The standard 9 – 5, Monday to Friday, that we’ve been programmed to live by has become outdated.
Working long hours and being available 24/7 isn’t the reason we’re productive or the reason we’re able to achieve results. In fact, science and research shows the exact opposite. It is instead making us a nation that is stressed, burnt out and overworked with poor mental health.
A 4 Day Week is a concept that our Managing Director Alice Cadfan-Lewis has been wanting to test out for quite some time. Recruitment, like Block Management, is an industry where the people working in it are prone to burnout.
We’re a data-led, open-minded team and with more research showing the benefits of a 4 Day Week, we’ve decided it’s time!
We’ve joined the 4 Day Week movement which is campaigning for a 4 day working week with no loss of pay which would benefit employees, employers, the economy and our society.
The main benefits seen working a 4 Day Week are:
1. Higher performance, productivity and profits – a rested worker is a more efficient worker. Through more focused work, research shows that productivity levels increased for those working a 4 day week.
A Henley Business School study in 2019 found that 250 firms participating in a four-day week saved an estimated £92 billion a year because their employees were happier, less stressed, and took fewer sick days.
2. Better work-life balance – giving employees the time to really switch off and take a break, reducing the risk of burnout. It gives more time to live happier and more fulfilled lives. It’s also reported that employees that are happy and well rested are able to perform better.
3. Talent attraction – a reduced working week that aligns with an employers’ values of offering work-life balance and considering their employees’ wellbeing will enable employers to attract and retain top talent, especially in the Block Management sector.
How are we implementing it?
We have split into two teams. One working Monday to Thursday, the other working Tuesday to Friday. The teams have a corresponding “team member” in the opposing shift’s team that will monitor and manage their work.
Calls will be answered, and emails will be responded to, you may just get to deal with a different member of the team on a Monday or Friday!
For the specific actions and methods we’re using, please drop us a message and we’d be happy to share these with you.
What’s next?
Our trial starts on 4th April, and we will be documenting everything. We hope to see productivity and happiness levels increase and results and wellbeing improve.
Our plan is to use our trial to encourage other businesses in the sector to give it a go. We’ll be testing new working methods, finding solutions to obstacles and tracking the data on our results, productivity and wellbeing which we’ll be able to share with anyone interested in finding out whether this could work for them.
A 4 day week is possible – it’s time for change!