How to implement a four-day working week

With flexible working legislation now in place meaning that employees are legally entitled from day one of employment, there is the very real possibility that a four-day week request could be on the horizon in many organisations. When this happens, it is important to have a legally compliant process of dealing with requests.

The new legislation prohibits employers from automatically rejecting requests for flexible working without a reasonable cause. This includes statutory reasons such as the burden of additional costs and planned structural changes.

However, employers should still consider the request and explain the reason for the rejection of the request in writing. This is to ensure that it is easy to ascertain whether all reasonable efforts have been taken when considering the request.  

For expert guidance on flexible working requests, contact Croner’s HR advisory team on 0808 501 6651.

Moving to a four-day work week

5 working days a week has traditionally been the norm for Europe and America, for the best part of a century. However, there are some businesses that are potentially looking at making the shift to a working pattern that incorporates a better work life balance.

Four-day weeks have been trialled in places such as Iceland, New Zealand and here in the UK, with successful results. However, there is still question marks that business owners have over whether the model works for their business.

With that said, there are several different ways of implementing a four-day week, so if your business is considering a trial run then consider the following models.

80% of pay for 80% of hours

A common version of the four-day working week, this model operates as a pro-rata agreement where employees typically work their standard 9-5 hours over a four-day period.  

100% of pay for 80% of hours

A variation on the previous model with a controversial twist. Instead of a 20% loss on overall pay for employees, this model keeps the same level of payment for 80% of the hours.

100% hours compressed into four days 

This model works on compressing the hours that an employee would typically work in a standard working week (e.g. 40 hours) with extended days to make up for the loss of the 5^th working day.

Note: a four-day working week (4DWW) is typically considered to be 32 hours or less. 35-40 hours compressed into four-days is considered to be a 5-day week with compressed hours.

How does my business adapt to a four-day week?

There are several adaptations that your business may have to employ to make the most of a four-day working week. Consider the following to maximise the effectiveness of your trial.

• Avoid unnecessary and time-consuming meetings
• A reduction in unnecessary comms such as email
• Utilising focus time for staff to achieve their core tasks
• Employing the latest communication tools to ensure connectivity and flexibility
• Task management tools allowing access to the team’s workload in one place

How do I manage holiday entitlement?

When trialling a four-day working week, holiday entitlement might possibly need revising depending on whether you work out your staff holiday entitlement by hours or days and weeks etc. Where holiday is stated in hours or days, then it will have to be reduced temporarily, if not then the worker will be entitled to the holiday that is stated in their contract.

How do I manage sick pay during a four-day working week?

As with Holiday entitlement you may need to adjust this if your current documentation states these in days and hours. It is worth noting that a four-day working week will mean that employees on long-term sick leave may expediate a greater sick leave cost to your organisation.

However, before considering the cost in terms of sick pay examine the benefits of a four-day working week such as:

• Reduced absenteeism and presenteeism
• Increased productivity
• Improved service
• Better staff retention

Ensure that your contracts and documentation reflect the changes

Once you have agreed on a system that works for all staff then, you should endeavour to update your contracts and documentation, including items such as policies. To ensure compliance with the ACAS code of practice as well as to maintain legal credibility, these documents should be scrutinised by a HR or employment law professional to ensure compliance. Failure to do so could result in costly legal action.

Talk to a Croner expert today on 0808 501 6651.