Is the four-day week the answer to burnout?

Charity workers tend to give a lot of themselves to their work – and that means they’re at greater risk of burnout.

 

That’s never been truer. The cost-of-living crisis is putting pressure on fundraisers, while the demand for services from charities is rocketing. All that off the back of a pandemic and with the recession about to kick in even harder.

 

When the People’s Health Trust surveyed VCS organisations, it found that 82% of VCS project leaders were concerned that employees may burn out. Respondents named the need to provide more intensive support and the struggle to achieve a work/life balance as the main factors.

 

That’s where the four-day work week comes in.

 

 

What is the four-day work week?

 

The four-day work week offers people the chance to work four days a week but for their full salary, meaning workers receive 100% of their salary for working 80% of their hours.

 

While there are pros and cons to the approach, the overarching win is that is gives employees a better work/life balance, which for some can also lead to considerable savings in commuter and childcare costs.

 

The independent research organisation Autonomy calculated that an employee with a child aged under two would save £1,440 per year in childcare on average, and £340 on travel if they cut their weekly commutes by a day. 

 

 

Trialling at large

 

The world’s biggest four-day week trial has just reached its midpoint. Seventy companies and organisations across 30 sectors, and 3,300 workers are trialling this radical new way of working for six months.

 

Run by 4 Day Week Global and Autonomy, it involves some charities including the Royal Society of Biology, Waterwise, We are Purposeful, and Stemettes.

 

 

Halfway through, what are the findings?

 

Forty one (out of 73) companies taking part in the trial responded to a midway survey. And the headlines are positive. 88% of respondents say the four-day week is working “well” for them.

 

In fact, 86% said they’re “extremely likely” or “likely” to continue with this approach after the trial period, while, 95% said productivity had stayed the same or improved during the trial.

 

 

We Are Purposeful

 

We Are Purposeful is one of the charities involved in the trial. According to Annie Murthi, Director of Finance and Operations, one of the main drivers for taking part was to improve staff wellbeing.  Halfway through, the majority of staff are enjoying the change and noting improved wellbeing.

 

“We’d definitely recommend it to other charities,” she says. “It’s given staff a real chance to breathe when we often find ourselves burning out, and it’s also given staff a chance to practice and learn new things, such as taking up swimming, studying for a Masters course etc.”

 

She went on to explain that rather than a dip in productivity, in many areas they’ve become more focused. But they also recognise they’re only three months in and there are adjustments to be made to make the new pattern work equally well across all levels.

 

 

What about other charities?

 

These findings resonate with previous four-day week trials. Take STOPAIDS, for example, who ran an 18-month pilot trialling a 28-hour week (to give more flexibility than a four-day week). They found that staff felt more energised and rested, and at the same time productivity increased across the board.

 

And while 60% of employees were stressed before the pilot, that fell to 38% by the end of the pilot – which is particularly impressive as their trial ran throughout the pandemic.

 

In a conversation with 4 Day Week, Mike Podmore from STOPAIDS talks about the importance of finding efficiencies. While some of that comes from employees being more refreshed and focused, it’s also meant they’ve had to think about how to work more efficiently, how to better communicate, and how to collaborate more effectively.

 

The video also includes thoughts from YWCA Scotland and The Circle, and is well worth a watch if you’re considering introducing revised working hours at your charity.  

 

 

Flexibility is still key

 

With Reed.co.uk finding 83% of employees in favour of the four-day week, it’s looking like a winner for many charities and businesses

 

But it’s also worth noting employees’ desire for flexibility in the way they work. Since 2019, use of the word “flexibility” has increased by 83% in LinkedIn job posts, with many questioning their work priorities and looking for better work/life balance.

 

However, as the future shapes up, it looks like nine-to-five, Monday to Friday, will well and truly be a thing of the past.