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A four-day work week is not a gimmick. Done right, it can reduce burnout, stabilize output, and help you keep great people. Our guest today shares that after two years of doing a 4-day work week model, they saw a 46% increase in staff morale and wellbeing. This is only one of the many amazing benefits Imagine Canada has seen!

In this episode of The Small Nonprofit Podcast, Maria Rio sits down with Jodene Baker, Vice President of Research, Advocacy and External Relations at Imagine Canada. Jodene oversees national research and policy efforts supporting Canada’s nonprofit sector. Imagine Canada also builds tools like Grant Connect and advocates federally to strengthen the sector. Maria and Jodene discuss the challenges of starting, decent work practices, and how to measure the unmeasurable.

4-Day Work Week for Nonprofits - The Highlights:

1. Why try a four-day week in the first place
   The sector is stretched: lower average pay, rising demand, and chronic burnout. Imagine Canada saw the same internal pressures and chose to test a four-day week to improve staff wellbeing and retention while holding impact.
2. Their model is 100 percent pay, 80 percent time, 100 percent outcomes
   Imagine Canada works Monday to Thursday and closes Fridays. There is no pay cut and no compressed schedule. This pilot began in January 2023 and is now extended through 2026. It remains a pilot so they can keep measuring and adjust if needed.
3. Preparation made the shift workable
   They joined the Four Day Week Global pilot, created a cross-functional staff group, set clear goals, and defined success metrics. They also cleaned up calendars:
   • Audited and shortened meetings
   • Made Monday afternoons meeting-free internally
   • Blocked Fridays well in advance to build the habit
4. Measured results: wellbeing up, sick days down, impact stable
   They track roughly 50 metrics across wellbeing, productivity, and outputs.
5. Recruitment and retention improved
   Candidates now cite the four-day week as a reason to apply. Staff attrition has dropped exponentially.

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✨ Key Quote

“The four day work week is a tactic - to help tackle wellbeing and equity challenges without needing to increase wages.” – Jodene Baker

4-Day Work Week for Nonprofits: 3 Actionable Tips:

1. Do a calendar cleanse before you change schedules
   Remove or shorten recurring meetings. Pilot a no internal meetings block on Friday and a second block on Monday afternoon. This builds focus time, reduces context switching, and makes a four day schedule realistic.
2. Decide your goals and metrics first
   Be clear about what you want to improve and what must be protected. Examples: morale, sick days, turnover, core outputs, donor response times. Build a simple dashboard, survey staff, and review quarterly.
3. Adapt the model to your operating reality
   Frontline or high-access orgs can stagger schedules: Team A works Mon-Thu and Team B works Tue-Fri. You can also test summer Fridays, rotating days, or a 9-day fortnight. Pair any schedule with decent work practices like personal days, clear sick leave, and paid PD. The goal is capacity and wellbeing, not a rigid recipe.

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