Arkatechture Pilots New 4-Day Work Week

In the field of athletics and professional sports, recovery time and rest are just as important as training and exercise to become stronger; the same is true for our work weeks.

Starting back in September, we put our four-day work week plan into action, a goal we have been working towards for years. The pilot plan is group by group, and all groups will have piloted the four-day work week schedule by the end of February.

The four-day work week has many benefits, like preventing burnout, and helping to foster a better work-life balance. In our pilot program, schedules will be staggered so that some employees will have every Monday off, while others have every Friday off. We are trialing the four day work week with the hope that employees can use their extra day off for their own exercise, family time, appointments, and errands in order to be focused and productive during the shorter work week.

Four-Day Work Week Results

Many companies internationally have experimented with the four-day work week and found that it increases productivity and job satisfaction, and decreases stress levels. Research shows that less time at work leads to better focus and efficiency at work.

Research by Henley Business School in the UK reports that companies that have adopted a four-day week demonstrated the following according to survey data:

• 78% of staff were happier
• 70% were less stressed
• 62% took fewer sick days
• 63% of employers said that the four-day work week helped them to attract and retain talent. 

“As a passionate advocate for flexible working, it’s fantastic to see the results of this research paper. When implemented correctly, with both the individual and the organization in mind, flexible working can truly boost productivity and employee engagement.”
-Adrian Moorhouse MBE, founder of HR consultancy Lane4

Although we have not yet met the financial targets we set in place before implementing the four-day work week, we felt that we didn't want to leave our employees waiting any longer. So, we decided to give the four-day work week a shot anyway, and are in the trial phase. We are hopeful and excited to see the results!

The 4 day work week is an important concept we’ve been eying for years now. As a bootstrapped startup, it was hard to take much action in our early years.  Now that we are in a more mature stage of our journey, we’re excited to incorporate this into the lives of all the Arkabots here at Arkatechture. We know there’ll be much to learn on all fronts, but are excited to continue our commitment of making a great place for all of us to work and see this as a foundational building block to contribute to that goal. "   -Jamie Jackson, CEO & Founder of Arkatechture.

Come join our amazing team! Check out our careers page to see current opportunities!

References:

1. https://www.fastcompany.com/90678612/this-tech-unicorn-just-shifted-to-a-4-day-work-week
2. https://www.adeccogroup.com/future-of-work/latest-insights/the-advantages-and-disadvantages-of-the-four-day-work-week/
3. https://essays.edubirdie.com/blog/four-day-week-pays-off-for-uk-business
4. https://www.fingerprintforsuccess.com/blog/four-day-work-week