Staff at a finance firm in Bristol will be returning to work after Christmas - and beginning to work only a four-day week.
The firm’s offices in Bristol, along with others in Cardiff, Abergavenny and London, will be closed on a Friday - and bosses said they think it will mean their staff will be happier and more productive and they’ll be able to retain and recruit talented staff.
The firm, UNIQ Family Wealth, was founded in 2013 by financial planning industry heavyweight Marlene Outrim.
READ MORE: Is this the office of the post-Covid future?
She said there were many different reasons for going for the switch, which would see staff enjoy a three-day weekend which starts at the end of the working day on Thursday.
She said the firm had already pioneered other initiatives designed to help employees’ well-being, but added that she was still committed to having an office, post-Covid, and was not keen on switching to a work-from-home situation permanently.
“There were multiple motivations behind the introduction of a four-day week at UNIQ, but primarily it was about protecting the mental health and wellbeing of our team,” she said. “I believe that even working a shorter week the team will be just as productive and effective, and as ever we will always strive to provide the best service for our clients.
“The financial services industry can be fast-paced and challenging, so it’s important that we take time out to look after ourselves and each other.
“When we consulted our staff about how best to achieve that balance this shift in our working pattern seemed obvious,” she added.
The four-day working week model is already popular in many parts of Europe, including Iceland and France, with not-for-profit community 4 Day Week Global claiming that 78 per cent of employees with four-day weeks are happier and less stressed.
Other Bristol firms have always taken up the different working pattern, including Cre8ion beack in 2019.
The organisation also says that 63 per cent of businesses found it easier to attract and retain talent with a four-day week.
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“As a business we truly believe in family values, and that includes being supportive to one another," said Marlene. "The introduction of a four-day working week for the team is one of many employee benefits that we have embraced over the years, including our 12-week wellbeing programme provided by ‘Fresh Air Fridays’ which includes outdoor walks, mindfulness and mediation.
“All of these benefits help us attract, and more importantly, retain, the most talented people from across the Financial Services community,” she added.
Despite the shorter working week, and a hybrid model which allows people to work from the office, which is based just outside Bristol, near Iron Acton in South Gloucestershire, or elsewhere, Marlene said the business has no intention of moving to a fully remote working structure.
“Being together as a team on a regular basis is a very important part of how we work. It means we can check in, motivate each other and share best practice,” she added.
“That said, if there is one thing the pandemic has taught us is that we can and should challenge ourselves to think and work differently. I wholeheartedly trust my team to put the best interests of our clients at the heart of all that they do. How, when and where they do that is down to them,” she added.
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