OK, we get it, the four-day workweek is so hot right now. Many companies that try it report great results. (I myself have volunteered to try it many times, in many different jobs, only to be rejected by my manager…)

But it’s not always feasible for every employee, depending on their job or industry. And for some business leaders, the idea is a complete non-starter. Others have tried it and didn’t like it.

For those employers who aren’t ready to experiment with “four on the floor, three out the door,”  there may be other ways to achieve the aims of a four-day workweek—which, according to one trial, improved retention, employee mental health, and contributed to reduced stress. Four-day workweek alternatives include PTO policies like summer Fridays, flexible hours, company-wide time off, and the whimsical-sounding nine-day fortnight.

Summer Fridays. Last year, ZipRecruiter found a 56% increase in job listings mentioning summer Fridays. It’s becoming popular in the UK, too.

The phrase “summer Fridays” (also called summer hours) can mean many things, from giving employees the last day of every week off all season to early dismissal on select Fridays before holidays. It could also mean a set day of the week with no meetings.

There are a variety of configurations, but the concept is to let employees take it easy when there’s a pull to spend time outdoors, or when there may simply not be as much to do as other times of year.

Keep reading.—AK

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Vaccine mandates are out; physical I-9 inspections are in.

That was the message sent by federal agencies this month after the government ended the Covid-19 public-health emergency, prompting a number of changes to employment policies and guidance rolled out during the pandemic.

HR Brew put together a non-exhaustive list of recent workplace-related policy updates that should be on HR’s radar.

New Covid-19 guidance. The White House no longer requires federal employees and contractors to be vaccinated for Covid-19, due to the end of the federal public health emergency.

The previous mandate, issued in September 2021 required vaccinations for not only federal workers, but also staff of businesses with more than 100 employees. Though many large private employers instituted vaccine requirements in response to the order, that mandate was ultimately blocked by the Supreme Court.

The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) published an update to its Covid-19 guidance on May 15, and warned employers to be on the lookout for employees or applicants who are experiencing harassment or discrimination for taking Covid-19 precautions, such as wearing a mask due to a disability-related need.

Bye-bye, I-9 flexibility. After July 31, Immigration and Customs Enforcement will no longer allow employers to inspect employees’ I-9 and work authorization documents remotely, the agency announced on May 4. The flexibility was introduced in March 2020 due to the Covid-19 pandemic.

HR departments have until the end of August to inspect in person the I-9 forms of employees who joined organizations remotely.

Keep reading.—CV

Revolutionary war hero Patrick Henry is famously quoted as saying, “Give me liberty, or give me death!” It may be a bit dramatic to compare this to our current battle of RTO, but I think we can agree that we all like our freedom.

The marketing software company HubSpot says it has solved the fight over where workers work by giving them the freedom to choose. Employees can opt to work fully at home, hybrid (they call it “flex”), or full-time in the office, but they have to choose one and stick with it.

How it’s going. Company leadership tells HR Brew that in the last year, productivity has stayed the same, while the share of employees working from home has increased. Even better, the score on its annual question about how likely employees are to recommend HubSpot as a great place to work is 14% higher for employees working fully at home compared to the rest, it reported.

“We don’t believe there is a one-size-fits-all strategy for building a great culture, and our data shows that employees can be productive and engaged regardless of work preference,” HubSpot VP of Culture and ESG Eimear Marrinan told HR Brew via email.

Keep reading.—AK

Today’s top HR reads.

Stat: The median pay package for female CEOs of S&P 500 companies fell 6% last year, while the median pay for their male counterparts rose 1%. (the Associated Press)

Quote: “Even jobs that you might think of as dream jobs can be exploited…I think there is a growing understanding that we’re all workers.”—Sarah Pappin, a Starbucks shift supervisor in Seattle, on how flexible work unites corporate and hourly employees (the New York Times)

Read: Freelancers and small-business owners are using AI for tasks such as writing pitches and generating slide decks, freeing up time to earn additional income. (the Wall Street Journal)

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