How the 4-day work week has changed our lives

For those who do not know yet, last September, Boite Pac officially adopted the reduced work week. Yes, all team members work hard from Monday to Thursday, but after that, off! Everyone closes their files and attends to their personal projects for 3 days.

As for me, the implementation of this initiative was timely: I had just returned from my "maternity leave" #2. I found myself as an entrepreneur managing various files and a mother of two children under 3 years old. No need to say that returning to work caused me a bit of anxiety. 

What is valued

Unfortunately, even today, it is observed that what is valued within several companies leads to the development of a toxic culture. The fact of sacrificing sleep is viewed positively (hello emails received at 5:30 am or at 11 pm?!) and working an exorbitant number of hours is, in some cases, not only valued but sometimes even normalized. Ouch!

On the contrary, companies that advocate and develop a healthy culture expect their employees to be passionate about their life outside of work; that they prioritize their physical and mental health and their family. It is even celebrated.

The importance of our balance

At Boite Pac, we are 3 partners who became entrepreneurs out of a desire to have a concrete impact on the world. Each in our own way, we wanted to participate in changing the definition of success in the business world.

Although we have many ideas in mind to grow the company and a variety of exciting projects we work on daily, we all have a busy life outside of work. We place great importance on our family, friends, and the development of our personal projects. As passionate as we are about the mission of Boite Pac, as ambitious, inspired, and career-oriented as we are as entrepreneurs,  it has always been very clear to us that work should complement our personal life and not be to its detriment.

After 5 months of working 4 days a week, here are our findings:

Efficiency

Since our weeks are very organized and we have implemented working methods to optimize our time, some may be surprised to learn this, but we have found that our efficiency has increased. We were able to measure this data by comparing the workload we accomplished before the official establishment of the 4-day week with that afterward.  

Creativity

Creativity does not always come on command, and in our case, it rarely comes when we are sitting behind our computer. Often, the moments that clarify our questions come while running, reading, or changing our environment. On Fridays, we encourage ourselves to activate our brains differently, and it feels good; good for morale and good for the growth of the company!

Balance

Obviously, one less day of work = one more day to attend to personal tasks or obligations. We're talking about a large day dedicated to reading, planning wellness appointments, exercising, grocery shopping, tidying up, or spending quality time with loved ones. It's not always easy to strive for balance, but with one extra weekday without work, we achieve it much more.

Budget

Lack of time to cook means: Restaurant!

Lack of time to disconnect means: Need to escape 

Two rather mundane examples but oh so true! By adopting the 4-day week, we started cooking more and reducing last-minute meal purchases. Additionally, since we don't arrive completely burnt out at the end of our weeks or months, we feel less of a deep need to treat ourselves in one way or another!

Mental load

As a mom and soon-to-be mom, I assure you that the mental load is greatly alleviated knowing that one more day per week can be dedicated to buying diapers, medical appointments, enrollment in swimming classes, or buying items for the new baby's room. Hello mental ease!

Well-being

All three of us have developed the habit of scheduling wellness appointments on Fridays. Whether it's an appointment with a psychologist or a massage, we know we can count on our day off Friday to take care of our body and mind.

Anxiety

You know, the knot you can feel Sunday night, on the eve of returning to the office?  Or that veil of anxiety that takes over when we finish our vacations and are preparing to return to work?  In our case, working 4 days a week has significantly reduced our anxiety level, knowing that, every Friday, we would have the time to enjoy life.

Social engagement

It's not easy to give of your time when you are short on it yourself! The day off on Friday allows us to partake in various societal projects that matter to us.

Environmental impact

We take the time to buy locally and consume responsible products. We also avoid commuting to the office on Fridays!

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In any case, entrepreneurs, we encourage you to rethink your business model. Employees, we encourage you to move forward by presenting a plan to change things. We cannot emphasize enough: There are only advantages to working less, but better.

To learn how to implement the reduced work week, sign up for our training or take a look at our article on the subject.

Article written by Judith, B Corp Consultant (she/her)