Coventry: Four-day week offered to 820 tech firm staff

A technology company in Coventry says it will permanently offer a four-day week to its 820 employees in a bid for better work-life balance.

The option for staff at The Manufacturing Technology Centre (MTC) allows for the same amount of hours in a five-day working week to be done over fewer but longer shifts.

Pay remains the same under the move.

The MTC said it followed a two-year "Fully Flexible Working Week" trial that involved 615 employees.

Staff surveys saw about 50% of employees report higher productivity in the period, The MTC said.

During the trial, workers were able to choose between a variety of flexible working arrangements, including the four-day week, with 96% wanting to see the arrangements adopted permanently, said Vicki Sanderson, HR Director.

Those who choose the four-day, 36-hour pattern will work between 07:30 and 17:00; a period which includes a nine-hour shift and a half-hour break.

A five-day arrangement also sees staff working the same 36-hour total but in shorter shifts with shorter breaks.

Chief Executive, Dr Clive Hickman, said he was "proud" to implement the change.

"The MTC is striving to become the most attractive employer in the country, and this is a big step towards achieving that," he added.

The changes are set to be implemented in September.

Loughborough University, which conducted an external evaluation, said the feedback from staff had been "overwhelmingly positive" and for newer members, the policies were one of the main reasons they joined.

Ms Sanderson said: "These changes have had a direct impact on improving the mental and physical wellbeing of our employees, while improving business productivity."

She added 79% of the workforce consisted of millennials and generation Z, and that staff survey results showed how a "work-life balance was the priority" for them.

Companies around Europe have been trialling a shorter working week, with 70 in the UK starting in June in what is thought to be the biggest pilot scheme yet.

The MTC said it calculated that 664 tonnes of carbon would be saved annually from all employees making one fewer journey to work each week.

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