“The sabbath was made for man, and not man for the sabbath” (Mark 2:27). These words of the Savior remind us that the Sabbath day was meant to be a blessing rather than a burden to those who observe it.
The US Labor Law, Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) is fundamentally flawed for it is not designed to achieve Work-Life Balance of the US workers without making any artificial classes of people according to their wages or qualifications. The Natural Law demands Equal Treatment of all people at the place of Employment. If a place of Employment is open for the Seven Days of a Week, the Employees have to labor for Six Days with a Day for Rest planned by the Work Schedule.
Sixth-Day Adventist integrated plan for physical, mental, social, moral, and spiritual wellbeing of all classes of workers
Professional Wellness Month is celebrated each year in June and it throws light on the workplace’s role in creating a holistic environment for employees. It also focuses on how organizations that place emphasis on professional wellness are largely successful, attract top talent, and drive employee retention.
I ask my readers to reject the assumptions and the criteria described by the Fair Labor Standards Act as they contribute to Unequal Employment Opportunities at the American Workplace. As such the Fair Labor Standards Act is not consistent with the Natural Law principle of Equality that formulates the Supreme Law of this Land. We need just one plan to promote the wellness of all workers without making any distinctions such as the hourly wage earners and the salaried class imposed by the US Labor Law FLSA.
Sixth-Day Adventist Work Culture vs Seventh-Day Adventist Sabbath Culture
The Seventh-Day Adventists believe that the Sabbath should be observed on the seventh day of the week, i.e. from Friday sunset to Saturday sunset. I coined the phrase Sixth-Day Adventist to give my highest priority to God’s Commandment asking man to perform labor or work for Six Days. In my analysis, God ordained a Six-Day Work Schedule without which man cannot seek the blessings of Sabbath. The Rudi-Grant Connection at Whole Foods follows the Six-Day Weekly Work Schedule.
June is Professional Wellness Month – The Sixth-Day Adventist Perfect Work Culture formulates a Six-Day Work Week
This article is dedicated to the loving memory of Jessica Cole, my relative who lived in Bangalore (Bengaluru), India as a member of the Seventh-Day Adventist Church. She inspired me to formulate the Sixth-Day Adventist Positive Work Culture.
The U.S. Working Week
As in most industrialized countries, the Standard Work Week in the United States begins on Monday and ends on Friday. During the Depression, President Herbert Hoover called for a reduction in Work Hours in lieu of layoffs. Later, President Franklin Roosevelt signed the Fair Labor Standards Act of 1938, which established a five-day, 40-hour workweek for many workers.
Benefits of a Healthy Work Culture
The benefits of a healthy workplace culture are innumerable. Some of the most astounding benefits that a strong culture has to offer include
Highly engaged and productive teams—Research shows that when employees view their organization’s culture positively, they are 3.8 times more likely to be engaged at work; in fact, a staggering 89 percent of “highly engaged” employees claim that the culture in their organization is positive.1 Some of the markers that are associated with increases in employee engagement rates include workplace connections2; clear communication around organizational goals, objectives, and plans for implementation or execution3; community, inclusivity, and teamwork; learning and development opportunities4; frequent feedback; commitment to wellbeing and wellness programs; and above all, trust in senior management.
Improved retention and recruitment—In a study conducted by Deloitte, organizations that had the strongest workplace cultures were much more likely to attract and keep talent, including 59 percent less attrition. Given that corporate culture is now more important than compensation or material benefits when employees decide whether to work for a certain organization, organizations with high employee satisfaction rates and employee experience stories testifying to a strong workplace culture are likely to have a larger pool of potential hires to choose from compared to their competitors, and are likely to hold on to new talent for the long-term—a needed perk amongst mounting evidence that suggests that Gen Z, on average, is spending significantly less time at a given job compared to older generations.
Healthier employees—While toxic work cultures are linked to poor health outcomes, the opposite is also true. Research shows that employees who think positively of their workplace culture tend to have lower heart rates and blood pressure, as well as stronger immune systems. As this makes employees less likely to get sick, organizations that tout healthy workplace environments also observe 41 percent reductions in absenteeism and presenteeism.
Fewer accidents, injuries, and mistakes—In addition to fewer absences and less sick days, founder and CEO of Choose People, Kris Boesch, reports that organizations with people-centric or “people-first” cultures boast 26 percent fewer mistakes, accidents, and work-related injuries.
Greater customer satisfaction and higher profitability—When employees feel healthier and happier in the workplace thanks to a positive work culture, research shows that such feelings tend to rub off on the customers they interact with, making for an improved customer service experience. Consequently, PwC insights reveal that organizations with strong cultures are a whopping 89 percent more likely to report higher customer satisfaction.—but not only that, they are also more likely to report revenue increases up to four times that of their competitors (with an average increase of up to 682 percent for organizations with thriving cultures compared to just 166 percent for organizations with poor cultures).
Organizational resiliency and adaptability—Managers almost unanimously agree that a positive workplace culture creates more resilient teams. In fact, a strong company culture is responsible for helping nearly 70 percent of organizations adapt better to the pandemic. According to new insights from PwC, 67 percent of senior leaders cited a strong culture as the tool that helped change initiatives happen and helped them to maintain and drive successful outcomes.
The Concept of Positive Sixth-Day Adventist Work Culture is inspired by God’s Work Week:
The details of God’s Work Week are vividly described in Genesis, Chapter 1.
Six is a number perfect in itself. God created the world and the man in Six Days because this number is perfect. For that reason, the man must also choose a Six-Day Work Week.
The Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) is fundamentally flawed for it is not inspired by the Sixth-Day Adventist Positive Work Culture
The Rudi Connection at Whole Foods 