COORDINARE’s Four-Day Week Success: 3 Powerful Lessons You Need to Know

What does it take to successfully implement a Four-Day Week (4DW)? It’s a question many leaders are asking as they explore new ways of working. At Inventium, we’ve seen first-hand what it takes to make the 4DW a reality through our work with COORDINARE, a primary health network located in southeast NSW. We supported them in designing and rolling out a 6-month trial of the 4DW, which they called “The Gift of the Fifth” (as inspired by our naming at Inventium!). Over the course of the project, we learned three valuable lessons that could help other organisations consider this transformative shift.

1. Clarity of Purpose is Key: Focus on Your “Why”
One of the first things we realised with COORDINARE was the importance of having a clear purpose. For them, the goal was simple: give their team more flexibility. This clarity was our north star throughout the project. Whenever a question arose, we asked ourselves, “Will this decision help our people achieve more or less flexibility?”

This clarity paid off. For example, COORDINARE decided to let their employees choose their “gift day” (the day off) each week while also encouraging them to stick to a consistent schedule. It was all about balancing flexibility with team consistency, and having that clear “why” made decision-making a lot easier.

2. Yes, Part-Time Employees Can Participate in the 4DW—And Should
Here’s something you don’t hear every day: part-time employees can thrive in a 4DW, too. At COORDINARE, nearly half the workforce is part-time, so excluding them wasn’t an option. This initially felt like a logistical nightmare, but we figured out a way to make it work.

The solution? We reduced part-time employees’ hours by 20%. For someone working 24 hours a week, that meant cutting down to around 20 hours. This relied on a great deal of trust with employees to manage their working hours themselves, as well as clear lines of communication within teams and leaders. Being super disciplined with clear and consistent communication in teams isn’t easy, and it wasn’t perfect, but it worked well enough for the trial to be a success! And it wasn’t just about fairness—it was about sticking to COORDINARE’s commitment to giving everyone more flexibility.

3. Leadership in a 4DW Means Balancing Wellbeing and Performance
In my experience, leaders are often great at supporting employees’ well-being or driving performance. It’s challenging to do both at the same time, but it is critical in a 4DW. This was a key learning for us at COORDINARE.

Supporting your people to take their gift day while also keeping them accountable to their goals is no small feat. We equipped COORDINARE’s leaders with tools to have conversations that tackled both sides of the equation. It’s a balancing act, but it ensures the 4DW is sustainable for the long haul when done right.

 

Transitioning to a 4DW isn’t just a scheduling change—it’s a fundamental shift in how we work and lead. COORDINARE showed us that with clear goals, inclusive policies, and strong leadership, the 4DW can be a game-changer for any organisation.

Ready to explore what the 4DW could look like for your team? We’d love to help. Get in touch now to discuss what a 4DW could look like at your organisation.