The Great Resignation is inspiring a Woodbury-based company to rethink the traditional work week. Instead of a five day work week, Self Esteem Brands, the parent company of several entities including Anytime Fitness, recently implemented a four day work week from Memorial Day to Labor Day.
The move comes after nearly 48 million people quit their jobs in 2021. Data released earlier this year shows the trend doesn't appear to be slowing down.
In fact, 4.3 million people quit their jobs in January.
The mass exodus of people seeking more fulfilling employment inspired leaders at Self Esteem Brands to reexamine exactly what benefits their employees are looking for in a career.
Co-founder and CEO, Chuck Runyon, says the company provided an empowering and inspiring environment before the COVID-19 pandemic hit, but that environment needed to be reexamined once workers started returning.
"As we came back to work, we took the time to analyze our employee value proposition," Runyon said. "That's really a new term to most leaders and to most employers. We think so much about our consumer value proposition, but not a lot of leaders talk about their employee value prop."
Knowing flexibility and personal wellness was a top priority for their workers, Runyon and Self Esteem Brands co-founder Dave Mortensen instituted Wellbeing Fridays for corporate employees.
"Now Memorial Day through Labor Day our team is off Friday with no expectations to work or answer emails," Runyon said. "We want them to use that time on personal wellness, family activities, or hobbies."
Related
Along with Wellbeing Fridays, the company encourages No Meeting Wednesdays to help free-up time, and they also pay for employees and their families to access mental health experts, above the regular employee assistance programs.
"In a recent survey of our employees, at the very top of the list, employees said they wanted to work for an employer that cares for their wellbeing. That was higher than compensation and higher than benefits. We saw wellbeing Fridays as a signature benefit to allow employees to take care of their wellbeing."
Runyon says employees had, and continue to have, unlimited PTO for several years, but there was never a clear message to them about taking time for themselves.
"They were still answering emails on Saturdays and Sunday," added Runyon. "Now we're telling them to take Fridays off, disconnect for the weekend, and come back refreshed on Monday."
Making the move to a four day work week, which could be extended beyond Labor Day, is something Runyon believes other companies will move to sooner, rather than later as they look to attract more employees looking to make a career change.
"We want people who want to work here. We want them to choose us just as much as we choose them," Runyon said. "What I love about the Great Resignation is the employee has leverage. They can choose to work anywhere for any employer. There's really no excuse to be disenfranchised from your business anymore. People should choose the company where they love to work, you find great purpose, and it aligns with your values."