Would a four-day working week really be such a good idea?

The traditional working week is facing a radical overhaul, more and more are opting for a four-day working week.

On paper, it is an attractive proposition, but in practice, it is far from realistic.

At SaVi Recruitment, we work with a range of clients who have an ongoing need and we have to be flexible in our approach to working hours to accommodate that need.

It would be great if we could operate on a four-day working week, but it simply is not achievable.

None of our clients operate on a four-day basis so it’s just not realistic for us to trial it, if someone needs a labourer or a driver on a Friday they aren’t going to wait for us to come back in on Monday to find that person; they are going to go elsewhere.

In some industries, a four-day week may be achievable, but I can’t work out which industries they are; all industries have links to other industries so you would have to rely on everyone else working a four day week as well.

One of the arguments for the shift from a five-day week to a four-day week is that advances in technology have made our lives simpler, that is true but it will never replace getting out and building face-to-face relationships.

No database will ever replace getting to know your clients, and at SaVi we really value the relationships we have with our clients and I wouldn’t want those relationships to be reduced to just a cell in a database.

Our staff are just as motivated working five day weeks as they would be four day weeks because we create a positive environment where they can thrive.

If you think that working less is the answer to solving staff morale issues, you are simply shifting the problem; not tackling it.

Many people hide behind a four-day working week, but it is about working smarter, not less.

Transnational corporations can afford to lead the way when it comes to five-day weeks but at SolviT we would rather lead the way when it comes to delivering excellent service when it is required, it is all part of the 24/7 service we are proud to offer.