Four Day Week
It’s official, the four-day working week has landed at Whering.
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Four Day Working Week
Whering have shifted to a four day working week, with no reduction in pay.
The four day working week is gaining momentum as more businesses around the UK have begun trialling the four day week since June 2022.
Companies are beginning to realise the benefits of allowing employees proper time to relax and recharge for the week ahead.
The five day working week was widely introduced in 1932 in an effort to improve productivity. Workers at the time were burnt out, not able to complete their work to the best of their ability.
Today, work doesn’t stop when you leave the office. You can be contacted by email, Slack, LinkedIn, Whatsapp- the list goes on. As hustle culture earns a permanent spot in modern society, we’ve found ourselves glorifying over working.
Adopting the four day working week at Whering has been a big step towards pushing back against hustle culture and shaping our business into something that reflects a world we want to live in.
If you agree, you could be the perfect fit for our team. Our careers page is bursting with opportunities, so come see if the four day working week could be your new normal.
Four Day Week Trial UK
The pandemic was a difficult time, but those of us who began working remotely realised a work-life balance was more possible than we thought.
Whilst key workers didn’t have this privilege, people working from home were able to work their life and family around their job, rather than the other way around.
This shift in work-life balance triggered by COVID-19 inspired four day working week trials to take place in the UK, starting in June 2022.
Could the four day working week be a new normal people are actually happy about, or is it too difficult to adopt nationwide?
Four Day Week Pros and Cons
Some are hesitant to agree that the UK should transition to a four day working week on a mass scale. However, many trials have shown the benefits of choosing to have a healthier work life balance, not just for our personal lives, but our work too.
Pros of a four day week
Work-life balance
A healthy balance between work and personal life is becoming increasingly difficult to achieve in the digital age.
A four day working week enables team members more time to do life admin (book doctors appointments, do their washing, and walk the dog) whilst still giving them two full days to do things they enjoy.
Passions help us develop a purpose in life and exercise creative parts of our brain, making us more well rounded and happier people.
Reduced Burn Out
Team members return to work more refreshed and motivated to do their jobs when they’re not feeling burnt out and overworked.
Reduced Child Care Costs
The official Four Day Week campaign highlights a great benefit of the four day week is reducing the impact of the cost of living crisis.
People don’t have to pay for/source as much childcare (or even pet care, e.g dog walkers) as they would working five days a week. This leaves them extra money to put towards rent, bills and leisure.
Increased Profits
Less time spent in the office can reduce company costs and save businesses money.
Company Loyalty
When employees feel valued, they are likely to be more loyal to the business. It’s easier to feel positively towards your job when you’re allowed a life outside of it.
Cons of a four day working week
Some people believe the four day working week reduces productivity as there is less time to complete tasks.
Here at Whering, we disagree. Studies have shown an increase in employee morale and productivity when working a four day week.
We’re excited to see how this new structure continues to benefit not only Whering employees, but the business as a whole.
How Does a Four Day Week Work?
Switching to a four day working week may require some restructuring within the business. It’s important to prioritise different tasks to make the most of the four days you have.
Our Founder & CEO, Bianca Rangecroft, has more insight on the subject:
“Communication generally is so important - pre and post-moving to the four-day week. Be careful not to assume everyone will be immediately happy about this shift. Speaking to team members about how it could impact their workload and what they need to feel supported was a crucial step in making sure everyone was excited about the change, rather than worried about how it might make things more difficult. Having check-ins with the team to make sure they didn’t feel overwhelmed was key to ensuring the team adapted as best they could to this new working model.”
Does a Four Day Week Mean Less Pay?
The question everyone wants to know the answer to: does the four day week mean less pay? The answer depends on the company you work for.
The four day working week is a 32 hour week, involving four eight hour days. For some employees this means they pay less per annum, due to the reduced hours of a four day working week.
If you’re working for a company that works a four day week and you’re wondering whether you’ll be receiving payment for the fifth day, read the company guidelines on their career page or get in touch with them to find out more.
In an effort to prioritise employee wellbeing, we’re proud to say that switching to a four day week has not resulted in a reduction of pay for Whering employees.
Does a four day week mean less pay for Whering employees?
Regardless of the fact that our quality of work has not wavered since moving to this new working structure, we firmly believe continuing to pay our employees a competitive wage is the only way to pave the way for other companies thinking of adopting the four day week working model.
See our careers page for more information on open positions and roles that offer a full wage with a four day working week.
Which countries have the four day work week?
Sadly, no country has fully adopted the four day working week nationwide. Trials are taking place in Japan, South Africa, Belgium and Iceland as the four day week gains popularity.
As more businesses discover the benefits of the four day working week, we’re excited to see how it positively impacts working culture globally.
However, we still have a long way to go.
Is the four day working week coming?
The UK has increased four day week trials and testing in the last couple of years, as The Guardian confirmed a hundred UK companies have registered as a four day week business, full time.
Behind all this progress is the Four Day Week campaign. Their manifesto outlines the ways they hope to make the four day working week mainstream.
If the four day week is a movement you would like to be part of, visit our careers page to see if you’re a good fit for any of our open roles. We can’t wait to meet you.
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