SMTP2GO recently offered staff the opportunity to work a four-day week and we are loving it!
I was talking to a contact, who works for one of the large contact center software providers we use, telling her about our new four-day week. ‘Ooooh, cut backs?’ she asked. ‘Oh, goodness, no! This is just something for our pleasure,’ I replied. She was shocked and impressed and, possibly, jealous in equal measure! I just found it a little sad that the first assumption was that it was a financially driven decision when, in fact, it’s all about staff well-being.
Trials of four-day weeks have been taking place all over the world and, on the whole, are an overwhelming success with productivity remaining the same – or improving – in the majority of workplaces.
As a working mum to two almost teenagers, time is a very precious commodity in our house! On a personal note, I can’t believe the difference having an extra day off in the weeks makes. It feels like a holiday every week! My working days are longer but, weirdly, the time passes much more quickly. I definitely feel calmer/less frantic and, for the first time in a very long time, have time to enjoy an extra coffee and actually get into the garden to smell the roses.
I spoke to some of my colleagues and here’s what they said about working a four-day week:
“I now have more time for me, my family, my other interests and my errands. Working a four-day week means that I can arrange appointments and my to-do-list for my day off, which means that work days are completely uninterrupted. I feel like I’m in a much better frame of mind, as I no longer fear Monday mornings! The weekends are now for family rather than squeezing in chores.” – Louise.
“Working a four-day week has allowed me to have more time at home and to further myself outside of the workplace. This has created some essential downtime, where I can take Spanish lessons, go for appointments and do extracurricular activities inside of “core business” hours. This means that I can start my day off slower and end it slower! All in all, I have found myself to be more productive as I’m not worrying about ‘fitting everything in’ to the normal five-day week routine.” – David.
“A four-day week already has been, and will be, life-changing! Personally, it’s made me feel like I am in less of a rush with my personal life. I can go away at the weekend, or have more plans than usual without asking myself: ‘Should I? I’ll be exhausted on Monday’. I can spend the entire weekend with friends and leave any admin or chores that have built up for the 3rd day off, or even just recharge. Also, as I live in a different country to my family, it will make it so much easier to visit home more often. As for how this has affected my work, I’d say it’s not made a difference. If anything, the extra rest helps me be more productive.” – Teresa.
“Working a four-day week gives me that extra day to catch up on all the ‘to-dos’ I’ve put off during the week and, if I’m all caught up, that’s an extra day roaming the Scottish countryside with my dog, Hux.” – James.
I think it’s fair to say that enabling staff to have an extra day off each week is nothing but positive. I can feel that our team is happier and, yes, more productive. We also feel very fortunate and this increases our loyalty to the company even further. While it does take a huge amount of organization and schedule crunching to get it set up, it’s a no-brainer! All hail the four-day week!
