Announcing a 4-Day Work Week Pilot
From the outset of my practice in July 2019, one of our goals is to be innovative in our operations as well as in how we serve our law clients, and the legal profession for ADR. I’ve also wanted to be a practitioner and employer that delivers a high standard of satisfaction, and to that end, we engage in ongoing assessment and improvement, like through surveys and client reviews.
As another step towards that goal, I am happy to announce that Mitchell Rose Professional Corporation (o/a Mitchell Rose Law and Rose Dispute Resolution) will be piloting a four-day work week from starting in April through to the end of December 2023. During this nine-month period, our office will be open Monday-Thursday from 9am-5:00pm and closed on Fridays*. Our four-day work week will not be a compressed work schedule, but rather reduced hours. So, an employee would work around 28 hours over four days and have a three-day weekend.
As for myself, I have come to realize over the past few years in a remote practice, with an employee working out of her own home office and me in mine, I have no structured work-life balance. I’m okay with that, but I do recognize I have work-life blend, where the working days are a little more blurred. So, my working day may not be your 9-5 working day. I am mindful of that and, of course, observing the right to disconnect.
Then why is MRPC making this change? After reviewing some practice data, evidence suggests there is room to improve focus and employee satisfaction. Also, four-day work week industry research I’ve been following suggests better health, mental wellbeing, greater engagement, and productivity as an outcome.
That said, we are treating this trial period as a study. Success will be measured by productivity, health and wellness, and other performance indicators for continuous improvement—as we did through COVID restrictions and monitoring the uptick of virtual mediations for higher settlement rates and lower overall costs. When the trial period is complete, I’ll assess whether to continue or not to continue it. I look forward to sharing more information with you over the course of the pilot!
*if a legal matter or dispute resolution process demands a Friday, your business and legal needs will be met, and we will make every effort to make deadlines and/or a mediation or hearing date available.
