The reduction in working hours continues to fuel debate. While many countries are experimenting with the four-day week, one British company is going one step 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, initially tested a four-day working 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 constraints 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, it is above all an act of trust towards his employees. “I think we micro-manage our teams too much. We wrongly assume 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.
I think the idea of a four-day workweek is intriguing, but going to seven days seems excessive. Balance is key!
Its 32 hours spread over 4 days. So you could work 4.7 every day, or 4 days for 8 hours a day, or anything combo in between
If you’re working 7 days a week, you’re either not a parent or a really shitty one and I feel bad for your kids. They should probably be taken away from you.
I think the four-day workweek is a great start, but I agree with the employees that a seven-day workweek would allow for even more flexibility and work-life balance. It’s interesting to see how different companies are approaching this!
I think the idea of a seven-day workweek is interesting! While a four-day week is a great start, it seems like people are craving even more flexibility. It would be fascinating to see how productivity and work-life balance could evolve with such a change!
-day workweek could really help with work-life balance. Employees might feel less stressed and more productive
I’m sorry, but there are a very long history of why a seven day work week is not a good thing
yeah but places like ours thats constantly short staffed and get deliveries as well send out food products would never switch