Sainsbury's, the second-largest supermarket chain in the UK, is conducting a three-month trial to offer a four-day work week to its employees. The trial includes head offices in Holborn,
Coventry, and Milton Keynes, as well as warehouses and store managers at its 1,400 UK stores. The aim of the experiment is to provide more flexible working conditions to staff members, although it excludes store workers below management.
During the trial period, employees are given the option to choose how they work their hours. They can either work four longer days or use the weekend to complete their work and have more time off during the week. Results from a pilot trial of a four-day week showed that staff were happier, and businesses performed better, with improved levels of staff retention.
Although the majority (92%) of participating companies in the four-day week trial said they intended to continue, some fear that it could have a negative impact on businesses, particularly on profits. A head office employee at Sainsbury's said that the scheme was proving to be effective financially, but they were not keen on the idea because it was "too difficult to navigate for managers, especially when people are working from home. If people did decide to work on a Saturday then you don't know if they're doing the work or not."
Despite this, Sainsbury's remains committed to testing new ways to be more efficient and offer improved flexibility. A spokesperson for Sainsbury's emphasized that the company is a 24/7 business and is not taking a 'one-size-fits-all' approach. They also mentioned that the company invested £185 million to give retail hourly-paid colleagues a pay rise to help them manage increasing bills, and the second pay rise was given to retail colleagues this financial year, taking Sainsbury's total investment in colleague pay to £205 million.
The three-month trial is in line with a pilot published yesterday, which saw 61 UK companies reduce working hours for all staff by 20% for six months from June last year, with no cut in wages. At least 56 companies said they planned to continue with a four-day week, with 18 having already adopted the policy. Staff found it easier to balance work with both family and social commitments, and their mental and physical health improved from having an extra day off, while the average firm reported a slight revenue increase over the trial period. Photo by Snowmanradio~commonswiki, Wikimedia commons.