Happy International Women’s Day
I’m posting this a day early because I’m ….. well let’s just say I have a brain surgeon in my life now. Anyway, I wanted to celebrate this important day by announcing that I am moving away from the CEO role at 4 Day Week Global, and transitioning over to managing director so I can still be around to champion and drive the movement but also have time for the numerous other projects that I have on my plate.
I am handing over the reins to Joe O’Connor, who has been with us since August 2020 and has done a stellar job of kickstarting our Global Pilot Program. And he is most certainly the right man for the job.
Like many, I am always so conflicted when we celebrate something that is actually quite binary, you are either a woman, or you are not (don’t jump on me, I realise there are variances here). And today we celebrate this and all we have achieved. Today I celebrate how much we have achieved and I am handing over to a man – because he is the right person for the job. The way the Joe has taken on this crazy movement has been inspiring, he has risen to the challenge and there is unlikely to be anyone else in the world who could take this next step with us. With his help we have seen this movement go over the tipping point and into a serious reality for many businesses, their people and a few governments too.
When we choose people for important roles we need our biases to be left at the door. As a woman celebrate being able to hand over to this excellent man.
I believe the 4 Day work week is key to locking a large amount of the gender imbalance that remains. We have done a lot to help women up in the work place, politically, educationally and socially. Our program focuses on productivity, not time, as the measure of success and we help businesses do this, so that they can maintain pay, and reduce worker hours. This means that for the millions of women out there who have reduced their pay because they reduced their time, often without reducing what they produce for their employers, we will create a better workplace conversation. We can unlock more of the imbalance.
The 4 Day work week helps men out of the workplace. By offering a financially safe and socially acceptable way our men can reduce their work hours, we are helping them to help us correct the gender imbalance too. When I am talking to businesses around the world the amazing stories often come from the men – the father works 5 days, starts work at 10am having done all the morning routine in the house and walked his daughter to school. How many father’s do you know who would love that opportunity?
Our 100-80-10™ principle describes a workplace where we pay
100%, work 80% and deliver 100% productivity.
Shifting out mindset from hours to output or outcome gives us a chance to have a more inclusive workplace, and I’m not just talking along gender lines. How much easier would it be for someone with health issues to work Monday and Tuesday, have a rest day on Wednesday, and then work Thursday and Friday?
On International Women’s Day I celebrate all the women who have trailblazed ahead and alongside me, who have been backed by many incredible men who have recognised the value in encouraging women to fulfil their potential and back their value in their organisations.
As a Gen X female, I follow on the well worn path of fighting to be treated with the respect I deserve, juggling the needs of family – both young and old, grappling with maintaining a successful relationship with my partner and my friends, and the odd burnout along the way.
"No" is not a comfortable word for us.
The old saying, “If you want work well done, give it to a busy woman,” or “I love hiring mothers, they are great at multi-tasking and time management,” these apply to my generation. But I don't want them to apply to our younger people.
Parents throughout history have strived for the children to give their children a better life. Better shelter, better food, education, healthcare, clothes etc. But for most developed nations, this has now translated to just MORE. More clothes, more food, their own bathroom, more education – whether they want it or not, more, more, more. And it has got to the point that, on the whole, our children don’t value it any more. What they are beginning to value is time. Many of my generation and older complain that the “young ones don’t want to work as hard any more”, like this is a bad thing. I believe that it is a good thing. The one element we as parents and bosses can give the younger ones that is better than what we had is TIME.
Time for them to be whole people with physical and mental wellness, with healthy relationships, time to further educate themselves, to be part of the communities and to breath.
When I was a young parent I learnt that children spell love
T-I-M-E
and this is true of us all.
So as we celebrate what we have achieved so far for women, let’s question what we want for the girls and young women of today, and those of tomorrow. And let’s celebrate all the boys and young men who are on the journey with them.