VERSA Makes Headlines With '4 Day Work Week'
Too good to be true
Having your hump days at home with your family resembles a dream that seems too good to be true. However, VERSA has made that dream become a reality. In 2019, pre-covid, we shut our doors to a 5 day work week, closing our office on Wednesday’s and leaving employees with only 4 days of work.
This innovative style of working has led to a better work culture and ultimately creates a more positive experience for our employees. Creating a positive workplace environment is incredibly important for workers to thrive and reach their potential.
A shortened week may seem intimidating for some to adopt, with fears of being seen as lazy and apathetic. However, at VERSA we have proved that endorsing a 4 day work week has only had a beneficial impact on their employees, as well as the prosperity of the business.
Not just another crazy idea
A four day work week allows for employees to have a day off and focus on their projects as well as taking the day for personal activities. Our CEO, Kath Blackham, highlights that the decision to divide the work week in half was “really purposeful”.
Rather than creating a long weekend, “a break in the middle of the week also means they can get on top of work by Tuesday afternoon and hit the ground running on Thursday morning”. This allows for staff to spend time with their families, whilst also remaining on top of work for the duration of the week.
Initially, when Kath first suggested the idea she saw a lot of eyes go to the ceiling due to her reputation for crazy ideas. However, the first month went exceedingly well. In fact it went so well that one month turned into three, which turned into six. Eventually, over a year had passed and we were still thriving in our 4 day work week schedule.
Time to bring life back into the office
Not only does it create a more joyous and effective work environment, it has also provided real benefits for the business. Our revenue has grown by 46 per cent over the last 12 months, whilst our profit has almost tripled. Kath Blackham highlights that “people have become more efficient”, with “better staff retention, there’s less work that needs to be redone and less people needed to be replaced and briefed as a result”.
Ultimately, this establishes a more harmonious and amicable workplace as the team mostly remains the same. This provides an incredible sense of loyalty, which further creates a more beneficial work environment.
International impact
Furthermore, the notion of a 4 day work week has made an impact in the UK. Blackham has spoken to MPs and leaders of the UK Labour party about Versa’s positive experience with a 4 day work week. Ultimately, the concept of a 4 day work week should be considered in most workplaces. Blackham affirms that “by the time we get to Thursday, it’s like Monday again”, creating a feeling of “enthusiasm and.. collaboration”.
VERSA has always believed that happy people create outstanding work. It’s why we made our four-day working week initiative permanent in 2019. In 2020, that idea of happiness at work became more important than ever. To support and stay connected to our team while working remotely, we implemented a range of strategies to optimise the mental health and wellbeing of our employees.
A four-day work week has paid off for VERSA in an incredible amount of ways, especially We’re entering 2021, where our world is continuously evolving and advancing. Maybe it’s time more businesses adopted this innovative style of working. It’s only a matter of time before we start to see the 4 day work week across Australia.
