New Zealand company adopts four-day work week
No downside, company founder says
PHOTO: ELLE MAGAZINE
A New Zealand company is adopting a four-day work week after its landmark trial tasted success, The Guardian reported.
Academics studying the trial found participating staff reported lower stress levels, higher levels of job satisfaction and a better sense of work-balance.
Employees worked four eight-hour days a week but got paid for five over the March-April trial at Perpetual Guardian. The company manages trusts, wills and estate planning.
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According to data, the percentage of staff who felt they could balance their commitments at work and home jumped from 54% to 78% before and after the trial respectively.
Staff stress levels decreased by seven percentage points across the board as a result of the trial, while stimulation, commitment and a sense of empowerment at work all improved significantly, with overall life satisfaction increasing by five percentage points.
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Perpetual Guardian founder Andrew Barnes said staff volunteered entry into the trial and the organisation consulted with lawyers to ensure the new conditions met New Zealand’s employment law.
He said he began the trial after noting how difficult it was for staff to balance the personal with the professional. He wondered if an additional day off would alleviate some stress and raise productivity, which the data proved true.
“For us, this is about our company getting improved productivity from greater workplace efficiencies … there’s no downside for us,” he said.
“The right attitude is a requirement to make it work – everyone has to be committed and take it seriously for us to create a viable long-term model for our business.”
This article originally appeared in The Guardian.
Academics studying the trial found participating staff reported lower stress levels, higher levels of job satisfaction and a better sense of work-balance.
Employees worked four eight-hour days a week but got paid for five over the March-April trial at Perpetual Guardian. The company manages trusts, wills and estate planning.
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According to data, the percentage of staff who felt they could balance their commitments at work and home jumped from 54% to 78% before and after the trial respectively.
Staff stress levels decreased by seven percentage points across the board as a result of the trial, while stimulation, commitment and a sense of empowerment at work all improved significantly, with overall life satisfaction increasing by five percentage points.
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Perpetual Guardian founder Andrew Barnes said staff volunteered entry into the trial and the organisation consulted with lawyers to ensure the new conditions met New Zealand’s employment law.
He said he began the trial after noting how difficult it was for staff to balance the personal with the professional. He wondered if an additional day off would alleviate some stress and raise productivity, which the data proved true.
“For us, this is about our company getting improved productivity from greater workplace efficiencies … there’s no downside for us,” he said.
“The right attitude is a requirement to make it work – everyone has to be committed and take it seriously for us to create a viable long-term model for our business.”
This article originally appeared in The Guardian.