Joel McCauley, the co-owner of Slunks salon in Cardiff, has been letting staff work a four day week, with no pay reduction, since March 2020 when the pandemic hit.
All of his full-time employees work four-day weeks for the same amount of money and his part-time staff members have had pay rises.
He told WalesOnline "This is simply a better, healthier way of working. I genuinely think we aren’t meant to work full-time – how many people do you know who are constantly overworked and unhappy about it?"
He is urging others to do the same as he claims he's seen the benefits in his team, with them having more energy and seeing a boost in productivity.
"When you have more time you can think about life in a different way. At work you’re likely to have more energy and fewer non-productive days. Outside work you can be a better person, a better parent, a better member of the community." he said.
One of his staff members Chelsea said "It’s sad that society has got to the point where people feel like they’re working to live. Time is precious – I really hope other workplaces follow and we can all start leading a more balanced life.”
We couldn't agree more.
Another staff member said "I’m more motivated at work and I enjoy work a lot more. I’m not so tired and stressed which makes me feel better and I feel really positive at work and makes me want to do more".
McCauley opened his own salon business more than a decade ago and was intent on doing things differently. He set out a long-term plan to move to a shorter working week, which was accelerated due to COVID and how the virus changed the business world.
A four day week sounds like EXACTLY what we need right now!
OUR HERO 🙌
