239: Is Thursday the New Friday? How to Work Fewer Hours, Make More Money, and Spend Time Doing What You Want with Joe Sanok

improve it! Podcast – Professional Development Through Play, Improv & Experiential Learning

What does chaperoning a first-grade planetarium trip have to do with the benefits of a 4-day work week?

More than you think, trust us.

Joe Sanok is the author of Thursday is the New Friday, as well as a speaker, podcaster, and consultant at Practice of the Practice—an organization that helps counselors build their private practices.

Joe joins Erin on the pod today to discuss: his history of looking for work flexibility no matter what role he was in; how he’s negotiated 4-day work weeks throughout his career and the effects it’s had on his life as a whole; and a day-by-day breakdown of how he structures his week as a working parent.

Joe shares the exact script he’s used in the past to ask his boss for a 4-day work week that you can tweak to your liking.

Special sprinkles on top of this episode: how to have the confidence to leave things unfinished + why slowing down is where you need to start

Are people happier with a 4-day work week?

According to Forbes, a U.K. study found after six months of four-day work weeks, 71 percent of workers felt less burnout, company income increased by 1.4 percent on average, and there was a dramatic decrease in employee quitting and a significant reduction in sick days. -Governing Magazine

Who benefits from a 4-day work week?

Nearly anyone who works a full-time job.

Pilot studies in countries including the U.K., Spain, Portugal, and South Africa suggest that shorter workweeks can help employees reduce burnout, manage stress, get more sleep and exercise, spend additional quality time with loved ones, and feel all-around happier and healthier. -TIME Magazine

If you liked this episode, you might also want to try: Episode 216: How Does a Four-Day Work Week Impact Your Team? with Special Guest, Jenna McDonnell

Show Links:

• Purchase Erin’s book, I See You! A Leader’s Guide to Energizing Your Team through Radical Empathy
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Connect with Joe Sanok:

• Joe’s book, Thursday is the New Friday
• Joe’s article in Harvard Business review, “How to Ask Your Boss For a 4-Day Work Week”
• Joe’s podcast, The Practice of the Practice
• Joe’s website
• Joe’s LinkedIn

Connect with Erin Diehl:

• Erin’s Instagram
• Erin’s LinkedIn
• Erin’s website
• improve it!’s Instagram
• improve it!’s website