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One of the UK’s leading banks, which recently moved 430 staff to a four-day-week, has told of the scheme’s transformative nature.
Atom Bank is one of the biggest companies to trial the revolutionary change to the working week, reports the Mirror. With no cut to their salary, 430 employees gained an extra day off and the company now believes “that a four-day week is the future of work.”
Last year, Atom chief executive Mark Mullen said that the five-day week was becoming “as unnecessary as permanent office working and the daily commute has proved to be for many people.”
Naturally, they made a change to “provide our employees with more opportunities to pursue their passions, spend time with their families, and build a healthier work/life balance.”
This is absolutely the future of office work – but if we acknowledge people are happier, healthier, and more productive with a four day working week – are similar schemes going to come into place for shift and service workers? https://t.co/7tgY7QNpG1
— Rowan Ellis (updates only) (@HeyRowanEllis) January 18, 2022
The bank made the change in November – and while you might expect chaos to have ensued – the company recorded no negative impacts following the reduced office hours. However despite finding no adverse effects on customer service, they did see a staggering job application increase of 500 per cent.
The bank has urged other companies to follow suit and cut their weekly hours to 34, claiming it increases productivity and workers experienced less stress.
Our adoption of a four-day working week has been a huge success,” said Atom’s Chief People Officer Anne-Marie Lister. “We firmly believe that a four-day week is the future of work for many.”
Now, CEO Mullen believes their “experience has exploded many of the myths of the modern workplace.”
He added: “It has happened at a time when we all need to become more aware of the impact of work on both our mental and physical wellbeing.
“We now know that many jobs can be done as efficiently and productively from peoples’ own homes as from the office. But why stop there? More can be done – more needs to change.”
Earlier this week, 30 British companies also started a similar pilot where workers followed the four-day-week structure for six months. As we come out of the pandemic (hopefully), new ways of working are popping up across the globe from Belgium to Iceland – and workers everywhere are undoubtedly hoping their bosses will subscribe.
Related links:
- Four day week with full pay to be trialled by Belfast City Council
- World’s largest ever four day week trial ‘overwhelming success’
- Scottish Government urged to introduce four-day working week
