A four-day working week has resulted in significantly less staff absences and greater rates of productivity, a Scots charity has found.
Advice Direct Scotland gave its staff an additional day off a week while continuing to pay workers the same money in late 2018.
Employees were not given the same day off to ensure that a five-day service was still being delivered.
A report from the experiment found that there was a 71 per cent fall in employee absences since 2018, while the average number of absent days fell by 55 per cent.
The rate of people leaving the company dropped by a third, while there was an improvement in the standard of people applying for roles - with many stating the better work-life balance was crucial in their decision to apply.
Staff at the organisation kept a record of their own and their team’s productivity, with all departments reporting a substantial increase in output.
Incidents of work related stress also fell during the three years of the new working model.
Julie Murphy, 32, Dumbarton, a team manager at Advice Direct Scotland, said: “Working a four-day week has provided me with a fantastic work-life balance.
“I have a young daughter and having three days off a week means I can spend more time with her than I expected.
“It has cost us less in childcare – whilst still earning a full-time salary.
“This additional time/money has benefited us greatly and we have managed to renovate our house and enjoy trips around Scotland – neither of which would have been possible whilst working a regular five-day week.”
Andrew Bartlett, Chief Executive of Advice Direct Scotland, said: “More workers and employers are recognising the importance of positive wellbeing, and a four-day week is a fantastic way to achieve this.
“Following consultation and feedback processes, nearly all of our staff have reported experiencing both a reduction in their work-related stress and a marked increase in their enjoyment of work-related activities.
“Crucially, employees are not the only beneficiaries of the four-day week.
"Employers stand to gain significantly from the implementation of the shorter week given the clear evidence of increased employee productivity.
“Since introducing our new model in 2018, the four-day working week has cultivated a host of impressive business improvements and growth across our organisation.
“Implementing the four-day working week has been a wise investment for our organisation; not only for improving the well-being of employees, but for maximising our professional output and strengthening the organisation as a direct consequence.”
A number of Scottish firms have moved to a four-day working week in several sectors in recent months, with trials taking place across the UK.
The Scottish Government has launched a £10 million fund for pilots and is committed to developing a comprehensive design over the next year.
Officials are the Scottish Trades Union Congress (STUC) backs the idea and think-tank IPPR Scotland conducted research, which found that eight out 10 Scots would support the introduction of a four-day working week.
STUC General Secretary Roz Foyer said: “As we emerge from the pandemic, we have to prioritise the wellbeing and protection of workers. It’s not good enough to return to outdated methods of work when technology and decent employment practices has shown a different work/life dynamic.
“This is an evidence-led, inclusive policy that, if implemented correctly with no loss of pay or conditions, can benefit both workers and employers.
“We support the Scottish Government’s approach to pilot the project and would strongly encourage them to seek buy-in from a range of sectors, ensuring as many people as possible benefit from increased productivity, greater leisure and a fairer redistribution of worker labour.”
