So much of the work of oppression is about policing the imagination. -Saidiya Hartman
A hundred years ago, our society moved from working six day weeks to five, and we are long overdue for an update. Factories in the 1800s would operate from “sun up to sun down” with workers often working 10 to 18 hours per day. It wasn’t until 1937 that the 8 hour work day was regulated in the US via the Fair Labor Standards Act. The COVID-19 pandemic has made it clear it’s possible to envision a better balance between work and life, allowing us to prioritize self-care and community care while pushing back against the capitalist white supremacy values that prioritize productivity and view overworking as a badge of pride. That is why Zenger Farm is entering in a one year trial of the four day work week – a reduction in the work week from a standard 40 hours to 32 hours for the same pay and benefits.
Campaign for the 8 hour work day began in 1817 but wasn’t enacted until 1937.
From Imagination to Action
The process of moving to a four day work week has taken over a year of preparation. During this time we interviewed other organizations and businesses that made this shift, surveyed our staff to learn more about our unique needs, instituted ‘no meeting Fridays’ as a way to ease into the change, increased staffing, and worked through a variety of scheduling challenges. We understand there may be challenges and imperfections as we make this transition, and we are open to learning and growing along the way. Despite these challenges, we are committed to try something new and won’t let perfection be the enemy of progress.
This shift is in direct alignment with our values as an organization and our wish to nurture longhaul movement work that can only be possible through a sustainable pace. Alongside others in this movement, we hope to achieve, among other benefits:
- WELLBEING –improve the work-life balance of employees and deliver transformational benefits in their daily lives, while improving physical and mental health, and reducing levels of burnout, stress, sick leave, and absenteeism. We want room to dream! The four day week is shown to result in happier employees, with higher levels of job satisfaction and mission connection.
- GENDER JUSTICE –enable a better distribution of caring responsibilities amongst genders, evening the playing field by reducing barriers to caregivers advancing in work, and reduce childcare costs.
- LEADERSHIP –being a sector leader established as an innovative, progressive, forward-thinking organization that encourages the pace to change. Nonprofit employment doesn’t need to require sacrificing pay, benefits, or work/life boundaries.
- ENGAGEMENT –create a more energized, efficient, empowered, and motivated staff, which is focused on organizational priorities, imagining just futures, and achieving our mission, rather than on the time spent at the office, in meetings or out in the fields.
- RETENTION & RECRUITMENT –helps us attract the best talent, and increases our pool of potential candidates, as well as helping to retain employees and cut down on unplanned attrition. We know that experience and knowledge take a lot of resources to replace.
- SUSTAINABILITY –reduce the carbon footprint through reduced commuting and reduced energy use in the office.
This shift aligns directly with our multi-year strategic plan and vision, specifically our commitment to strengthen organizational capacity. At Zenger Farm, advancing a healthy, supportive, and just work culture is key to our success. To support our communities externally, we must be internally healthy as a place where people have the personal and organizational resources to sustainably fulfill our mission. Our staff is the core of our community, and instituting a reasonable pace of work is a step that ripples out to improve our lives, builds the longevity of organizers, increases our ability to support each other, and ultimately moves us further toward collective liberation.