With some of the UK’s businesses trialling a four-day working week with full pay, firms are being warned that clear guidance and support must be given to avoid staff burnout.
AMS strongly believe that employees will need assistance to adjust to the change, to ensure individuals aren’t working additional hours over the agreed working days in order to complete their required work in four days.
Paul Modley, Director, Diversity, Equity & Inclusion at AMS, said, “The flexibility of being able to work four days a week will certainly help create a better work-life balance for some workforces. However, this concept is new to individuals and businesses alike.
“The key hurdle to overcome if this is to be successful is the careful management of workloads. If staff are cutting their hours by 20% but their workload and delivery expectations remain the same, employers could face a scenario where people are struggling to meet expectations and failing to take breaks or working overtime during the new working week in order to gain an additional day off.”