Drew Becher, the CEO of the San Francisco Parks Alliance, readily admits he was skeptical about a four-day work week.
He wondered: How would his team get all of his work done in such a short time frame? Also, there was some suspicion that this was a Covid-era trend that could fizzle out once things return to a more normal cadence.
But the nonprofit has been pretty desperate to turn a corner on the hiring and retention issues that have beset countless businesses during the pandemic. Well, call Becher a believer.
A pilot program that began last August was initially extended through February before being approved by the board as a permanent full-time benefit subject to annual review and refinement.
“I’m an evangelist now,” said Becher. “Once I thought about it and understood how the organization could make it work, I could see how good this is for people with children, good for people without children and good for mental health. As long as you can do what you set out to do as an organization, why not at least try?”
Empty office space in downtown San Francisco | Camille Cohen/The Standard
From skeptic to evangelist
The Parks Alliance drew on one page of a study led by the non-profit organization 4 Day Week Global, which involved dozens of companies across the UK. Of the 61 participating companies, 92% chose to continue with the four-day workweek and 30% said it made it a lasting change.
Notably, 15% of employees said no amount of money would make them accept a five-day schedule over a four-day week.
Becher’s internal data describes some of the reasons for this. Work-life balance scores rose from 2.6 to 4.8 out of 5, and turnover at the company has plummeted over the past nine months.
The Parks Alliance generally selects Friday as an additional day off, although this varies based on seasonality and job functions. Becher himself spends his “day off” meeting with donors and deleting the emails piling up in his inbox. Other colleagues use the time to visit the city’s parks, run errands, or do other internal work.
There was definitely an adjustment period to set up new systems and to inform the partners about the new working structure. But it has also forced the team to become more efficient and get more done in less time. An example? Halve hour-long meetings.
“If you go back to a standard 30-minute meeting, you’d be amazed at how much of a waste of time the other 30 minutes are,” said Becher.
Legislative Actions
Monograph, a San Francisco-based startup that makes project management software for architects and engineers, has had a four-day workweek structure since it launched in 2017, giving all employees a “middle weekend” on Wednesdays.
In an article for Fast Company, Robert Yuen, CEO of Monograph, wrote that the startup’s work structure has resulted in reduced burnout and higher company morale.
Robert Yuen, Monograph CEO | Courtesy monograph
“Giving employees an extra day a week to take care of themselves and their families can only help personally and professionally. It’s important to remember that the team is made up of real people living real lives,” Yuen wrote.
The company maintains a website that shows what employees have been up to on their extra day off, including renovating old furniture, rock climbing and spending more time with family.
The four-day move was given some legislative weight in the form of a bill by Southern California Congressman Mark Takano. The law, called the 32-hour workweek law, was reinstated in March after failing to take effect in the last legislative session.
The bill – backed by 4 Day Week Global and major unions – would reduce the standard work week from 40 hours to 32 hours by amending the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) and lowering the overtime pay threshold for hourly workers.
While it wouldn’t immediately apply to typical office workers if passed, Tanako positions the law as an offset in the work-like scales, which he believes have clearly tipped in the former’s favor.
“Workers across the country are collectively rethinking their relationship to work — and our laws must follow suit,” Takano said in a statement. “We have an opportunity to use common sense to make changes to labor standards handed down from another era.”
Rep. Mark Takano, D-Calif., departs after speaking at a Congressional Progressive Caucus news conference. | Patrick Semansky/AP Photo
Ironically, San Francisco was half a century ahead of the debate. In 1973 a coalition of unions put to the vote Proposal L, which would have reduced the work week for city employees and contractors from 40 to 30 hours a week for the same pay.
The proposal was round rejected with 81.3% of the vote. But perhaps in a sign of broader public acceptance of the concept, fewer days worked as a corporate bonus has become a competitive advantage.
“We’re a nonprofit trying to compete for the talent that’s coming out with all the layoffs you read about every day,” Becher said. “We can’t offer equity or shares, but we found that we can offer this offer that could attract these types of people to come here.”
Kevin Truong can be reached at [email protected]
