Imagine a life working 4 days a week instead of five!
Businesses in Iceland, New Zealand, Spain, Japan, and the UK already use this arrangement. For an employee operating on-site, working for four days reduces commuting expenditures. It also adds an extra day to recuperate and rest.
Now, will it be the same for a solo talent?
Here’s the crux of the matter:
Yes, these two benefits might align with those of a freelancer. A 4-day workweek benefits work-life balance and productivity. In this piece, we’ll dig deeper into the matter. We’ll start with the potential challenges and their solutions. Next, we will discuss how to implement it, and finally, we will provide a breakdown of hybrid vs. remote work.
Let’s kick things off with the challenges and solutions.
Potential Challenges and Solutions
Companies that work 4 days a week celebrate better employee satisfaction and retention. However, for freelancers, this shift presents a few drawbacks. This section highlights what those holdbacks could be and how to mitigate them.
Client Expectations Versus Talent Availability
Freelancers have a reputation for transcending regular working hours. Some are even available around the clock, so implementing a 4-day workweek seems almost impossible.
This means clients may expect service delivery beyond the next four days. Thankfully, you can beat the system in the following ways:
- Communicate clearly from the beginning that you operate four days a week. Suppose the implementation of working 4 days a week is fresh; communicate in advance with the dates. Assure clients that this new change will only be beneficial and won’t affect the work’s quality.
- Offer clients an alternative means by which they can reach you if it’s urgent.
Meeting Deadlines
Condensing your working days may put you under immense pressure to complete projects. The solutions are to:
- Prioritize your tasks effectively.
- Use project management tools.
- Set realistic goals.
- Delegate if necessary.
- Negotiate longer timelines to complete the job on time and with the best quality.
Mental and Physical Strain
Working 4 days a week might present issues with mental and physical strain due to the added daily working hours. This new arrangement adds to your daily work hours if your goal is to work 40 hours per week. You will spend more time sitting, typing, or creating content and sites.
If you don’t solve this issue, it might lead to a distorted work-life balance and deteriorating mental health and productivity.
The solutions?
- You should set strict work hours to achieve a work-life balance. If you are to stop at 6 p.m., arrange your work day to ensure that 6pm is the closing time. You might have a few days working beyond that time, but please don’t make it a habit.
- To stay sane, take breaks as you work, incorporate exercise, and eat a healthy diet that supports brain health.
- Use techniques like the Pomodoro technique, time-blocking, and task batching for a productivity boost. Also, a dedicated working space may help reduce distractions.
Income Instability
A solo talent who sets their payment models per hour might lose some business. A shorter workweek means less is work done. But there is a way you can work around this. Those ways are:
- Increase your rates per hour or project.
- Focus on high-paying clients or projects.
- Diversify your income channels (offer courses).
How to Implement a 4-Day Workweek?
If you would love to harness all the 4 day workweek benefits, structure it in the following way:
Evaluate Workload
Before transitioning to working four days a week, thoroughly evaluate your current workload. Identify the weight of your tasks and note how long each takes to complete.
Knowing these estimates will make it easier to market your services based on the 4-day workweek arrangement.
Communicate with All Stakeholders
You should secure approvals for new changes if you interact closely with other professionals or companies. Discuss the 4 days work week pros and cons with this team, ensuring that the pros win the argument. Gather feedback and address all concerns and suggestions with actionable solutions.
Design the Schedule
What is your chosen arrangement?
Four 10-hour workdays? Or the typical 8 hours per day?
Also, what days are you working, Monday to Thursday or Tuesday to Friday?
Deciding on this is entirely personal because you know best when your services are in demand. However, as a general rule, keep the schedule active during peak days in your industry.
Implement the Schedule
After everyone involved is onboard with the change, implement the new structure.
Optimize workflow by attending only to the essential jobs and using technology for the mundane ones. For example, you can automate calendar updates from emails to ensure you meet all client deadlines.
Besides automation, use tech for projects, clients, time, and resource management. Another sector to never overlook is your finances. Here, use Ruul to streamline invoicing and payments.
Make Changes as You Go
All jobs that work 4 days a week initially face resistance, and so will you.
To solve this, find actionable solutions and make the changes as you go. Ensure you openly communicate with anyone involved to avoid ruining a job or relationship.
4 Days Workweek or Hybrid Work?
A hybrid work model blends traditional and modern work models. This model means that you work both on-site and off-site. So, comparing this to a 4-workweek, what triumphs?
Here is a two-question guide to help you choose what might work for you:
What Is the Nature of My Work?
The hybrid might suffice if you are a freelance medical consultant or have any other demanding career. A web developer or content creator might integrate better working 4 days a week.
How Adaptable Is My Career?
If your job can seamlessly transition, go with the 4-workweek model. Jobs in the creative industry are usually flexible and would embrace this arrangement better. The hybrid method works best if it is riddled with strict and rigid procedures and processes. Solo talents working in government and legal proceedings benefit best from a hybrid.
Solo Talents: Yes or No to the 4-Day Workweek
Now that you know all the 4-day workweek perks and downsides, what’s your take?
Working 4 days a week, the typical 5-day, or a hybrid arrangement?
Wherever you select, ensure everyone you work with is on board. Don’t forget to use tools like Ruul to manage your finances!
