which we work less, but are more productive, engaged, satisfied and well. He argues that the five-day working week is outdated and no longer fit for purpose in a hyper-connected era. With the four-day week, Barnes says we can have the best of all worlds: optimal productivity, work-life balance, and benefits for both employees and employers.
Andrew Barnes
“With its emphasis on productivity, the four-day week tackles hard issues facing our world, for example stress and the breakdown in mental health, gender equality in pay, and the climate crisis,” says Barnes.
“The four-day week offers significant environmental and societal benefits, from relief of congested roads and public transport systems to reduction in healthcare costs, more harmonious families and more purposeful lives.”
The four-day week concept has proven to be extraordinarily popular around the world. Media coverage of the four-day week has reached people in 70+ countries through more than 3,500 news articles and 11,500 social media posts.
Piatkus editor Tom Asker says: “The 4 Day Week is a deeply researched, modern manifesto for a revolution in the way we think about work. Andrew Barnes’ model values the wellbeing of the worker at home in equal measure to their productivity in the office. It presents compelling data that a more flexible approach to work is in all our best interests. Barnes is not only a hugely successful businessman, but a fantastic writer, too. The 4 Day Week will be essential reading for business leaders and employees alike.”
Barnes noted the increasing number of companies, brands, and public service organisations that are trialling or implementing four-day weeks, as well as advocacy groups involving business, unions, political parties, academics, environmental, and women’s groups that have launched in Washington DC, London, Dublin, and Moscow.
“What started as a simple experiment in a single company has become a global movement,” said Barnes. “The four-day week is a big idea for the 2020s.”
Pre-order links for print copies for Australia and New Zealand can be found here:
Mighty Ape: www.mightyape.co.nz/product/the-4-day-week/30820638?r=2945205
Booktopia: booktopia.kh4ffx.net/aQAzj
eBooks can be purchased here:
Amazon.com: www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07VNVZC9G?pf_rd_p=2d1ab404-3b11-4c97-b3db-48081e145e35&pf_rd_r=GEJ92X1HG781VAGR92AS
Amazon.com.au: www.amazon.com.au/Day-Week-Productivity-Profitability-Sustainable-ebook/dp/B07VNVZC9G/ref=sr_1_1?keywords=the+4+day+week+andrew+barnes&qid=1570397492&sr=8-1
iBooks: books.apple.com/nz/book/the-4-day-week/id1474440868
Kobo: www.kobo.com/nz/en/ebook/the-4-day-week
Google Play: play.google.com/store/books/details/Andrew_Barnes_The_4_Day_Week?id=x1OgDwAAQBAJ
