The four-day working week will only work in some industries and is not right for all businesses, employers have been warned.
While trials of the arrangement have mostly been successful across the UK, with 92% of participants continuing with the pattern, Banner believes it may not be the right solution for every company.
The workplace supplies provider suggested that even if a four-day working week is plausible in theory, it may depend on the specific type adopted by organisations. This is despite those taking part in the trail seeing average revenue increases of 35% and a 57% reduction in the number of employees leaving the company over six months.
Alex Winstanley, head of new business at Banner, said: “The world of work has always been resistant to change, but the pandemic showed us what was possible thanks to technology that enables hybrid and home working.
“The four-day working week is an exciting idea for most workers, and potentially a bit scary for business owners. But the results of trials all around the world, and in the UK, have shown it can have a positive impact on productivity, staff wellbeing, and retention.
“But there is a big difference between a fixed four-day work week in which an entire company is closed on, say, a Friday, or a hybrid-style four-day work week in which each employee has a different day of the traditional working week off. Both approaches have merit, and equally won’t be appropriate for everyone.
“Either way, businesses need to consider it very carefully because one issue with the four-day work week is that, once implemented, it will be very hard to undo without negatively impacting morale. It needs an intelligent approach.”
Winstanley highlighted the industries where a fixed four-day working week would be inappropriate include logistics and other sectors with time-based performance, retail and hospitality, emergency services and all other sectors that involve 24-hour access, and international traders and businesses where working hours need international communication and cooperation.
