The 4 Day Week: How the Flexible Work Revolution Can Increase Productivity, Profitability and Wellbeing, and Help Create a Sustainable

The 4 Day Week: How the Flexible Work Revolution Can Increase Productivity, Profitability and Wellbeing, and Help Create a Sustainable

  • 作者: Barnes, Andrew
  • 原文出版社:Piatkus
  • 出版日期:2020/01/07
  • 語言:英文
  • 定價:760
  • 運送方式:
  • 臺灣與離島
  • 海外
  • 可配送點:台灣、蘭嶼、綠島、澎湖、金門、馬祖
  • 可取貨點:台灣、蘭嶼、綠島、澎湖、金門、馬祖
載入中...
  • 分享
 

In The 4 Day Week, entrepreneur and business innovator Andrew Barnes makes the case for the four-day week as the answer to many of the ills of the 21st-century global economy.

Barnes conducted an experiment in his own business, the New Zealand trust company Perpetual Guardian, and asked his staff to design a four-day week that would permit them to meet their existing productivity requirements on the same salary but with a 20% cut in work hours. The outcomes of this trial, which no business leader had previously attempted on these terms, were stunning. People were happier and healthier, more engaged in their personal lives, and more focused and productive in the office.
The world of work has seen a dramatic shift in recent times: the former security and benefits associated with permanent employment are being displaced by the less stable gig economy. Barnes explains the dangers of a focus on flexibility at the expense of hard-won worker protections, and argues that with the four-day week, we can have the best of all worlds: optimal productivity, work-life balance, worker benefits and, at long last, a solution to pervasive economic inequities such as the gender pay gap and lack of diversity in business and governance.
The 4 Day Week is a practical, how-to guide for business leaders and employees alike that is applicable to nearly every industry. Using qualitative and quantitative data from research gathered through the Perpetual Guardian trial and other sources by the University of Auckland and Auckland University of Technology, the book presents a step-by-step approach to preparing businesses for productivity-focused flexibility, from the necessary cultural conditions to the often complex legislative considerations.
The story of Perpetual Guardian's unprecedented work experiment has made headlines around the world and stormed social media, reaching a global audience over 4.5 billion. A mix of trenchant analysis, personal observation and actionable advice, The 4 Day Week is an essential guide for leaders and workers seeking to make a change for the better in their work world.

 

作者簡介

Andrew Barnes has made a career of market-changing growth and innovation. He was chairman of realestate.com.au at the time of its IPO on the ASX, led the sale of Bestinvest for $5.7 billion and was managing director of Australian Wealth Management Limited.

Most recently Andrew triggered a revolution of the entire fiduciary and legal services industries in New Zealand, and his conception of the four-day week - the flexible work revolution - has made him a globally sought-after leader. He speaks to international audiences on the future of work and subjects such as governance, philanthropy, business leadership, entrepreneurship, company culture and change management.

Andrew lives in the United Kingdom and New Zealand. He holds a Master of Arts in Archaeology from Selwyn College at the University of Cambridge.

 

詳細資料

  • ISBN:9780349424903
  • 規格:平裝 / 256頁 / 23.37 x 14.99 x 1.52 cm / 普通級 / 初版
  • 出版地:美國

會員評鑑

4
1人評分
|
1則書評
|
立即評分
user-img
4
|
2022/04/28
This book provides a fresh framework for today’s workplace. We are used to working from Monday to Friday, 9 am to 5 pm, and take 2 days off on weekends. This job routine seems great, right? It lets us enjoy work-life balance. We won’t burn out. However according to many business researches, workers nowadays are often in deep depression, which are usually caused by work pressures. How come? Many complain about the never-ending workload that takes forever to complete. In order to earn the salary, or even to keep the job, workers must complete assignments on time, correctly, and very quickly! It’s no exaggeration that most people often feel overwhelmed by works.

Capitalism sometimes can be very demanding. It places convenience and profits above all. Therefore, workers are required to function like wheels spinning endlessly. Productivity is the top priority. Sometimes, companies sacrifice workers’ welfare for profits. It could severely damage employees’ morale and sense of belonging. In the worst cases, it may lead to exploitation.

Fortunately, most companies are gradually taking this issue seriously. They come up with initiatives to fix the problem. The book I read here is one nice example! It appeals that workers should enjoy 3 days off every week. That is, you only need to work 4 days a week! At first thought, you may think ‘Is it possible?’ We barely have enough time to finish our work, let alone have one more day off. The good news is that this appeal may be the future of work. It is becoming reality around the world. Companies are trying to put the idea into practice. Governments are revising laws to make it happen. Maybe not far into the future, we may actually enjoy 3 days off each week.

Legendary economist John Maynard Keynes had predicted in 1930 that people in the 21st century would only need to work 15 hours every week due to the advancement of technology. For example, computers enable us to communicate instantly. In theory, we should work a lot less. But technology in some ways increases our work otherwise. As email becomes our way of work, we sit in front of screens over 8 hours replying emails each day. Jokingly, we are kidnapped by emails. Some people receive hundreds of mails per day. Then how is it possible to deal with every mail attentively?

