Would offering employees two Fridays off each month heighten your employee experience?
In an era defined by innovation and shifting workplace expectations, it’s important to keep seeking ways to enhance productivity, improve employee wellbeing, and attract talent to your business.
One trend that continues to gain significant traction is the nine-day fortnight. This working pattern, which differs to the four-day working week, has sparked interest as a potential win-win solution for both businesses and employees.
What is a nine-day fortnight?
The nine-day fortnight is a flexible working arrangement where employees work slightly longer days over a two-week period, allowing them to take one day off every two weeks without reducing their total working hours.
Unlike the four-day workweek, the nine-day fortnight maintains the traditional five-day workweek for one week and condenses work hours into four days during the second week – which is becoming an increasingly popular request from the workforce.
How to calculate a nine-day fortnight
To calculate what hours your employees should work in a nine-day fortnight you will need to:
Calculate weekly hours: establish how many hours your employee is contracted to work each week.
Calculate fortnightly hours: multiply the weekly contracted hours by two to determine the total hours your employee should work over a two-week (fortnight) period.
Calculate daily hours in the nine-day pattern: divide the total fortnightly hours by nine to figure out how many hours your employee needs to work each day in a nine-day fortnight.
For a standard 40-hour workweek, an employee would need to work approximately 8.89 hours, or eight hours and 54 minutes each day over the nine days of the fortnight.
The pros and cons of the nine-day working fortnight
Flexibility
Pro: It’s no real surprise that flexibility is still highly valued among employees, and the nine-day fortnight could be a good middle ground for employers who are not able to implement a four-day week.
Con: That said, not all employees may want to adopt this way of working. Childcare responsibilities, commuting constraints, or existing work patterns may mean the nine-day working fortnight won’t suit everyone. However, offering a nine-day fortnight as an opt-in benefit rather than a mandatory policy can help address these concerns.
Productivity
Pro: When shifting to a nine-day fortnight, the most important metric to consider is productivity. Employees working on a condensed schedule often become more focused and efficient – trying to complete tasks in a shorter timeframe to keep on top of their workload. On-demand HR advice and software business, CharlieHR, who successfully implemented a nine-day fortnight for its 50 members of staff in 2022, saw an 11% increase in productivity when evaluating its impact.
As the old saying goes, happier workers are more productive workers.
Con: To compensate for the extra day off, employees will need to work longer hours on the days they are working, which could lead to fatigue, decreased productivity towards the end of the day, and a tendency for people to work even longer to ensure all tasks are completed. Due to this, employees might feel an increased workload on their working days and could lead to burnout if not managed properly.
Mental health and wellbeing
Pro: The promise of an extra day off every two weeks can significantly boost morale, helping employees achieve a better work-life balance and focus on the four types of rest – mental, physical, social and spiritual. Ben Gateley, CEO and Co-Founder of CharlieHR, outlined one of the main reasons for implementing the working pattern across his business was to continue investing “in the wellbeing of our team.”
That extra day off can help recharge batteries, while employees who feel their time is valued are more likely to exhibit loyalty and motivation, resulting in reduced turnover rates. The additional day off can act as a reward – allowing staff to relax, unwind, or take an extra day to pursue personal interests.
Con: The extended hours required to fit 10 days of work into nine could potentially create added stress for employees. Longer workdays could be mentally exhausting, reducing overall job satisfaction, meaning it is key to ensure staff take regular breaks and prioritise their mental health.
Talent acquisition and retention
Pro: Flexible working arrangements are still increasingly sought after by the workforce, particularly the younger generation of workers who prioritise work-life balance. According to our salary guide survey, where we heard from 5,000 UK workers, the majority of professional cited hybrid as a benefit they highly value – showing there’s still a real appetite for flexible working patterns.
Offering a nine-day fortnight can differentiate your organisation from competitors – positioning it as forward-thinking and employee-focused. It could be a key differentiator when hiring and, just as importantly, retaining talent.
Con: From a talent attraction perspective, the nine-day working fortnight seems to tick all the boxes. Adding it to your benefits package could be a great way to stand out from the competition. It is worth remembering that while some potential hires might appreciate the extra day off, others might prefer a more traditional schedule or other forms of flexibility – such as early start and finish times. Speak to your employees to gain a deeper understanding of whether the nine-day working fortnight would work for them.
How to successfully implement a nine-day working fortnight
To successfully introduce a nine-day fortnight working pattern into your workplace, there needs to be a balance between operational needs and the wellbeing considerations of your team.
Here are some steps to ensure a seamless transition:
Assess suitability: determine whether your business operations and employee roles are compatible with this form of work schedule. This involves consulting department heads, analysing workflows, and considering client expectations.
Consult with stakeholders and decision makers: the University of Aberdeen emphasises the importance of involving employees and any relevant unions in the decision-making process in order to address any concerns and ensure the scheme meets both operational needs and personal preferences. Gather input and address any issues or concerns can to help gauge interest and identify potential challenges. For the initiative to succeed, senior leadership must be fully committed.
Implement a trial period: a pilot phase can help identify potential hurdles and allow for adjustments before a full rollout is made. It’s important to collect feedback to understand employee satisfaction and the impact on productivity. A trial, conducted by Public Practice, showed that reducing working hours by 10% without a salary cut can maintain productivity levels while enhancing work-life balance.
Set a clear policy: develop a comprehensive policy that details the implementation of the schedule, including:
Standard working hours for the extended days.
The scheduling of non-working days (e.g., every other Friday or Monday).
Guidelines for handling workload distribution and deadlines.
Exceptions for roles that cannot adopt the pattern.
Monitor and evaluate: during and after the pilot phase, track key metrics such as productivity, absenteeism, and employee satisfaction. Solicit feedback regularly and be prepared to make adjustments based on your findings.
The Employment Relations (Flexible Working) Bill, which received Royal Assent in July 2023, allows employees the right to request flexible working arrangements from their first day of employment, and companies are obligated to at least consider each request. In this scenario, you may find the nine-day working fortnight may give you a workable option to offer your employees the flexibility they need.
If you do decide that this working pattern is right for your organisation as a whole, highlight the fact you offer it as a workplace benefit in your employer branding efforts and this will become a top selling point for your organisation.
If you’re looking for your next hire, get in touch with your local specialist recruiter today.
