Go Home On Time Day

National Work-Life Week

• Management support is critical. Get your CEO and senior board members to back it. If possible, get them to say what they will be doing when they get home: take kids to the park, get in a round of golf, walk the dog, start reading that book they’ve been meaning to get round to etc etc.  Publicise it.

• Decided which day to designate GHOTD (but also consider whether you’d be happy for different departments to choose their own day during that week)

• Encourage teams to decide how to do it together: make it a team building activity Let teams decide what time is ‘on time’ that day and make sure that one person’s GHOTD doesn’t become someone else’s work longer hours day: ensure that everyone supports each others need to leave on time on this particular day.

• Get people to say what they will do once they leave the workplace that day, and publicise it. People are more likely to make the effort to go home if they have something planned. You could have a competition for the most innovative use of the extra time.

• Some employees might want to do something for charity with the time: e.g. sponsored fun run, or to volunteer at a local hospice, community garden, playcentre.

• Encourage people not to take work home. And no checking of the Blackberry or emails or phone messages. 

• Get as much publicity as you can for it: intranet, posters, texts, staff restaurants etc

• Publicise not just the event, but also the rationale behind it. Use it as a springboard for a more serious look at how and when work gets done. (see LINK to tips about Smarter working)