Log in or become a subscriber

Many employers jumping on the four-day week "bandwagon" are ignoring what made initial trials successful: an individual approach to flexibility, an expert says.

Telus Health clinical wellness director for APAC Rose Zaffino says there's nothing new about employees working four days a week, whether part-time or casually, or by using flexi-time. But the four-day week where employees receive "100% of salary, while working 80% of the time, while still committing to 100% delivery" is a more recent trend and, potentially, a more problematic one.

There's a lot of research to commend a four-day week, but there are many management challenges too, Zaffino tells HR Daily. Different employees have different roles, preferences, and expectations that don't always marry up, and while some employers are reporting benefits after six months, what happens after 12 or 24 months is still largely unknown...