FMJ Facilities Management magazine providing industry-specific intelligence to FM and property professionals
Seventy-six per cent of UK professionals state that the current 40-hour workweek doesn’t suit them, according to a new poll carried out by talent solutions firm, Robert Walters. With half (51 per cent) stating that switching to a four-day week or just having more overall flexibility (38 per cent) could be the answer to increased productivity and engagement levels.
The research has found that the conventional 40-hour workweek is falling out of favour, with many professionals believing it no longer marries with modern approaches to productivity and engagement.
Lucy Bisset, Director of Robert Walters North commented: “The conventional 40-hour workweek which has remained largely unchanged for over a century, is now facing an uncertain future. This highlights a growing discontentment that employers must urgently acknowledge and work to rectify.”
Global engagement stagnates
The global rate of employee engagement sits at 23 per cent – with Europe’s rate even less at 13 per cent, and the UK’s rate lower still (10 per cent). High levels of engagement are linked increased productivity, profitability and sales.
In 2023 alone, the UK economy lost just over £32 billion in lost productivity.
Further to findings in the Robert Walters poll, 46 per cent of UK companies admitted that productivity has become a notable problem for them in the last year, with this having a direct correlation with company performance / revenue.
Are more or less working days the answer?
Twenty-three countries have trailed or took inspiration from the four-day week pilot so far. Whilst others – notably Greece (since 1 July), have given employers the ability to actually extend their office’s working week to 48 hours or six days to tackle issues with labour productivity.
When asked about the option of a longer workweek, over a quarter (28 per cent) of UK employers stated they’d think about increasing the hours of their existing week if it would boost productivity and business performance – in stark contrast to 82 per cent of professionals, who confirmed they would leave if their employer decided to do so.
Bisset said: “These past several years have seen numerous changes to the current workweek be tested. Whilst the success of the different approaches may vary, they do call into question the conventional workweek’s ability to keep pace with the demands of today’s workforce.”
Changes forecast
Over four-fifths (84 per cent) of professionals predict significant changes for the 40 hour work week over the next 20 years.
When asked how they think it will change – two-fifths (40 per cent) of professionals stated that increased flexibility will continue to alter it, a further quarter said it will evolve as a result of small incremental changes, whilst just under a fifth (19 per cent) predict a complete overhaul taking place.
Bisset concluded: “With economic tensions and the cost of living still high as global labour markets remain in recovery from the pandemic and various ongoing geopolitical conflicts, there is considerable upheaval which will continue having an impact on the way we see our working week.
“Whilst the conventional, 40-hour workweek is going nowhere, yet – flexibility is something that is not only valued greatly by the majority of professionals but something that is increasingly expected as a given. The key thing for employers to do now is to test out what works best for their employees in a way which means everyone can maximise their week, without missing out on valuable hours of work.”
Frontline workers form the backbone of facilities management services, serving as the face of the brand and interacting directly with customers. Yet research by both L&G and the Living Wage Foundation reveals the majority feel overlooked and expendable.
Accelerating the problem is a growing technology gap. Despite having 2.7 billion deskless workers worldwide, representing 80 per cent of the global workforce, only one per cent of software and technology investments has been allocated to this segment. This means there is a huge disconnect between frontline workers and their headquarters, leading to lack of sufficient training, communication challenges and low employee retention.
For this webinar, FMJ has teamed up with frontline training platform Lingio to bring together a panel of experts, to discuss how easy-to-use and efficient AI tools can help create engaging and gamified learning experiences that fit the needs of underserved deskless workers. The result? Better software and learning experiences lead to improved staff engagement and reduced staff turnover by up to 95 per cent, according to McKinsey.
To register for the webinar taking place on 11 September at 11:00 am click here.