The only solution is to spend more time on your work, and it prolongs your time working non-stop. You must notice the dilemma here. Technology is misused. It doesn’t relieve our workload but essentially makes us busier. There must be something wrong. That is the reason many visionary business experts are advocating for ‘The 4 Day Week’. We should take the control back instead of being slaved by technology.

The author, Andrew Barnes, is an inspiring business leader. Born in New Zealand and educated in Cambridge UK, he spent his 20s working in investment banking. This industry is known for long hours and high pressure. Though he climbed up the corporate ladder successfully, one day he felt empty and wondered what the meaning was for all the work he had done. He later led several financial service companies during his career. He even set up his own trust and legal business, Perpetual Guardian, in New Zealand. In recent years, he devotes his time to promote 4 Day Week, and it makes impacts worldwide. This book is like a manifesto for a new work revolution.

One day after reading an article on The Economist, he thought it would be a great idea if his employees could work only 4 days a week. He talked about it with HR who initially took it as a joke. But Barnes meant it. He hired two academics from top university in New Zealand to carry out the experiment. He launched a pilot project in his company. The result turned out to be positive. They concluded 4 day week was not only possible but beneficial. Employees had more time with family. They could spend more time fulfilling their dreams. Productivity even increased over time.

How is it possible?

Barnes showed us ample evidence in the book. Originated in the 19th century, 5 Day Week was introduced after violent labor movements. People started to work in factories since the industrial revolution. The environment was harsh. So workers formed union to fight for their rights. 5 Day Week was one of the results and it lasted to this day. The structure has not changed since then. Therefore it is a bit outdated. It becomes an unnecessary obligation everyone has to obey. Companies use it as a tool to measure workers’ contribution. Most companies believe the longer hours you devote to your work, the more work you completed. But in fact, longer hours reduce our productivity.

Evidences show most people can only work highly effectively for 2~3 hours per day. We spend the rest of time browsing social media, reading news, watching Youtube, chatting with colleagues, etc. We are distracted most of the time. Interestingly, the design of the office could make us distracted as well. Smart office is trendy, but it can make the office very noisy. We can’t focus when people around us are talking loudly. It is estimated that when we are distracted for a few minutes, we need half an hour to re-focus.

This is why 4 Day Week could change the game. The book provides much advice for companies to adopt. When 4 Day Week becomes the company policy, employees would relish the benefits and work together to carry out the policy. Employees would invent creative ways to stay focus and avoid wasting time. In the long run, everyone gets one more day to cultivate personal life instead of idling away the precious time. 4 Day Week also makes business more sustainable. The cars on the road might reduce more than 20%. It would greatly relieve the burden on mother earth.

As a business professional, I get many insights from this thought-provoking book. I start to reflect on the relation with my work in a new perspective. It makes me think from a top-down approach. It also teaches me how to balance act as an employee. It’s a book worth recommending!

If you are interested but don’t have time, be sure to tune in to Barnes Ted x Talk. It’s a nice summary!

PS. 本書我其實是讀中文版《週休三日工時革命》,但既然用英文寫閱讀心得了,就貼在外文館好了(也有看到其他人用英文寫~),而且實在沒力氣/沒時間再用中文寫一遍。順便碎念一下"閱讀"這件事...寫書評的CP值真的有待商榷,寫越久越深刻體悟所謂"寫作純粹是自我紀錄"這個道理。以後我應該會多花一些時間用英文寫,但如果是讀中文版我會再註記。有些書籍的主題其實用英文寫反而輕鬆,而且寫完還可以貼到Goodreads和領英,一石三鳥,reach global audience哈哈XD。
展開

最近瀏覽商品

 

相關活動

  • 破關人生,I'm in!職場「破」力養成指南,電子書/有聲書/影音課程6折起
 

購物說明

外文館商品版本:商品之書封,為出版社提供之樣本。實際出貨商品,以出版社所提供之現有版本為主。關於外文書裝訂、版本上的差異,請參考【外文書的小知識】。

調貨時間:無庫存之商品,在您完成訂單程序之後,將以空運的方式為您下單調貨。原則上約14~20個工作天可以取書(若有將延遲另行告知)。為了縮短等待的時間,建議您將外文書與其它商品分開下單,以獲得最快的取貨速度,但若是海外專案進口的外文商品,調貨時間約1~2個月。 

若您具有法人身份為常態性且大量購書者,或有特殊作業需求,建議您可洽詢「企業採購」。 

退換貨說明 

會員所購買的商品均享有到貨十天的猶豫期(含例假日)。退回之商品必須於猶豫期內寄回。 

辦理退換貨時,商品必須是全新狀態與完整包裝(請注意保持商品本體、配件、贈品、保證書、原廠包裝及所有附隨文件或資料的完整性,切勿缺漏任何配件或損毀原廠外盒)。退回商品無法回復原狀者,恐將影響退貨權益或需負擔部分費用。 

訂購本商品前請務必詳閱商品退換貨原則 

  • 熟年
  • dune
  • 國際書展