Call it intuition, common sense, or strategic business nous, we are pleased to say that DataLase is moving to a 4-day with effect from 4 January 2022.
You may have read of a growing number of businesses venturing down this road of late. There was a much publicised trial of a 4-day week in Iceland in July, which was hailed as an “overwhelming success” and led to many workers moving to shorter hours in the country. Employees reported a ‘dramatic increase’ in personal wellbeing – and businesses found they did not lose money, while productivity stayed the same or even improved. Numerous companies within the packaging industry have also adopted shorter working weeks, following successful trials.
At DataLase, we feel that moving to a compressed workweek will have far reaching positive benefits, particularly in terms of productivity and performance. Staff, who are better rested and generally happier, will be more motivated, which in turn could boost productivity and engagement. Also, we are anticipating staff to be healthier and less stressed, which will help to reduce the number of absences caused by illnesses, stress, and mental health conditions. Moving to a four-day work week should also make DataLase a more appealing place to work, which may help us to recruit the best talent when required.
Clare Lewis, DataLase’s CEO said: “This is a bold decision by the Senior Leadership Team, but one that hasn’t been taken lightly. We’ve spent a lot of time considering the implications of a compressed week and the positives far outweigh the negatives in our view. As expected, the move has been well received by our employees, who are clearly looking forward to establishing their new routines. We will be closely monitoring the introduction of the 4-day week, tweaking where necessary, but relish reaping the rewards with increased productivity and happier, more engaged employees.”