The 4-day week debate and what are the expectations of law firms in a candidate led market?
The pandemic in most areas of our lives has become a distant memory, however the issue of worker flexibility continues to dominate and is the subject of a recently published study on the practicalities of the 4-day week.
The study showed that almost every organisation within the programme, of which 60 companies took part, will stick to a 4 day week post-trial, with 91% definitely continuing or planning to continue, and a further 4% leaning towards continuing. Only 4% of participants are not continuing. The health and well-being of employees also improved, with significant increases observed in physical and mental health, time spent exercising, and overall life and job satisfaction. Rates of stress, burnout and fatigue all fell, while problems with sleep declined.
Talking to solicitors every day we hear lots about what is or isn’t working for them. A recent survey in the legal market showed that 50% of lawyers say they work over a 40 hour week and with that comes inevitable pressure. So it is key to ensure that you are making the most of your working life and that you are finding some balance. Another survey said that 76% want to choose the hours they work and 49% prefer working from home.
Anecdotally we have spoken to people who are fed up of 100% home working and are looking at returning to a physical team environment. Others feel aggrieved at being ‘made’ to go to the office more than they would like to. Often with both approaches it is the fact that people are being dictated to about where to work that seems to be a concern.. Those environments where there is trust between both employees and employers in place and where genuine business and clients needs are met seem to fall in the sweet spot.
As a professional being ‘forced’ to do things doesn’t always sit well and having the ability to make your own judgement is often the preferred course. Also, the value of training in all these areas is not to be overlooked. If a firm has in place training to ensure that responsibility is taken at all levels in the business then it benefits everyone. Having the right culture in the office underpins everything and ensures understanding across the whole business structure and ethos of the company. Talking the talk is not enough!
When we talk to individuals and firms, we hear that key requirements for both sides are:
- Flexibility
- Trust
- Training
- Career development
- Open communication
For firms interested in the 4 day week study, the overriding take way is that for the majority of the companies taking part productivity did not fall and in some productivity actually increased.
Food for thought 😊
