A Bristol-based environmental organisation that moved to a four-day week a year ago says the decision has helped improve productivity within the business as well as boosting the physical and mental health of staff.
City to Sea moved its 19 staff to a 32-hour week with no reduction in pay in September 2021. The organisation, which campaigns to reduce plastic pollution, confirmed the move after running a six-month trial and receiving positive feedback from employees.
Since adopting the policy, City to Sea said it had seen an increase in wellbeing and productivity among its workers, and a better work-life balance for staff.
Steve Hynd, City to Sea's policy manager, said: "Working for a four-day a week employer has helped me improve my physical and mental health. I can spend more time with my young children.
"It allows space to breathe and to take stock in an otherwise incredibly busy life. Crucially when I am at work it helps me work more productively. It's not a silver bullet but it is part of a package of positive HR policies that most organisations could and should adopt."
In June, more than 70 companies signed up for the UK's biggest ever four-day week pilot. The scheme is being run by 4 Day Week Global in partnership with leading think tank Autonomy, the 4 Day Week Campaign and researchers at Cambridge University, Oxford University and Boston College.
Since implementing the change to working hours within the business, City to Sea has been officially accredited as a 'Gold Standard' four-day week employer under the 4 Day Week Campaign's accreditation scheme.
Hetti Dysch, City to Sea’s HR manager, added: "The ‘blaze and burn culture’ of faster, bigger, and better creates workforce burnout and fatigue. Ultimately this culture has led to climate catastrophe as profit is placed above the protection of our precious planet.
"At City to Sea, we’ve switched to the four-day week as we care about the long-term wellbeing of our team who campaign to protect our oceans from plastic pollution."
Last year, Atom Bank became the largest UK four-day week employer with all 430 staff moving to a four-day, 34 hour working week, with no reduction in pay.
In August, BusinessLive spoke to a number of four-day week employers around the UK about the four-day week and what they've learned about the work-life balance it offers.
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