A 4 day working week, for many, is a utopia that’s been bandied around for several years. But genuine examples of firms who have made this practice work for clients, employers and employees have been thin on the ground. In fact, as experts in the niche field of public practice recruitment, we’ve only met a handful.
Until now!
We’ve recently partnered with a contemporary firm of accountants with multi-offices in central England, and this firm has adopted a company wide policy of a four day working week with great success.
A standard full time contract stands at 34 hours per week and all staff take a Friday off and have the option of working one of their four working days from home.
Sounds exciting doesn’t it!
This specific firm is seeking ACA or ACCA qualified auditors to head up the audit teams at their offices in major cities and towns in Staffordshire, Derbyshire and Nottinghamshire. If that sounds like you, you’ll want to contact us without delay to secure an interview.
We’re sure that many of you seasoned accountants will be thinking that a four day working week is too good to be true and though it sounds good on paper, it doesn’t really work in practice, public practice in particular!
But here’s 3 reasons why we know a 4 day working week is something that talented accountants can make work, along with some top tips for how to negotiate a contract that won’t leave you cramming 5 days of work into Monday to Thursday.
1. A 4 day working week will make you more productive.
It’s in your interest as an employee, to prove to hiring managers that a 4 day working week can really work. So you’ll undoubtedly work harder to get the job done more efficiently on your working days. There’s a fine line between completing 5 days of work in 4 days, but avoiding procrastination, being a little more decisive and solving problems faster will make you more productive and ensure you don’t leave your desk on day 4 with that sinking feeling that you’re not on top of your workload.
2. Work life balance is truly achievable.Â
Imagine having one day a week where you can catch up with your life admin, see your friends and family, do the school run perhaps. It makes such a difference to your energy levels and mood and everyone benefits when that’s the case!
3. Your health could improve as a result of a 4 day working week.
More focused time to exercise, take part in hobbies, be part of your non professional communities and to spend with those you love will more than likely improve your physical and mental health. Again, that means you’ll be a more productive and happier employee which will keep clients and managers happy without doubt.
But despite their being many benefits to you as an employee, there’s also some great habits to get into if you manage to secure a role that offers a four day working week. The concept is still relatively new and some firms are still testing the waters to get the system working well for all. Here’s a few suggestions of actions that you can take as an employee to make sure a 4 day working week works for you and your employer.
1. Agree the detail in advance.
Whether it’s just you that’s working over 4 days, or the whole firm, make sure that both parties are in agreement (written ideally) over your hours and days of work and what levels of output are expected of you. A 4 day working week can fall down if there is any question around lesser productivity so expectations should be agreed in advance.
2. Don’t get into the habit of ‘just logging in’ on the day you don’t work.Â
Others will soon expect that of you. Instead take confident ownership of your working pattern from day 1 and don’t dip out of it without good reason.
3. Be sure to check in with your line managers often.
As with every new system (be it new to you or new to your employers), make sure there is protected space to review how it’s working out on a regular basis.
4. Be open with your clients right from the start.
Explain that you work 4 days a week and do your best to ensure that you cover off all of their needs in those 4 days. On the day you are unavailable set a good out of office that ensures clients know how and who to escalate any true emergencies to.
If a 4 day working week sounds like something you’re keen to get on board with, our team of Recruitment Consultants are here to support you to find your perfect role. You can reach out for a totally confidential call with one of them today on info@publicpracticerecruitment.co.uk
If you’re an auditor, we already have some perfect matches on offer! Take a look at these roles below which all offer a four day working week as standard for all staff. If you’re ready to apply, upload your CV right now and we’ll be in touch with next steps.
Audit Manager Job in Mansfield
Senior Audit Manager Job in Derby
