SAP trials meeting-free Fridays

Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Focus: That will be the new work week for SAP in Germany beginning May 20, 2022. Many companies encourage employees to set aside blocks of time each day for “deep work,” and some even automate that process using tools such as Microsoft Outlook’s focus time feature, part of Viva Insights. SAP, though, is taking that one step further by inviting employees to avoid scheduling meetings on Fridays and to use the time instead to clear their to-do lists. “The intention behind Focus Friday is to guarantee undisturbed and focused working time, based on business requirements, so our colleagues can complete their tasks and start the weekend without action items,” wrote Cawa Younosi, SAP’s global head of people experience, in a posting on LinkedIn. There will be no automated enforcement of the policy, and SAP is not banning meetings on Fridays—customer appointments and other unavoidable commitments can still take place—but, said Younosi, “We know from pilot projects and feedback from our colleagues that they will take advantage without any nudges from outside.”