- 18 September 2024
- Posted by: M-author
- Categories: Mental health, Workplace
As part of the Make Work Pay initiative, Labour is keen to increase workers’ rights and promote flexible working opportunities. This proposal will be welcomed by many employees. However, we are keen to discover if a 4-day week benefit business or is it just another challenge for employers to navigate?
Are the Hours Worked or Output More Important?
A typical full-time contract in the UK states a 5-day working week and an 8-hour working day. Until recently, most employees would commute to the workplace for those set hours. In this work model, the focus is on the hours put in, rather than the output. You are paid to be there, whether you are knuckling down and getting things done or chatting to colleagues and doing the bare minimum.
So, what if we shifted focus to productivity? Would it be possible for employees to achieve the same volume of work and achieve the same output in less time? That is the thinking behind more flexible working opportunities. If employers are open to alternative work patterns, can they get as much work out of the team in fewer hours?
At this stage, I want to recognise that flexible working patterns are more challenging in certain industries. For example, managing flexible contracts in healthcare and hospitality could be problematic, especially as these industries are already understaffed. However, there is the chance that reduced working hours could aid recruitment.
Why a 4-day Week?
The option of a 4-day week is one of many flexible work patterns that could enable employees to have a better work-life balance. At the same time, it could be feasible for many employees.
A 4-day week offers two main possibilities:
- An employee compresses their work hours. This involves working 10-hour days to complete the same number of hours in 4, rather than 5 days.
- An employee reduces to a 32-hour week. Some campaigners argue that if the employee is as or more productive in a shorter working week, they should still receive full pay. Others feel wages should be reduced to reflect the hours worked.
If employees chose different days off, some businesses could continue to operate without increasing staff numbers. In other situations, there may be a need to take on additional employees to make this viable.
What are the Benefits of a 4-day Working Week?
In 2022, 61 British companies took part in a 6-month trial* where employees were offered a 4-day working week. Participants included manufacturing firms, marketing agencies, social enterprises and housing organisations. Unsurprisingly, a total of 2,900 employees accepted the offer. What’s more, their companies did not reduce their pay during the trial.
The first point to note is that 92% of the companies continued with this work pattern after the trial. This would suggest that there were benefits for both employees and employers. So, what were they?
Firstly, employees reported improvements in physical and mental health. Secondly, levels of stress reduced and they were sleeping better, which improved performance. In addition, they reported higher life satisfaction, as they were better able to balance family and social commitments.
For the businesses, there was a minor increase in revenue and a 65% drop in absenteeism due to sick leave. Employees were productive and reported they would be more likely to stay with the employer if the 4-day week continued.
A second pilot will commence on 4 November, with preparation sessions starting this month. This hopes to better understand the impact of reduced hours on businesses and their teams.
Flexible Working Benefits
A recent BBC article** highlights some of the reasons why it’s advantageous to work 4 days a week. These include cutting weekly childcare bills by £350, having time to care for elderly parents and the opportunity to pursue other interests.
Boosting Recruitment & Retention
We found other examples to illustrate that the change can aid employee recruitment and retention:
“Our engineering company has been running 4-day weeks since December and have had amazing results. Most teams are actually producing more, and we’re attracting better talent than ever before.”
“Work was consuming too much of my time and it reached the point where I was ready to leave. Handing in my notice was scary, as I didn’t have another job lined up, but I wanted to rethink my priorities. However, my employer was unsuccessful in recruiting my replacement, so we negotiated. I now work 3 days in the office and 2 half days at home. The 4-day week means I can pursue my interest in cycling and spend more time with my family. I feel healthier and under less pressure, which has a positive impact on my attitude to work.”
Creating a Healthier Team
“Everyone at my company now works 8 hours for 4 days. It makes all the difference – I’m not teetering on burnout anymore because I have enough time off to handle other life tasks.”
“I took a pay cut to reduce to a 4-day week. But this has given me time to study for a diploma. I hope to qualify in July and then can apply for specialist roles with higher wages. Only jobs offering a 4-day week though!”
Atom Bank introduced a 4-day working week pilot, which is now approaching 3 years of being the official company policy. In an article***, the company stated that 95% of their employees felt it had a positive impact on their work-life balance, with several sharing specific impacts. it’s an interesting read.
Could Flexible Working Benefit Your Company?
UK workers are gaining more rights to request flexible working. This can take many forms and as an employer, you have to give the requests reasonable consideration. Before dismissing options, including a 4-day week, as unviable or damaging to business, consider the benefits to your organisation and team.
Could this be the way to attract and retain workers, increase productivity and revenue and reduce costs associated with absenteeism?
*https://www.4dayweek.co.uk/pilot-programme
