Page 44 - Real Rochdale Issue 15 Autumn 2022

TO BE FOREWARNED IS TO BE FOREARMED

MOLESWORTHS BRIGHT CLEGG employment solicitor, Adam Salkie and trainee
solicitor, Aamna Ali reflect on the possibility of a four-day working week.

The natural response of an employee to a four-day week is likely to be positive; that of
leadership may initially be more negative, or even cynical. Can a balance be struck
which promotes well-being and maintains (or increases) productivity?

Prior to the pandemic, Increased productivity. co-workers (and potentially
numerous companies around Microsoft Japan found this more work).
the world had experimented to be as high as 40% in 2019.
with a four-day workweek. More focused worktime = Internal scheduling problems.
However, in a post Covid-19 more focus during the hours in Impromptu or emergency
world, momentum towards worktime to complete tasks. meetings can be difficult to
the shorter working week manage.
has again increased – and Less downtime. A Henley
organisations have found Business School poll of Added stress and increased
social needs, mentoring, business leaders reported 62% pressure. The problem with
learning and development can fewer sick days being used as 10-hour workdays is that
be achieved with technology. employees have an extra day people can only focus and
to make various appointments. work effectively for so long
Around 200 companies in before diminishing returns set
Spain will experiment with Cost savings and reducing the in.
a trial four-day week, whilst company’s carbon footprint,
trials in Iceland between 2015 thanks to a 20% reduction in Less time to get things done.
and 2019 were heralded a travel and energy use. Employees need to ensure
great success. Researchers everything is done in fewer
claim 86% of Iceland’s Attracting and retaining days. Are staff being asked to
workforce have either moved talent. Avoiding burnout meet the same targets in less
to shorter hours for the same and focusing on wellbeing is time?
pay or will gain the right to. key to potential and current
employees. Cost. From an employer’s
A UK trial to see whether perspective, giving staff the
employees can be more Cons same pay for less hours can
productive with longer feel like giving them a pay rise.
weekends was announced in One size does not fit all. Like Especially if sceptical that
January 2022. working from home, this isn’t reducing hours could increase
possible for all employees productivity.
Can employees operate at in all sectors. Consider
100% productivity for 80% of workforce morale if some Conclusion
the time? work a four-day week and
others do not. A four-day week won’t work
Pros for everyone. If you are
Balancing shift patterns. planning to implement it,
Increased motivation. Certain days of the week it is worth assessing things
Employees are encouraged might be more popular to carefully, including the views
to work hard to maintain the work or not work. Too many of the workforce, before
benefit of an extra day off and – or too few – people in the perhaps looking at a pilot
are trusted to get their work office can cause coverage programme during slower
done in less time. problems for customers and months.

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