As you consider whether a compressed workweek will work for your team, it is important to note how leading teams on a compressed workweek differs from leading teams on a "typical" schedule. By focusing attention on Schedule Decision-Making and Implementation, Communication, Productivity, and Flexibility, you can support your team through this change.

pillars with the four elements of leading compressed schedule teams

Please review the tips below for leading successful teams in a compressed workweek or download the one page guide.

Schedule Decision-Making and Implementation

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  • Over-communicate the Compressed Workweek Pilot Program objectives and guidelines to your staff.  This is a significant departure from our current practices, so allow plenty of time for questions and conversation.
  • Ensure equity by using the Compressed Workplace Pilot Program Guidelines and the Compressed Workplace Schedule Assessment Form to guide decisions related to suitability for a compressed workweek schedule.
  • Communicate decisions and decision-making processes as transparently as possible.
  • To the extent possible, involve your staff in creating schedules that balance individual flexibility and operational needs.  

Communication

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  • To maintain a collaborative environment, cultivate opportunities for staff members to work shared hours when feasible and schedule time for constructive conversations about their work.  
  • Schedule frequent individual check-ins to monitor compressed workweek arrangements, address issues, and provide support. 
  • Communicate expectations and deadlines with ample time for completion, as compressed workweeks may affect deadlines. 
  • Practice and set expectations for asynchronous communication. (Asynchronous communication is when information is exchanged without expecting an immediate response.) 
  • If applicable, reflect longer service delivery hours on webpages.
  • Staff must update Google Calendar settings to reflect their working hours and block off calendars on off days. This action will enable internal partners to have greater visibility into optimal times for collaboration and help prevent others from accidentally booking you for a meeting when you're unavailable.
  • Staff must update their email signatures and out-of-office messages with their new working hours so internal and external partners know their schedules.

Productivity

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  • Empower your staff to block off time for more focused work, limiting distractions as much as possible. 
  • Practice and teach good “calendar hygiene:” 
    • Use this opportunity to stack your recurring meetings back-to-back as much as possible, opening up space for longer stretches of focused work. 
    • Block 90-120 minutes in the mornings or afternoons (depending on when you do your best thinking) to try to avoid fragmenting or interrupting focused work time with ad hoc meetings.
    • Audit the frequency and duration of recurring meetings, making edits as needed. Weekly meetings may be able to shift to bi-weekly, or hour-long meetings may be better suited to 30 minutes.
    • Take time to create and share meeting agendas ahead of time. 
    • Cancel unnecessary meetings, or assess meetings that have little or no impact.
  • Working non-stop for long stretches can decrease productivity in the later hours of the day. Encourage staff to pace themselves. Empower staff to take a short break every hour or two, and make sure it’s truly a rest – checking email doesn’t help the brain recharge. 

Flexibility

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  • Remain flexible and open to change to ensure this plan works for everyone. Keep an open mind and be willing to try different things to figure out the plan that best suits each staff member and the team.
  • To help staff avoid burnout on a compressed schedule, allow them to set boundaries and schedule breaks into their workday.
  • Manage outcomes rather than the time needed to complete a task.