What inspired you to introduce a four-day workweek at Peak PEO, and what were your initial goals?
I first started learning about the idea of a true four-day working week after reading a book called Utopia for Realists by Rutger Bregman, and I would encourage anyone interested in the subject to purchase a copy. After reading the book, and following a few months of trial and error, we now implement a true four-day working week where an additional day off is viewed in exactly the same way as a Saturday or Sunday would be. My main motivation for implementing the initiative was to give my team more time so that they could pursue their passions and interests. We know that this leads to employees being healthier and happier and boosts businesses, so it was a no-brainer.
How has the four-day week impacted your team’s mental wellbeing and overall quality of life?
The positive impact on our team’s mental wellbeing and overall quality of life has, by far, been the biggest benefit of implementing the four-day working week. In the early 1990s, Sociologist, Ray Oldenburg coined the term ‘the third place’ which describes a familiar public spot, away from work and family, where you can regularly connect with others known and unknown, over a shared interest or activity. These places offer a sense of connection and are important for our wellbeing and overall happiness. Yet, how many people can honestly say that they regularly visit a third place when cramming chores and general life admin into the weekend? By giving our staff a three-day weekend, they have more free time to visit their third place and do things that they enjoy, be it language learning, running, reading or spending more time with family. As a result, they come to work feeling positive, refreshed and with renewed energy to tackle the week ahead.
What measurable business benefits have you seen since adopting the shorter week?
Because our employees feel valued, engaged and motivated, we have an extremely low staff turnover rate. When we compare our own figures with the UK national average of 35%, which means that more than one-third of employees leave their jobs each year, it really hits home and I am so proud of the culture we have created at Peak.
In addition, when listing job vacancies referencing a four-day working week as a benefit, we have found that the quality and quantity of candidates applying increases tenfold. This means that businesses, no matter the industry or sector, can recruit the brightest and best candidates which is particularly important in today’s world as the UK job market is experiencing a slowdown with skills shortages and reduced economic confidence.
How did you structure work hours and processes to ensure client needs remained fully met on a four-day schedule?
We divide our workforce into two groups with different days off to ensure full coverage over the week. At Peak, our two days off are Monday and Friday and we regularly rotate staff so that the schedule is fair for all team members. Another benefit we have seen from this approach is that when people are working on the Monday or Friday, it is quieter as half of the team is off and deeper work can be achieved.
When splitting the team, one thing to consider is getting the most out of the three days that everyone is working – you can wipe the slate clean of meetings, and focus on those days to get the important things in. So, a week may look like this: deep work, key meetings, weekend. This means a little extra planning time, but it was absolutely worth it for us.
Were there any unexpected challenges during the transition, and how did you overcome them?
When we first started thinking about the four-day working week at Peak, I implemented something called ‘Ultra-Flexible Fridays’. This meant that my staff had Fridays to dedicate to work if it desperately needed doing or could instead spend the day doing whatever they wanted. This worked to an extent, but I noticed that staff, especially senior members of the team, were still online on Fridays monitoring emails and messages which defeats the whole purpose. However, although Ultra-Flexible Fridays did not work exactly as I wanted, they did ease my staff into the mindset of a shorter week and act as a stepping stone towards our success because after this we did implement the true four-day working week.
How do you handle time-sensitive requests or emergencies when the office is officially ‘closed’ for the extra day off?
We get around this by splitting the team so that we can still have full coverage over the week as described above. I also think it is important to ensure that staff members are familiar with other employees’ workloads which can be achieved by regular catch-up meetings and handover notes wherever relevant. This way, if anything urgent did drop while a particular member of staff was away, it could easily be picked up and resolved.
What advice would you give to other CEOs considering a four-day week to ensure a smooth rollout?
Clear communication is vital to facilitate a smooth transition towards a four-day working week, as well as maintain it once it is in place. As it is a fairly new way of thinking and can cause unease, ensure you plan and communicate the changes effectively – through meetings, emails and Q&A sessions – to inform employees about the process and your expectations. Once your four-day working week is up and running, establish clear communication channels for staff to raise any concerns or ask questions as this will help with their engagement, and ultimately, evolve into them becoming ambassadors for the initiative.
