We’ve all heard about companies with 4-day work weeks in Canada by now, but what about companies that don’t have a workweek at all? More and more workplaces are trading in their 40-hour week for results-only work environments (a.k.a. ROWE), and they’re not looking back.
The idea behind ROWE is to give employees full control over how long and when they work, replacing set hours with productivity goals. As long as employees are hitting their goals, they can work as much or as little as they want and still get paid their regular salary.
The concept was introduced years ago, but according to one of the creators of ROWE, Jody Thompson, it’s become more popular than ever during the pandemic.
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“I think based on the pandemic … companies are more ready now to look at something bold, look at something progressive,” said Thompson to CBC News.
Thompson says that over the past two years, many Canadian companies have reached out to her consultancy to find out how they can transition to ROWE.
Two companies that have embraced ROWE at their workplaces in Canada include the Canadian Mortgage and Housing Corporation (CMHC) and the Ontario-based custom label company Mabel’s Labels.
CMHC was one of the first companies in Canada to transition to ROWE back in 2019 and apparently, it’s had nothing but positive results on employees’ wellbeing and the success of the company.
One employee said at the time that “the benefits were instantaneous” because employees were given the freedom to “find their own work-life integration mix, without guilt or judgment.”
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The senior director of public relations at Mabel’s Labels told CBC that not only did their new work environment improve their profitability and success, but workplace culture also improved.
Companies with 4-day work weeks are reporting similar benefits. One Toronto-based agency said the decision to make long weekends permanent actually doubled their success. Plus, employees are happier overall and seem to be sticking around longer.
If this is the beginning of the end of 9 to 5, we’re definitely here for it.
