Behaviour scientist announced as new leader of global campaign for a 4 Day Week

As momentum for reduced work-time continues to grow, the international non-profit 4 Day Week Global is delighted to welcome behaviour scientist, Dr. Dale Whelehan on board as its new Chief Executive Officer. 

Considered an expert in the field of wellbeing, Dale is passionate about the intrinsic role work plays in fatigue and performance. He believes shorter working hours can bring about radical transformation for people's health, happiness and society as a whole.

Offering a diverse range of experience in human capital, workplace culture and change management, Dale originally trained as a physiotherapist. He later completed a PhD exploring the impact of fatigue and sleep deprivation in healthcare workers, particularly surgeons, and has published extensively in this field. More recently, he worked as a senior human capital consultant for Deloitte Ireland where he specialised in behavioural science implementation to enable large scale organisational change.

Commenting on 4 Day Week Global’s research-led approach, Dale is confident in its capacity to effect radical change: “By providing staff with sufficient time to rest and recover from the daily load of their work, we are likely to observe innovation within industries that would simply not be possible with a burned out workforce. 

“Not only does 4 Day Week Global offer expert advice and guidance to companies making the switch to reduced work-time, but the evidence base they are building with the results of their international trials produces endless opportunities for the future of work. We have a unique chance to make a positive impact on society as a whole and I look forward to being part of this important change,” he said.

Feeling optimistic about the organisation’s future, 4 Day Week Global co-founder, Charlotte Lockhart said: “Having witnessed the benefits of a 4 day week first-hand, my co-founder Andrew Barnes and I are extremely passionate about reduced work-time and are delighted to be bringing someone of Dale’s calibre on board at the helm.

“It is clear from his diverse breadth of experience and passion for influencing positive change that he has the skills and leadership necessary to drive this movement forward. There is no doubt that this new chapter for our organisation will be its best yet and we look forward to celebrating everything Dale achieves together with his world-class team.”