This item was originally published on this site
Causeway Irish Housing plans to be one of the first in the UK housing sector to trial a four-day working week.
Staff at the London-based housing association will be able to opt in to work a 32-hour week over four days while retaining their full-time salaries, with hopes that the team of 10 staff will be “happier, healthier, and more productive” by the end of the six-month pilot.
The pilot will test the impact at the beginning, mid-point and end of the period on:
- Staff satisfaction
- Service delivery to tenants
- Organisational income and growth
If the results are largely positive with no detriment to the service, the new working pattern is said to be become permanent.
The office will remain open five days a week, with benefits said to be seen for residents as they will be able to meet staff and visit the office outside the normal 9am – 5pm arrangement.
“We want to accommodate 21st century workers with 21st century lives,” director Joanne Murray said.
“Our working culture and conditions were designed over 100 years ago for people who usually had someone else taking care of their domestic responsibilities.
“We want all our staff to have enough time for leisure during their leisure time. We would expect the lost hours to be those currently unproductive ones being spent physically present but mentally elsewhere, or being stressed and off sick,” she added.
