Before the pandemic, working from home was a privilege for a select few. But once the pandemic moved in, it became a mandatory arrangement for many.
As with countless other businesses around the world, Service Direct soon found ourselves trying to figure out how to get work done from our respective homes. Given the dramatic toll that the pandemic took on nearly every part of life, we wanted to find a way to maximize our work time while providing ample time for life outside of the virtual office.
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Our solution? We decided to offer an alternating four-day workweek to our employees. Our employees work five days one week, and four the next. Those additional days off provide the employee with tremendous flexibility to take extra trips, engage in their favorite hobbies, and spend their spare time however they wish.
What does the employer stand to gain?
We’ve received some positive feedback from our teams in the few short months we’ve been offering this type of schedule. Our employees have been very vocal about wanting to see this option remain available, and almost all feel that their productivity has improved as a result.
The potential benefits of this scheduling plan go beyond providing your employees with a positive work experience:
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Better production: It’s hard to produce good work when you’re tired. By adding days off to the schedule, you may find that your employees actually get more done, and the quality of work may be elevated as well.
Retain talented people: Replacing good employees is not only time-consuming but also downright difficult. Adding a perk that gives your people some additional lifestyle flexibility can go a long way toward keeping them around for the long haul.
Increased innovation: When so much time is spent grinding away on the same tasks day after day, it’s hard to think outside the box and come up with new ideas. With more days off, your employees may find themselves feeling more creative and come up with innovative ways to deal with old problems.
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How can employers make this happen?
It’s easy to get stuck in the traditional way of doing things, but if you can break out of that mold, you may find that the benefits far outweigh the costs. There are several key points to keep in mind if you decide to give this scheduling format a try.
As a starting point, think about what this approach will do to your availability for your customers. This is a point that is specific to each individual business, so think about the reasons your customers have to contact you and how urgent those matters can be. Many businesses will need to stagger the four-day week among teams so there are always people available to deal with questions and solve problems.
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It’s also worth announcing this initiative as a test rather than a new permanent policy. While we believe in this program and think it will benefit many businesses, there is a chance that it won’t quite work out for what you need. So, trial it first for a set period of time before deciding if it will become an ongoing perk.
With proper implementation and open communication between management and employees, an alternating four-day workweek can continue to be a valuable asset for an organization, even after the world puts the pandemic in the rearview mirror.
