About Joe O’Connor:
Joe is CEO and co-founder of the Work Time Reduction Center of Excellence, a consulting and research organization based in Toronto, which specializes in shorter workweek models and reduced-hour, outcome-focused working. Internationally acclaimed as one of the leading experts on the shorter workweek, Joe developed the world’s first pilot program for the four-day workweek in Ireland at the onset of the pandemic in 2020. In collaboration with Boston College and University College Dublin, he codesigned a pioneering research project to measure the impact of the pilot. As CEO of 4 Day Week Global throughout 2020 and 2021, he expanded this model to lead the large-scale, heavily publicized trials of the four-day week in the UK, North America, and Australia. In this role, he supported hundreds of organizations and thousands of employees to shorten their work hours and optimize their productivity. Joe also led a research project on work-time reduction as a visiting research scholar at Cornell University.
Episode Notes:
Dr. Laura welcomes Joe O’Connor, co-founder of the Work Time Reduction Center of Excellence, to the show to continue exploring the topic of the 4-day workweek. Joe originally served as CEO of 4 Day Week Global, the company co-founded by the last episode’s guest, Andrew Barnes. Joe and Dr. Laura explore the 4-Day workweek in great detail, examining both myths and truths about the four-day week and looking at the future of this global movement.
Joe O’Connor points out that the adoption of the five-day workweek and eight-hour workday over a century ago was driven by major technological advancements. Yet more recent technology, such as the internet, email, and digital communication, haven’t shifted that structure despite gains in productivity. Joe and Dr. Laura discuss significant research that supports shifting to a 4-day workweek and Joe dispels common myths that prevent companies from considering the change. Joe addresses the flexibility of this possible structure, trusting and empowering employees, and why company leaders need to course correct in order for the change to work. Their conversation provides yet more eye-opening evidence that points to variations of the 4-day workweek as a compelling choice for the future of workplace productivity and wellbeing.
“… we often advise leaders that are looking at this to think about it in terms of by the time you push the button to move to a shorter workweek, so by the time your trial starts or you’ve introduced the policy, you really want to have figured out to a pretty significant extent what are the things that we need to change in order to make this work operationally. You don’t want to be doing those things after you’ve already started the trial. You don’t want to be figuring it out, kind of building the aircraft while it’s in flight.” Joe O’Connor
Resources:
- Website: WorkTimeReduction.com
- Joe O’Connor on LinkedIn
- Joe O’Connor’s 2023 reading list
- 4-Day Workweek joint research study by Josh Bersin Company with The Work Time Reduction Center of Excellence
- “Work-Life Bloom” by Dan Pontefract
- “Irresistible” by Josh Bersin
Check out Erin Diehl’s podcast, improve it!
Learn more about Dr. Laura on her website: https://drlaura.live
For more resources, look into Dr. Laura’s organizations:
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About Dr. Laura: Bringing nearly 25 years of expertise as an Industrial/Organizational and Career Psychologist and pioneer on the future of work, Dr. Laura helps organizations evolve their cultures, and leaders and employees to thrive in their work and lives. She...
Episode 61 | Vitamin N: The Power of Nature in Work/Life Wellness
About Laura Cohen: Originally from Montreal, Laura is now based in Halifax with a 10 minute walk to the ocean. For the last 6 years, Laura has worked as a counsellor in universities, Employee Assistance Programs, and in private practice, including her own nature...
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Episode 59 | Closing the Confidence Gap to Thrive in Your Career
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About Alan Smyth: Alan Smyth is married and a father of two children and one grandchild. He is the Executive Director for Saving Innocence, an anti-human trafficking agency based in Los Angeles California. Alan has responsibility for Direct Services and Business...
Episode 92 | Over Work: Transforming the Daily Grind in the Quest for a Better Life
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Episode 88 | The Resilience Plan: Optimizing your Work Performance and Mental Health
About Dr. Marie-Hélène Pelletier: Throughout her career in business management and psychology, Dr. Pelletier has spearheaded the dialogue on the crucial issues of leadership resilience and work performance. Drawing on her extensive background in corporate, insurance,...
Episode 87 | What People Don’t Think about When It Comes to Their Career
About Lynn Imai: Lynn Imai, Ph.D., is a Registered Psychotherapist and Career Counsellor in Toronto. Many of Lynn’s clients, when they first come to her, are at a critical point in their lives. They are questioning their careers and asking themselves why they do what...
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