Over the past few years, the 4-day working week has seen massive success in the UK and now it's a topic of national conversation. Organisations such as 4-day Week Global have been actively promoting moving to a more modern approach and have conducted a significant amount of research, finding that “companies that have made the transition to a 32-hour work-week have seen increases in productivity, higher talent attraction and retention, deeper customer engagement and improved employee health.”
In the UK, there is strong evidence for the effectiveness of people working an individual 4-day week and a large UK pilot started recently with 70+ other UK firms implementing the scheme. After looking long and hard at our historical working patterns, we took a radical and progressive step to implement the 4-day week trial period in June 2022.
We truly believe that the 4-day week offers many benefits to employees such as improved work-life balance, time for personal growth & development, better ability to rest & recharge and much more. Not only does it benefit employees but we are also committed to building a more sustainable business with a target of hitting carbon zero by 2040. The 4-day work week helps to reduce the carbon footprint of the business by reducing our energy use and commuting miles.
By offering a 4-day week for every employee, it will make us more competitive, resilient and attract staff. It also enables us to be better equipped for the ambitious growth targets that we have set ourselves.
During the trial period of the scheme, we asked our employees for feedback on how they’ve found the change and we’ve had an overwhelming positive response. Many of our colleagues found that having an extra day to rest and recharge meant they come into the office on Monday feeling more refreshed and ready for work. Many have also praised the scheme as it allows more time to spend with family and hobbies. Some have even embarked on new educational courses to develop personal skills that will benefit themselves and the business.
Measuring internal productivity statistics over the trial period has shown that this shift to flexible work patterns has led to the company being more efficient. Moving to this environment has meant cutting out unnecessary meetings, working more collaboratively, and refreshed employees able to bring more innovation and creativity to projects.
As a result, at the end of the 3-month trial in August, we made the decision to make the 4-day week permanent. We’ll retain the industry-leading, five-day service that customers expect & we’re confident we will improve it. This is a huge landmark moment for the company and puts Grant right at the forefront of modern employment practices.
Excitingly, Grant is now being recognised as paving the way forward as a top employer, being nominated by the SME Cambridgeshire Business Awards for Employer of the Year & Best Enterprising Business. This is a fantastic achievement for Grant & it is great to be recoginsed for our flexible working approach whilst improving service for our customers. We’re looking forward to attending the awards in October.
To find out more information about the 4-day work week movement you can read about more from the 4-day Week Global white paper. We are also happy to share our experience, if you’re thinking of implementing a four-day week in your organisation.
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