4 Day Work Week – Q&A
Our decision to enter a 4 day working week 6 month trial from 3 October 2022 has been a very careful one involving close consultation with our team, clients, referrers and organisations who have been there, seen it, done it and have continued to grow with increased productivity.
Over that time we have asked and been asked a number of questions so we thought it would be useful to round them up as a Q&A…
Are you still open 5 days a week?
Yes, in fact we are increasing our opening hours from 08.00 – 17.00. In addition, our clients rely on us to be contactable outside of office hours to assist with issues such as interruptions to online sales and crisis PR. Our account directors will continue to be available to provide support on their mobile numbers as usual.
How will you save time without it impacting your service?
Our team will be working 3 hours less than what they would normally be working over their standard 5 day contract. All 3 of those hours will come from ‘internal’ time such as admin and team meetings. Therefore each member of the team will provide exactly the same amount of their time to client work as they always have done.
We have analysed this time very carefully. In fact, data from the first lockdown where 50% of our team worked a 4 day week for 6 months. Over that time, our productivity increased along with a strong growth in revenue from hybrid working.
What days are people off on?
For the duration of the trial, 50% of our team will be off on a Wednesday and 50% will be off on a Friday. We have carefully planned this in the form of a ‘buddy’ system. So for example, if a client needs an important change to their website or some urgent artwork, there will always be a member of the team available with the skills to carry out the urgent task.
How will you communicate who is off on what day?
The working hours of all team members will be clearly displayed on their email signatures from 26 September 2022 onwards.
Will team members still be on the same pay?
Yes. They will receive the same pay for working 3 fewer hours a week. On average, this represents a 9% uplift in their hourly rate. This is on top of pay rises over the past year for all members of the team to address the cost of living crisis.
How will you measure if the 4 day working week is a success?
Clearly we already have extensive data in relation to productivity. Our success metrics for the trial will be:
- Hitting the same annual target for 2022/23 that we set on a 5 day working week
- Maintaining high motivation levels within our team
- Maintaining high satisfaction levels with our clients
We will of course be transparent with our team and clients about the lessons we learn during the trial period.
If you would like to find out more about our trial, please feel free to contact Martyn King.
