Law firm says staff are fitter, happier, more productive after switch to four-day week
Jim Cosgriff, pictured working remotely in Vietnam, wants to switch to a four-day work week himself. (Supplied: Jim Cosgriff)
In short:
Employers and job seekers are exploring alternative ways of working including a four-day work week and five-hour work days.
A law firm in regional Victoria has recorded increased productivity and improved staff wellbeing since it permanently transitioned to a four-day work week about a year ago.
What's next?
Employers are encouraged to consider how working hours can be made more flexible for their own business.
As the founder and director of a law firm, Jim Cosgriff is no stranger to long hours spent toiling in the office.
But after witnessing his staff reap the rewards of a four-day work week, along with the benefits to the business's bottom line and productivity, he wants to make the switch himself.
While work for many people was meaningful and enjoyable, Mr Cosgriff said there was also a whole life outside of the hustle that was equally fulfilling.
"On our deathbed we're not going to wish that we'd spent more time at work," he said.
Happier, more productive employees
The business in Echuca trialled a four-day work week where staff worked 34 hours across four days but were paid for a full 38-hour, five-day week for about six months last year.
The trial went so swimmingly that the firm's team of 12 all opted to permanently shift to the working arrangement.
About a year down the track the benefits were clear.
Despite working one less day during the week, staff were more productive.
Jim Cosgriff and Skye Engwerda are directors at an Echuca law firm where staff work a four-day week. (Supplied: Cosgriff Lawyers)
Mr Cosgriff said multiple KPIs at the business had improved, measured by budgets and the amount of work completed by staff, and the number of sick or personal leave days taken by staff had halved.
Even though people still took the odd sick or mental health day, he took this reduction as a positive sign that his staff's overall wellbeing had improved.
"Happy employees are more productive. But more importantly, happy people are really fun to work with," Mr Cosgriff said.
A five-hour work day
The four-day work week is not the only option being explored by firms both in Australia and around the world.
Balancing a standard work day and family life, including school and childcare, was a logistical nightmare many working parents were familiar with.
It was this struggle that led UK-based friends Emma Harvey and Amy Grilli to create the Five Hour Careers job board.
Emma Harvey and Amy Grilli help parents maintain their career between school runs. (Supplied: Five Hour Club)
It was a first of its kind, offering five-hour work day roles specifically for parents to apply for.
The women said the idea had been embraced by parents and employers, including in Australia.
Several local employers were part of the job board, together with a large pool of parents seeking a role with a five-hour work day.
The idea came about after the pair's eldest children started school in 2023.
Ms Grilli's social post discussing the challenges faced by parents returning to work went viral. (Supplied: Amy Grilli)
Ms Grilli struggled to return to work after a five-year gap caring for them, and only being available during school hours.
"When looking for school-hour jobs I noticed that most were advertised as being 'full-time with flexible working' — meaning I would have to ask for the hours that I needed to fit around the childcare I had, or 'part-time flexible' were often low-paid and low-skilled jobs," Ms Grilli said.
It was a similar story for Ms Harvey who struggled to return to teaching and ended up embarking on a new career.
The women said maintaining a career around typical nine-to-five work day hours was becoming increasingly difficult for parents given the lack of affordable childcare and the inflexibility of standard work hours.
Ms Harvey designed a careers platform providing more flexibility for working parents. (Supplied: Emma Harvey)
"It's all about transparency," Ms Harvey said.
"The reason we are asking employers to create five-hour work days, and not just flexible work for parents, is that we know being vague in a job post creates barriers when applying for jobs."
Golf, time with the grandkids
Aside from increased productivity and staff wellbeing, Mr Cosgriff expected the perks of a four-day work week to help with recruitment and retention of staff as it offered a point of difference to other workplaces.
For any business owners or managers considering trying a four-day work week themselves, Mr Cosgriff advised people to be thoroughly prepared, regularly review and, crucially, listen to feedback from staff.
"All work places are different. What will work at IBM is completely different to what might work for a three or four-person business," he said.
The next step is to see whether Mr Cosgriff, alongside fellow firm director Skye Engwerda, could also transition to a four-day work week as a leader of the busy business.
If he could make it work he said he would opt to get stuck into chores and more time with his grandchildren.
"Perhaps I'd hit the golf ball a bit more often. Or sit in the backyard and read a book," Mr Cosgriff said.