"Personally, I am all for any scheme that encourages wellbeing in the workplace"
Name: Charlotte Hallam
Role: Technology channel recruitment leader
Based on the conversations you're having with your vendor and partner clients, how many are seriously looking into a 4-day week?
Many clients across the channel I speak to on a weekly basis are positive about this model when asked, however it really will vary across the channel community depending on their size of business. A £3m VAR/MSP adopting a four-day week will have far fewer operational issues/loss of profit with their staff working across four days instead of five than say a Softcat or Computacenter!
My only concern with this suggested model is how will companies be able to implement such a drastic move to their working hours and days? This is certainly not a "one size fits all" approach!
What are your personal views on the 4-day week model?
Personally, I am all for any scheme and incentive that encourages and improves positive wellbeing in the workplace.
I also wholeheartedly believe that "outcome" is far more important than "output". Employers in the UK channel should be embracing the opportunity, if they can, to provide increased flexibility for their staff, as well as an increase of "trust" in the workplace and their employees - this culture will breed far greater "outcomes" than a workplace that is antiquated and living in the dark ages.
Do you think the new workplace models that have emerged since Covid hit (for instance shorter hours and hybrid/more flexible working) will really stick in the long term?
In short: yes, 100 per cent. I haven't heard of many companies in the channel suffering loss of earnings, or not reporting record months and QTRs as we have come out of the pandemic - have you?
See following page for MiGrowth's Louise Wright's take on whether a four-day week will cut it in the channel...
