Sine Consulting are pleased to announce that we are halfway through a 9-month trial of a four-day working week!
Our team commenced a trial of a shortened 34-hour week over four days from the 1st May 2024, with no impact on their salary or existing benefits. We believe this will benefit our business, our people and, ultimately, our clients. As one of the first services design consultancies to make this move, we’re determined to lead the way and challenge traditional working practices.
We believe we have made changes that allow our team to enjoy a better work-life balance, leaving them happier and healthier in the long run, without compromising on our responsibilities to our customers, partners and each other.
Why are we moving to a four-day week?
We recognise that work as we know it has changed dramatically during recent years, and the patterns that served us in the past are no longer necessary. People are looking for something more from their roles, work practices have changed, and we believe that switching to a four-day working week will deliver a variety of benefits that have the potential to be life-changing for our staff.
Here are just a few of the benefits that we believe a four-day week will provide:
An improved work-life balance
A four-day week can help us achieve a better work-life balance, where our people have more time to focus on their home lives but remain productive in their roles. This benefit is backed up by research, with many workers reporting their work-life balance improved after adopting a 4-day week and that they had more time and flexibility to spend with family, carry out chores, undertake hobbies and have more time to work on themselves.
A greater focus on health and wellbeing
Research has found that a four-day week can be great for mental and physical health. Most people would be pleased to have the time off to do things they enjoy, like seeing family or a hobby, all of which can be nourishing for mental health. Our staff have more free time and spend more time away from their computer screens, allowing them time to exercise more and reduce time spent at their desk. Staff also report feeling more refreshed and less stressed when they return to work each Monday, promoting a more positive approach to their work.
A reduced environmental impact
By reducing the number of working days, we have reduced our carbon footprint by 20% overnight, reducing travelling miles by one fifth and using less energy to heat and power our offices.
An increase in efficiency and productivity
Switching to a four-day week has not just been a case of giving everyone an extra day off; it’s been an exercise in reviewing how we operate and deciding what is necessary. Sine have moved towards a task-based workflow, which maximises efficiency and ensures our tasks are still completed.
As we switched from a five-day to a four-day week we have experienced higher levels of productivity, with an increase in turnover and profitability compared to the previous year. Workers are more focused and able to complete their work in a shorter time frame without issues.
Like the sound of working a four-day week?
If you’ve read this article and are excited by the prospect of a four-day working week, then we’ve got some great news! We’re recruiting for an electrical design engineer at our head office in Durham!
Head over to our careers page to browse our vacancies and find out more about submitting your application.