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Sector warns of downsides to four-day work week

Open-access content Herpreet Kaur Grewal — Wednesday 8th June 2022
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Sector warns of downsides to four-day work week – Image from iStock

A four-day work week must not mean a reduction in working styles, according to those in the sector.

This week firms across the UK began the biggest experiment of four-day working weeks without a decrease in pay.

But Lawrence Mohiuddine, CEO EMEA at global firm Unispace, has warned of the need to take a tailored approach to work styles.

Lawrence Mohiuddine, CEO, EMEA at Unispace, said: “This trial of a new working style is certainly laudable in the new world of work, but as a CEO I would be wary of pushing one set up for many in an environment where flexibility is key. Just as we’ve learned that the five-day work week isn’t viable for all, so too could the four-day week be for some. If there’s one crucial takeaway from the pandemic, it’s that taking a catch-all approach to working-style mandates isn’t always the best option. People from different demographics and home lives will have different preferences and if the right balance in working styles is to be achieved there needs to be flexibility, rather than broadly dictating requirements for all.

“For some, the option to get out to the office five days a week is appealing and it’s important that this isn’t overlooked. In fact, in a study of 3,000 office workers and 2,750 employers across Europe we found that 65% of those living with a spouse or partner and children preferred to be in the office, while 59% of those living alone also had a desire to be in the workplace rather than at home. 

“While there will be many individuals who value the extra time they get from home, for others, the option to work amongst their peers for a full week in order to progress their careers is also still desired and they shouldn’t be disadvantaged by this change. As a case in point, our same study showed that the younger generation of the workforce would be happier to return to the office if they had access to training and development programmes (cited by 80% of respondents aged 18-35). A further 81% of those living with housemates and 75% of those living with a spouse/partner and children also cited a desire to return if they could gain access to training.

“The future workforce is flexible and while a four-day working week is an innovative approach that should be explored, the voice of all talent pools needs to be listened to in today’s talent-short market. No single approach to working set-ups will meet the needs of everyone, but a flexible style that puts the power in the hands of today’s talent will be more desirable for a greater range of individuals.”

Work-life balance

Others warned that employees will need assistance to adjust to the change to ensure that individuals aren’t working additional hours over the agreed working days in order to complete their required work in four days.

Paul Modley, director of diversity, equity & inclusion at workforce solutions firm AMS, said: "The flexibility of being able to work four days a week will certainly help create a better work-life balance for some workforces. However, this concept is new to individuals and businesses alike. The key hurdle to overcome if this is to be successful is the careful management of workloads. If staff are cutting their hours by 20% but their workload and delivery expectations remain the same, employers could face a scenario where people are struggling to meet expectations and failing to take breaks or working overtime during the new working week in order to gain an additional day off.”

Most recent hybrid working stories

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HR body hits out at chancellor's return-to-office call 

An HR management body says the chancellor's comments that the “default” location for workers should be in the office unless there is a good reason to work from home ignore the huge gains made by businesses and their people.
Monday 22nd May 2023
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Forcing workers to return to office could spark ‘employee exodus’

Imposing a return to pre-Covid working norms could prove a major disadvantage to employers competing for staff against other companies prepared to offer more flexible options, warns a recruitment agency.
Thursday 11th May 2023
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Employers gain ‘two weeks extra from workers due to hybrid working’

Analysis by global workplace consultancy Advanced Workplace Associates (AWA) has found that on average hybrid working employees deliver nearly two extra weeks of work a year for their employer as well as working harder and better in a hybrid environment. 
Monday 24th April 2023
Open-access content
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Major bid by employers to encourage hybrid workers back to the office

Hybrid working is still very much in place, with 30% of companies saying that the majority of their staff split their working time between home and their usual place of work.
Tuesday 18th April 2023
Open-access content
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70% of employers find it hard to ensure wellbeing communication is relevant 

The way in which health and wellbeing support is communicated has undergone a dramatic change recently, says new research. 
Monday 3rd April 2023
Open-access content
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Hybrid practices ‘changing usual graduate and apprentice work routines’

Graduates and apprentices should be prepared to work hybrid from their first few days on the job, new data has found.
Tuesday 28th March 2023
Open-access content

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Most London workers ‘do not want to return to the office’

Delegates at the IWFM conference this week heard how most workers do not want to return to the office.
Thursday 9th June 2022
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Report argues for greater flexibility for frontline staff, not just office workers

A new report is urging Scottish employers to create more flexibility for frontline workers to help recruit and retain good staff, and reduce skills shortages.
Thursday 23rd June 2022
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‘Businesses looking to expand office portfolios as working patterns evolve’, shows study

A significant majority of businesses, (68%) expect to be promoting a more regular return to the office by the middle of this year, states the latest EMEA Occupier Sentiment Survey from global real estate adviser CBRE.
Friday 20th May 2022
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Communication needed for hybrid operating to work

Hybrid work can mean widely different things in practice to groups of employees, according to a report by a university.
Wednesday 22nd June 2022
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Unappreciated employees ‘twice as likely’ to suffer poor mental health

Data reveals that UK companies are failing to adapt ‘casual recognition moments’ to the hybrid workplace, as fewer than 1 in 20 employees feel that they receive fair recognition for their work.
Friday 24th June 2022
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Employers ‘failing to promote benefits of office working’

Workplace and facilities management thought leaders have warned that employers aren’t doing enough to attract their people back to the office in research released last week by IWFM in partnership with Ricoh.
Wednesday 6th July 2022
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