publishedJuly 2, 2022 at 9:02 p.m
The 4-day week model is becoming increasingly popular. Wittwer Metallbau AG was one of the first companies in Switzerland to introduce the new working model at the beginning of 2022. However, unforeseeable problems now make implementation impossible.
There are more and more reports from companies that only work four days. The 4-day week promises many advantages. In this work model, the employees only work four days a week, but the additional day off means that the employees are better organized and more efficient – at least that is the hope.
IT-Firmen or many offices want to increase their efficiency. But gastronomy and craft companies also see it as a way to create more attractive working conditions.
More attractive working conditions once morest a shortage of skilled workers
For example, Nicole Wittwer, owner of Wittwer Metallbau AG and Stahlplan GmbH in Adligenswil (LU) and Pries Metall- und Glasbau AG in Sins (AG). Although the 4-day week is not very common in the skilled trades, the model was adopted in all three companies. “It was important to us that we do it together – so that everyone sees each other as a team,” explains the business owner.
In September and October 2021, for example, the metal construction companies had started working four to four and a half days on a trial basis. After a short optimization phase, they then started the pilot project in January 2022.
Wittwer explained in the spring to «central plus»: «Actually, it is a 90 percent workload that is completed in four days. We’ve shortened the 41-hour week to a 37-hour week. We gave a lot of thought to how we might work more efficiently.” During this time, the team now worked nine hours and 15 minutes a day – it used to be almost 8.5 hours.
Attempt aborted for now
“At the end of May, we decided as a team to work regularly on five days once more,” announces Nicole Wittwer. There are many reasons for this: “We had various staff shortages. That will always happen and we would normally be able to deal with it. But now so many came together that it was no longer possible to plan customer orders on time.» As before, the focus is on the orders being carried out to the full satisfaction of the customers, Wittwer continues.
When you have ten percent less time, everything has to go incredibly well.
There were also major, unforeseeable problems that made planning even more difficult. Due to the difficult economic situation and the war in Ukraine, material, raw material and transport prices are increasing.
“The prices change from week to week. We are still an SME and if you have ten percent less time, everything has to go incredibly well,” explains Wittwer.
“I think we’re on the right track”
«We are constantly revising our processes and developing our tools further so that we can work as closely as possible. We really want to implement the 4-day week and are also confident. The team was well informed at all times and therefore supports the suspension well. I think we’re on the right track, but we’ll have to look further at the end of the summer,” concludes Nicole Wittwer.
Even if the implementation is still lacking, it is to be expected that other companies will follow the Wittwers’ example. Because also numerous studies prove that a 4-day week increases employee productivity.
