Company moves to four-day working week without staff losing any pay

A family-run business has introduced a four-day working week and says its staff will not see a drop in pay.

Employees at Chilwell Products, which makes parts for scaffolds, now permanently have Fridays off, meaning their weekends last a dreamy three days.

It may sound like a pipe dream for most British workers, but more and more companies are making the switch.

Some 30 British companies are already trialing a four-day working week in the hope of maintaining 100% productivity for 80% of the time.

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

‘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.

The 30-year-old is the granddaughter of founder Derrick Telford, and took over the reins from her mother, Lorraine, in 2019.

Her team of nine staff members at the Lows Lane factory in Stanton by Dale, Derbyshire, now have five fewer hours a week written into their contracts.

One of the other major changes she’s introduced is investing almost £100,000 into upgrading 11 of its power presses, using technology from Bruderer UK.

Ms Clarke said those in charge at the business were originally worried that changing the way the parts were made might not work.

But the firm is now reporting a 12% volume rise from £15.6 million to £17.5 million in the last twelve months.

Companies like Chilwell Products are drastically changing the way time and productivity is measured.

Charlotte Davies, career expert at LinkedIn, says the pandemic has proven we’re adaptable as workers.

‘Attempting to squeeze as much, or more work, into fewer hours could prove stressful for some, but it’s all about finding some equilibrium,’ she previously told Metro.co.uk.

‘After all, employees that are given more time to rest and recharge outside of work hours are far more likely to be happier and more productive when they are back in.’

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