Shanelle Clapham - The 4 Day Work Week
In this episode Shanelle Clapham and I discuss leadership towards better health, sustainability and productivity. Shanelle has just introduced a 4 day work week for her entire team. We discuss how this is done and what benefits can come of it. We also discuss parental leave especially in relation to men being able to take time off to care for their children as well as supporting their partners’ careers long term, and the STIGMAS around this.
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In the UK, we are very fortunate to benefit from Shared Parental Leave (SPL) and Shared Parental Pay (ShPP), which came into effect in December 2014. So few dads take this leave and although this may be because the mother wants or needs the time, it is also because of how we are perceived by our peers and our colleagues. Other countries still have a long way to go to provide this flexibility for modern families.
Shanelle and I are both mothers of single children. Our husbands are heavily involved in the raising of our children and we both have career ambitions.
Shanelle runs her own company and has finally made the decision to put her entire team on a 4 day week for the benefit of health, happiness and family life. For myself, having dropped to 4 days a week during the intense breastfeeding and sleepless period of my daughter’s first year, I have been able to experience first hand how beneficial it can be having 1 day which can be used for self-care and better relationships with my husband and daughter.
It is not to say that everyone should change to a 4 day week, but have we even asked the question? Could we possibly improve the lives of ourselves and our colleagues by making small changes which provide the opportunity to be present in other areas of our lives where the usual 9-5pm (or increasingly common 8.30-6pm) Monday-Friday commutable day job restricts us?
This is not a new idea. The Independent published an article HISTORY OF THE TWO-DAY WEEKEND PROVIDES LESSONS FOR A FOUR-DAY WORKING WEEK explaining more about where the weekend came from.
In this episode Shanelle mentions Charlotte Lockhart, who co-founded the 4 day week with Andrew Barnes. If you are interested in learning more about the 4 day week concept (or something more flexible than you have been led to believe is the only way) and how the flexible work revolution can increase productivity, profitability, and well being, as well as create a sustainable future, I have included a link to Andrew’s book:
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If you’d like to check out Shanelle’s company as a not for profit needing assistance with fundraising or marketing, visit parachutedigitalmarketing.com.au.
As always, you can access me on Instagram @incrementaljane or via my website www.canidoitmyself.com.