Four-day week working a treat for employees
ONE THURSDAY a month at 3.30pm, Mike Taumafai and his co-workers down tools, hear who has won the employee of the month, share some free KFC – and don’t come back until Monday.
Working a four- day, 10- hour week gives Taumafai and the other workers at West Auckland manufacturers Manson Marine Engineering more than two weeks’ extra holiday a year.
With productivity rising, it’s likely the scheme could be expanded to two or three weeks a month.
‘‘Personally, I am really happy with it,’’ says Taumafai, a welder who works on ships’ anchors and aluminium bridges. ‘‘I like it and it makes sense as an idea. When it first came up, we thought it wouldn’t work, but it has benefited us all. The feedback from the guys is it is a good thing, especially those with kids.’’
Manson co- owner Ned Wood suggested the idea to staff last year, but not until after Christmas did they agree to try it. ‘‘The way I pitched it was – work two hours more a day, and get two-and-ahalf weeks’ extra holiday. Guys can do that life administration stuff – haircuts, WoFs, going to the bank – and spend a lot more time with their kids.’’
The last free Friday fell at the end of school holidays, so Taumafai, who has worked at Manson for 15 years, took his six children shopping, to the movies, and to Snowplanet.
‘‘Instead of taking a day off work to hang out with the kids, I was getting to do it and get paid for it,’’ he says. ‘‘I couldn’t have done all that after work – I’d be too tired. I would have fallen asleep in the cinema.’’
Taumafai now works 6am to 4.30pm on that week and says staff are motivated to work harder: ‘‘Everyone digs in, everyone puts in an effort. If we could do it every week it would be very good but might take some adjusting; if we went to two [weeks a month], it would be great.’’
And yet the four- day week at Mansons appears almost unique in New Zealand.
Overseas, the four-day week has saved costs and made for happier employees. In 2008, Utah state governor Jon Huntsman put civil servants on a four- day, 40-hour week, which pleased staff – eight of 10 preferred it – and public, who liked the extended opening hours.
But the last time the four-day week was widely canvassed in New Zealand, it was a way of avoiding redundancies, with many manufacturing companies cutting hours and wages to avoid layoffs.
Instead of taking a day off work to hang out with the kids, I was getting to do it and get paid for it Mike Taumafai
Massey University management professor Jarrod Haar says the ‘‘compressed week’’ is rare in New Zealand because it works easiest in the manufacturing sector – and the rise of the concept two decades ago probably coincided with the rapid decline of domestic manufacturing. ‘‘ So the opportunities here are a lot less, which is why this may be unique.’’
Haar says in industries where output cannot be precisely measured, employers may not trust employees to complete a ‘‘full’’ week’s work in four days but research shows that productivity does increase in four- day week systems – staff get into a rhythm and get more done in longer shifts.
Wood is surprised other employers haven’t caught on.
‘‘ As an employer, you want a diversity of staff and outside interests, and if your business can accommodate it, then why not allow it?
‘‘I think people try to put up barriers instead of thinking of ways that would allow them to do it. In a competitive environment for staff, why not try these things?’’