Buss Financial Group is implementing a four-day workweek this summer to provide employees with more flexibility.
Employees will have Fridays off on a rotating basis and if the program proves successful, it could be extended beyond the summer, says Lori Collins, chief operating officer at Buss Financial Group. She notes while the office has always closed at 2 p.m. on Fridays to give employees extra time to run errands or book an appointment, the company is trying out a four-day workweek to improve employees’ mental well-being and work-life balance amid the ongoing challenges of the coronavirus pandemic.
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“We just felt like the pandemic really took a lot out of everybody . . . and we found when people were working at home with flex hours, they were performing really well. Because employee benefits are a big part of our business, we read all these articles on employee well-being and pass them along to our plan administrators, so we thought we need to practice what we preach and put this in place.”
Collins adds a rotating four-day schedule will allow the company to maintain its office hours and meet the needs of clients. “There will be one [office administration employee] and one advisor in on Fridays, but it’s our slow day so it shouldn’t affect productivity levels.”
The program will also help with employee retention and attraction efforts in an increasingly competitive labour market. “The closing at 2 p.m. on Friday perk is pretty big on people’s list when I’m hiring, so I think being able to say we’re rotating Fridays [off] and everybody gets three or four Fridays off will be [even more of an incentive].”
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