A Dundee games firm that trialled the four-day working week said there’s no going back to the Monday to Friday 9am to 5pm.
In June, Hutch, started a six-month trial in partnership with 4 Day Week Global. The firm has 150 staff across its offices at Water’s Edge in Dundee, London and Nova Scotia.
The results have been impressive. The implementation of the policy saw productivity remain stable.
But Hutch also saw lower turnover of staff and higher job offer acceptance rates during the trial.
It is now made a permanent switch to the four-day working week. The decision will be reviewed annually.
Lessons from four-day working week
The business learnt a lot during the trial and adjusted as needed.
Hutch chief executive Shaun Rutland outlined the pros and cons of the reduced working week.
He said: “The trial taught us a great deal about making the most of the time we have, and how to pin down what Hutch needs to build on what we do well.
“A key learning is that productivity should not be valued by time spent on tasks. Instead we needed to ensure that we were focused on outputs.
“The way we work and how we spend our time day to day has improved as a result, helped by our Hutchies feeling refreshed after a three-day weekend.
“There are challenges we will still need to resolve and better ways of working to be tested, but we’re excited to put this into practice in the new year.”
Changes to working arrangements
There will be adjustments to Hutch’s existing arrangements in order to support its success longer term.
Changes include bi-monthly team days allowing the opportunity to focus on business and social activities and working on Fridays during the weeks in which a bank holiday falls.
Elements such as a two-hour ‘no meeting’ slot and dedicated quiet zone created within the office will remain.
An additional day of annual leave has also been awarded to staff.
Hutch joined 4 Day Week Global’s official trial alongside 70 other companies including Dundee animation firm Salamandra.
The games firm made headlines in August 2021 when it was acquired for £275m.
