A Northland business operating on a four-day working week since 2018 is amplifying calls across the country to adopt the practice to boost productivity and keep workers happy.

Kevin Hurley, owner of Tony Gordon Panelbeaters
and Auto Painters in Whangārei, decided to trial four days a week in late 2018 and has continued with it since his staff supported the initiative.

“I reckon everyone should do it, it creates another whole day of the week. You can give people a lot of stuff. The main thing people would want more of is time off,” Hurley said.

His comments followed a suggestion by the Council of Trade Unions, as part of its ‘Building a Better Future’ plan, for New Zealand to comprehensively pilot a four-day working week to develop the economy.

Hurley said originally, his staff working in painting and panelbeating had Fridays off but now they are away on Monday under a four-day week initiative.

The office was still open five days a week so a four-day week didn’t make any difference to his customers either, he said.

“Workshop staff do 5.45am to 5pm so we are still doing just over 40 hours a week but they get an extra day off. You can either spend it on yourself, the guys get to spend it with their kids that they normally never get to do.”

Hurley has four staff and is looking at taking on another two.

Hurley said he has had many conversation with people who said they couldn’t do a four-day week and his suggestion to them was to have some of their staff rostered off on Monday and some on Fridays.

“A lot of people are concerned and they said ‘we’re losing out’ but I got this explained to me a long time ago that work doesn’t get finished, it was never gonna get finished because you’ve still done the same hours.”

Hurley said every time he has a meeting with other panelbeaters in town, someone spoke to him about a four-day week but they didn’t do it.

“If you look at it in employment in general, it means people can still work their normal hours, still have a 2-day weekend and if you want to, you can go back to work for another day. So you can work more, make more but still have a weekend.

“It’s only another hour or so earlier than normal start. It also gives management a day without having work coming through annoying you, gives you more time to clean your desk and get stuff done.”

Hurley said there was a lot of discussion around a four-day week, especially with mental health a growing problem.

NorthChamber president Tim Robinson said a four-day week in the retail sector would never happen.

“You can’t have shops close for three days a week. It appears all these decisions are made on the understanding that businesses will pay for it,” he said.

“Four days a week will work for businesses that are not consumer touching or facing.
”Insurance companies have trialled that and it’s perfect for them because a lot of their work can be done from home.”

Robinson said ultimately, it would be up to each business to decide whether or not the four-day system would work for them.

Economist Brad Olsen from Infometrics said a four-day week was “perfectly doable” as businesses were increasingly looking at more flexible working arrangements.

“There are multiple ways of doing it. However, pressure will be on businesses since a lot of them have gone through a roller coaster ride over the last two years.”

Four Day Week Global chief executive Charlotte Lockhart reportedly said the midpoint results of a four-day week trial in the UK had shown encouraging signs.

“Well over 80 percent of our people are finding their productivity has either stayed the same or has increased and they are looking to continue with reduced hour working in some form whether it’s a four-day week or some other form of reduced hour working post the trial, so that’s pretty encouraging,” she said.

The four-day working week trial was designed to aid business owners in maximising their employees’ productivity while also reducing work hours, she said.

Businesses taking part in the trial had found the mood of their employees experienced a boost and employer-employee relations were seen to improve, Lockhart said.

“By working with their people to find how to improve the business so that people can have time off they’re actually finding all sorts of way of improving their business, whether that be through increasing production, increasing customer experience or any other levers that you might be able to pull in your business, which we don’t necessarily look at until we decide to focus on them.”

The Advocate asked people on the streets their views on working a four-day week.

Ruku Poa, 42, security officer from Kaikohe

It think it should be alright, as long as it’s still enough to live on. But I suppose it depends on the type of work one does.

Layne Neho, 37, businessman from Onerahi
I work four days a week and play golf on Fridays, otherwise your weekend is jam full and you end up with very little done and then you want Mondays off. A four-day week should guarantee 40 hours a week.

Guy Franks, 72, semi retired of Whangārei
I don’t think people will earn enough by working four days a week, although I don’t think there’s enough production even on a five-day week.

Lyn Herman, 60, nurse from Maunu

I think it will be a good idea because Covid has been a big deal and people just need a break from work. I’ve done shift work – my wife and I am tired after four days. It’s good to have flexibility at work and people have families, they have kids. It’s a win-win situation.