UK company moves to four-day working week with staff getting same pay

15 March 2022, 11:29 | Updated: 16 March 2022, 13:21

By Naomi Bartram

@naomibartram

A family run company has reduced its employees working hours, while not docking their pay.

A UK company has introduced a four-day working week without reducing staff pay.

Family-run business Chilwell Products, which makes parts for scaffolds, have now permanently given their employees Fridays off.

• Listen now on Global Player: Ukraine’s Hidden Voices with Amanda Holden, hear the untold stories of those caught in the conflict.

Managing director at the company, Laura Clarke, said working 39 hours a week and overtime throughout the year is ‘a thing of the past’.

• Under-25s could be banned from buying cigarettes in England
• All the Covid travel rules set to end on Friday
• UK weather: Britain to be hotter than Rome this week with temperatures reaching 19C

All employees now have five less hours a week written into their contracts.

“We’ve made the changes and have still achieved a 45% increase in capacity, helping us increase turnover and giving us the chance to go after new opportunities,” she said.

Laura’s grandfather Derrick Telford founded the company and she took over from her mum, Lorraine, in 2019.

She has nine employees at the Lows Lane factory in Stanton by Dale, Derbyshire.

Glasgow-based charity, Advice Direct Scotland, also switched to a four day working week in 2019, with the company citing their employees as ‘happier’ and more productive.

Unlike Chilwell Products, workers don’t take the same day off so the business can stay open from Monday to Friday.

The charity has found a 71 per cent fall in employee absences and the average number of absent days has also fallen by 55 per cent.

This comes after 30 British companies signed up to take part in a a four-day working week trial.

Lasting six months, it’s hoped that the trial will increase productivity, reduce gender inequality and benefit the business as well as the employees.

A four day week could also see a reduction of around 127 million tonnes of carbon per year, which is the same as taking 27 million cars off the road.

The scheme is part of the 4 Day Week Campaign, which supports businesses moving away from the traditional nine-to-five.