SME News Q4 2018

54 SME NEWS / Q4 2018 , Behaviour change experts and psychologists call forWednesday afternoon off instead, following example from schools and universities • Over half of businesses say a four-day weekwith Friday off would not benefit their company at the moment • New research has foundWednesday to be the least productive time of the week, and as a result 80%of businesses believe having the afternoon off could improve productivity • With 72%of businesses open to trialling it already, behaviour change experts and psychologists call for ‘Wednesday Off-ternoon’ for all UKworkers New research: Businesses aren’t yet ready for the 4-day week, but are eager to change working practices Brand new research launching today from behaviour change experts, Kin&Co, has found that a four-day working week with Friday off isn’t yet feasible for most businesses. However, a mid-week break on Wednesday afternoon would be both more realistic and more effective in terms of boosting employee productivity. Despite the flurry of companies that have recently launched a four-day week by giving their employees Friday off, less than half of businesses think their company would benefit if their employees had 3-day weekends. Meanwhile, others (50%) simply do not think a four-day week will work in practice at the moment. This mirrors what we have seen so far from early adopters of the four-day week, many of whom have rolled it out at the expense of lunch breaks or annual leave. Rosie Warin, CEO of behaviour change company Kin&Co said “There are many types of alternative shorter week - the six hour day, the four day week - but from the data, the psychology and our own practical trial, we strongly believe that the Wednesday Off-ternoon is not only the most beneficial for employees, but also the most practical and accessible option to businesses today. With 70% of companies ready to trial the Wednesday Off-ternoon immediately, we expect this trend to sweep the UK - don’t be left behind, tell your boss about the Off-ternoon today!” The research found that three-quarters of business owners notice a significant dip in their employees’ energy levels mid-week. 90% of businesses are actively looking for ways to improve productivity in their organisation, while 80% believe giving Wednesday afternoon off would boost employee productivity. Because of these benefits, 70% of business owners would consider trialling a Wednesday Off-ternoon immediately. This is compared to just over half for a 4-day week. Dr. Gail Kinman, Professor of Occupational Health Psychology and expert in work-life balance commented: “Stress in the workplace and poor work-life balance are serious problems for British businesses, with millions of hours lost to stress-related illness every year. The Wednesday ‘Off-ternoon’ has the potential to be revolutionary for the UK economy - particularly given how well Wednesday afternoon off has worked for the education sector. By helping employees to switch off mid-week and have a chance to rest or focus on personal interests, they are far more likely to recover mentally and physically, return to work more productive and have lower stress levels in the long term.” The mid-week slump is a trend the education sector recognised years ago, and it is why many schools, colleges and universities offer sports options or hours free from lessons on Wednesday afternoons to help pupils recharge. The majority of primary schools in France and the Netherlands already give Wednesday afternoon off, while 2016’s Keep Wednesday Afternoons Free (KWAF) campaign still actively runs on university campuses across the UK today. Jhanvi Gudka, senior project manager at Kin&Co, said “We’re all about doing things differently at Kin&Co - from our value of ‘staying playful (because why shouldn’t work be fun) to hosting our team away day at a festival. The Wednesday Off-ternoon started as a one-off idea, but as soon as we started enforcing it we realised how much it transformed our culture. Energy levels on a Thursday are now at their highest - and staff continually refer to it as the best thing about working at the company.” Kin&Co is advocating for Wednesday Off-ternoon to become common practice for all UK businesses regardless of size. For free tools and information on how you can make this work for your business, click here.