As the economy continues to tank and gas prices remain high, more companies are cutting back to a four-day workweek. Those trying that schedule are finding not only savings, but also happier and more productive employees.
Among those finding success is Graphicast, a manufacturer of customized zinc aluminum alloy parts in Jaffrey. It switched to a four-day workweek for most of its 29 employees in April. The castings section of the company has been on a four-day workweek for a few years due to its high output and efficiency.
The company switched to a new scheduling system earlier this year that improved the efficiency of getting product out to the point where it was able to eliminate overtime, says Val Zanchuk, president of Graphicast. It was at that point employees asked to switch over entirely to a four-day, 10-hours a day workweek. The company pared Friday operations down to a skeleton crew.
For some people, getting here an hour earlier was a problem, but we've worked with them and that's worked out okay, Zanchuk says. The company had to make minor adjustments with vendors to make sure shipments were not sent on Fridays. Those who still work on Fridays work nine-hour days during the week and a half-day on Fridays. Enough companies are doing this that Friday is a quiet day anyway, Zanchuk says.
The switch allows employees to spend more time with family and for some it allows them to take a part-time job on the weekend. If overtime is required on a Friday to get an order out, the company gives employees advance notice.
While the four-day workweek gives employees more time with family and allows them to maximize vacation time, the company also reaped rewards. It saw a 15 percent drop in its electricity usage and productivity has stayed stable throughout the process, he says. With our new scheduling, we have excess capacity to accommodate growth. For us, it was easy to do.
Testing the Scheduling Waters
Northeast Delta Dental, a dental insurance provider based in Concord, started a voluntary pilot program for instituting a four-day workweek over the summer after the executive team began hearing increased concerns from employees about the rising cost of commuting.
We had thought about going to a four-day workweek for years, but we had no compelling reason or real requests from employees,-that is, until gas prices climbed, says Connie Roy-Czyzowski, vice president of human resources.
We wanted to see the pros and cons without making a long-term commitment, says Roy-Czyzowski, of the reason for making it a pilot program. We wanted to make sure our customers would continue to have great service. This was uncharted waters.
Northeast Delta Dental's HR team first spoke with managers to find out potential issues that would be encountered and then looked at other companies' policies related to four-day workweeks, Roy-Czyzowski says.
The company clearly spelled out the parameters for the program in a document given first to managers and then employees. Included in the document were managers' responsibilities as well as expectations that the four-day workweek would not interfere with employees attending mandatory meetings, key employees would be at work when necessary, and customer service standards and productivity goals would continue to be met.
Initially, 30 of Northeast Delta Dental's 170 NH employees participated in the four-day workweek program. Among the positive feedback Northeast Delta Dental has received from employees is the longer workdays allow them more time to stick with projects during the day. Some have been better able to balance work/life issues, she says.
Other employees found the 10-hour workdays were too long and went back to a five-day schedule. Some felt the rush to get to their daycare was too much for them, Roy-Czyzowski says. As of late September there were 23 people still working four-day workweeks.
Those alternative schedules vary, with some people choosing to work a four-day work week every other week. Others choose longer hours to have weekly four-day weeks. Some departments must alternate who has Fridays off and who must take a different day to insure continued productivity. If they want it to work, they will work it out and make it happen, Roy-Czyzowski says. When you're flexible with employees, they are flexible with you.
Current Issue - May 2024