In April, CONQA announced our team would enjoy more time off the tools with the introduction of our four-day work week trial. Whilst our trial is ongoing until the end of November, New Zealand is at the forefront of this initiative, with the Council of Trade Unions (CTU) suggesting a “Ministry of Green Works” that included a comprehensive pilot of a four-day working week as part of a strategy to develop the economy.
Recently, Damen Hansen, one of our Product Managers was interviewed by Radio New Zealand Checkpoint on our four-day work week trial, and the impacts we have seen across our business. To hear the full interview, CLICK HERE. You can also read the accompanying article HERE
Below you will find key excerpts from Damen’s interview
“People still trying to feel like they needed to fit the same amount of work in 32 hours that they were doing in 40, when actually the shifts that we had to make was to ensure that the time was better utilised, and we were being more efficient.”
He said getting the team used to the new hours was also not an easy job.
“People still trying to feel like they needed to fit the same amount of work in 32 hours that they were doing in 40, when actually the shifts that we had to make was to ensure that the time was better utilised, and we were being more efficient.”
And changes not only made their team happier but also helped attract new talent to the business.
“The calibre and the numbers of good candidates jumped when we made this known on our blog. It just took a massive leap,” Hansen said.
About the financial impact of the changes, Hansen said the company adopted an innovating and quite ideal system.
“Everyone gets paid for 40 hours and gets leave for 40 hours and everyone turns up for 32. Sounds too good to be true, right? But we rolled that out to everyone as part of the trial.”
Four-day weeks might still be in trial mode for the multinational CONQA, but in the north town of Whangarei, one shop has already been operating with shorter weeks for the past four years.