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Covid-19 has altered business rules and opened the minds of many to new ways of working.
Over the past seven months, the pandemic has brought changes that many workers had only dreamed of in the past.
Daily trips to the office have been abandoned and makeshift home offices have appeared in bedrooms and kitchens across the country.
But could the pandemic spark even bigger change, and could now be the time for companies to jump to a four-day week?
Earlier this month, the Oireachtas works, trade and employment committee agreed to include the issue in its draft program, a move very well received by the Four Day Week Ireland campaign.
Joe O’Connor, group president and campaign manager for the Forsa union, said they are asking the committee to investigate the feasibility of a four-day work week in different sectors in Ireland.
Recent research commissioned by the group highlights the appetite among employees and employers for a new work model.
More than two-thirds of the people surveyed said they believe a four-day week is something that could be achieved in the medium term.
Three-quarters of those surveyed felt that this was something the Government should explore introducing in Ireland, and around half of the employers who responded said they were very open to the idea of a four-day work week.
“I think it shows a real openness among employers to the idea of a different work model, and I think the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic has strengthened that sentiment among workers and employers alike,” O’Connor said.
The Four Day Week Ireland campaign advocates a new working model, which focuses on results and productivity, rather than hours spent at the desk.
“If you look at some of the countries in Europe that work the longest hours like the UK and Greece, they often have some of the lowest levels of productivity and then some of the countries like Denmark and the Netherlands that work fewer hours. , they reach higher levels of productivity, “he said.
Here in Ireland, O’Connor believes that a four-day week will replace a five-day, nine-to-five week in the next decade.
He said he expects this to happen in three different ways.
“The first will be companies that show leadership, companies that take the risk because they can see the benefits for themselves and their employees.
“The second will be that unions like us incorporate this as one of our priority bargaining areas in the coming years.
Then thirdly, I think another important element will be the role of the Government in facilitating and supporting companies that want to try and introduce a shorter work week and also in terms of their own role as a large employer in the public sector and as an important Contractor of different services ”, he said.
One of the leading companies in Ireland is ICE Group, a Galway based recruitment and training company with offices in Limerick, Sligo and a sub-office in Sydney, Australia.
They moved their 45 employees to a four-day week with full pay in July 2019.
Margaret Cox, director of the ICE Group, said they wanted to change the lives of their employees.
“We went from a 39-hour week in five days to a 36-hour week in four days, so yes, the day itself has lengthened a bit, but the week has shortened,” he said.
The group structured their week around a three-day weekend, as explained by Ms. Cox.
“At ICE Group you work on Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday and you are free on Friday, Saturday and Sunday, or you work on Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday and you are free on Saturday, Sunday, Monday, so every weekend week at the ICE group is essentially a holiday weekend. “
For ICE employees, life has changed dramatically.
Having extra time to relax has been a game changer for Chief Marketing Officer Tom Cranley.
“One of my friends told me that three months after the four-day week test I looked healthier. I didn’t know how to take it at first, but in the end I took it as a compliment,” he said. I laughed.
“I was getting that time out of the office, going out for a walk, bike ride and run, doing the things I wanted to do, like going to visit my friends.”
Before the pandemic, Training Manager Lourda O’Dea spent her extra time traveling the world.
“I visited seven cities in nine weekends, it was amazing. After Covid, with the extra time, I actually took a course in digital marketing,” he said.
In addition to the happier staff, the ICE group has seen increased productivity and increased sales since the switch to the four-day week, as Margaret Cox explains.
“Our sales have increased by 30% and I think the reason for that was both internal and external recognition from our customers that it is a very innovative and dynamic organization,” he said.
Switching to a four-day week will not be an option for all businesses, especially those struggling right now due to the pandemic.
Mary Connaughton, Head of HR, Learning and Development Organization, CIPD Ireland cautioned that moving to a shorter week is risky for some companies.
“There is a little risk there. You have to consider what will happen if productivity drops, so you have to have some kind of financial buffer in place to handle that particular risk,” he said.
Connaughton highlighted other issues we need to consider when it comes to a four-day workweek.
“If you can’t give everyone a four-day work week, then there really are equality issues,” he said.
“If you have people who work part time, what does reducing hours by the same amount of pay mean to them?” she asks.
While many are currently enjoying a three-day weekend due to the bank holiday, only time will tell if it will become a more regular occurrence.
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