The reduction in working hours continues to fuel debate. While many countries are experimenting with the four-day week, one British company is going even further: it is allowing its employees to freely divide their 32-hour working week… even over seven days if it suits them.
A working week with no fixed hours
Lumen, a small SEO consultancy based in Cardiff, first tried out the four-day week. The result: happier employees, increased productivity and zero staff turnover. On the strength of this success, the company run by Aled Nelmes decided to go one step further and adopt a 32-hour week, with no restrictions on days or hours. Each employee is now free to organise his or her own working hours, as long as targets are met. The only collective requirement is that three hours a week are devoted to team meetings and training, to ensure cohesion and communication.
For Lumen’s CEO, this is above all an act of trust towards his employees. “I think we micro-manage our teams too much. There’s a false assumption that a certain type of schedule is the best route to productivity, but everyone is different”, he explains. This model is therefore based on key qualities: self-discipline, autonomy and organisational skills. It’s not for everyone, and some employees have not been able to adapt to this level of freedom. On the other hand, those who share the company’s values can find an optimal personal and professional balance.
A personalised daily routine
Despite this unprecedented flexibility, the majority of employees have kept to a traditional working pattern, making do with occasional adjustments – medical appointments, children’s schedules, sports sessions, etc. Others, like one employee mentioned by Nelmes, choose to work on Sundays, a day when they find it quieter and more concentrated. According to the manager, this flexibility is an asset for families. Fewer time constraints also mean less money spent on childcare, cleaning and extra-curricular activities. “If you allow your employees to be good parents, they will also be good employees”, he asserts.
The model is attractive, but not universal. It is aimed at service sector jobs that are compatible with teleworking and management by objectives: consultancies, marketing agencies, tech companies, etc. On the other hand, in sectors that require a continuous physical presence, such as the hotel industry, construction or industry, it remains inapplicable. Lumen is therefore proposing an example of radical flexibility, which could well redefine the contours of work in certain companies. Provided we make the right choice: that of trusting in employees who are capable of autonomy and commitment.
