32-Hour Workweek

Starting in December 2024, J&N Construction switched from a traditional 5-day, 40-hour workweek to a 32-hour week with a weekly 3-day weekend. It's part of our mission to do what we say we'll do in every part of our business. We say that values are important, and those values include equity, inclusivity and treating our people with respect. We believe that giving our employees more time to relax and enjoy their lives is an effective way to be more equitable, inclusive and respectful.

It started with a question: what does work/life balance actually mean? For many businesses, this isn't a question that gets a lot of consideration, or any real answers. It's something that's left up to the worker to figure out. In that sense, it's almost a challenge from the employer: find a way to balance your personal life with your job, and do it in a way that minimizes any struggles you might have with that monumental task. 

For us, the answer to the work/life balance equation is actually pretty simple: spend less time working and more time living. That doesn't mean getting less work done. It means being able to show up to work feeling more energized and capable of getting work done in a shorter period of time. It's not exactly "smarter, not harder," because we still work hard. But that hard work shouldn't include a struggle to stay focused and push past the point of exhaustion. We want our team to keep their effort focused on getting the job done right. Giving them more time to rest is a very direct way to achieve that goal.

This shift was informed by extensive research, including a review of the results of a 2022 research project in the United Kingdom known as the UK 4 Day Week Pilot, conducted by Autonomy Research in collaboration with the University of Cambridge and Boston College. This study showed that, of the 61 companies that participated in the study, 89% were still using the 4-day week structure a year later, with participating companies and employees reporting broadly positive results such as greater staff retention and a significant (71%) reduction in employee burnout.

After a careful review of evidence in favor of the 4-day week, our management team performed an internal review of employee time usage and productivity, determining that a reduction in expected weekly labor hours would be unlikely to actually impact project timelines and outcomes. This gave us the confidence to move forward with the radical idea that doing things differently is likely to produce different (and better) results.

We're excited to pioneer this kind of radical shift in an industry that's often nervous about change, especially when it comes to time. But we trust our people, and we trust the value that a healthier lifestyle can provide. Our hope is that we will be the first of many businesses in our industry to adopt this approach. Construction is a physically demanding trade that can quickly lead to burnout for the skilled professionals who make it run. These are people who build our homes and create our infrastructure. It's important work. Improving quality-of-life standards in this industry seems like a win-win for everyone, and we hope to serve as a source of inspiration for our peers.