Highgate IT Solutions trials four-day working week

Over the past couple of years, even before the pandemic accelerated the debate, there have been several suggestions made to improve the quality of life for citizens.

Big concepts such as universal income and a four-day working week were being looked at before everyone was forced to work from home during Covid, which has further prompted discussion on the future of the structure of labour.

The channel is not immune from these changes, and Highgate IT Solutions has become one of the first to trial a four-day working week.

The firm is preparing to run a trial over the next quarter with things getting underway with a UK pilot starting in June, with the business operating a 100:80:100 model, with the VAR committing to 100% pay for 80% of the time, in return for 100% productivity.

Highgate has charted the experiences of those that have made a switch to the model, with it leading to improved productivity and higher profits.

“The past two years have been challenging for lots of us in many ways. It has provided us with new perspectives on life and emphasised the importance of two key areas – employee wellbeing and the value of time,” said Bob Sahota, sales director at Highgate.

“For me, Highgate is more than a business or brand. It is our ever-evolving vision of what a harmonious work/life balance should look like, one without stress, pressure or anxiety. One that enables people to become the best version of themselves, inside and outside of work. By moving to a four-day week, we are giving everyone back the most valuable thing in life – time.

“There are plenty of potential commercial benefits of moving to a four-day week including increased revenue, increased productivity, lower staff turnover and attracting new talent, but none of them are our motivator for this.

“When you build a business focused purely on increasing turnover and profit by any means necessary, you can lose sight of what is really important, and for us the journey is more important than the destination.

“Employee wellbeing and their mental health is the keystone of our business, and I strongly believe that a four-day week that consists of 28 hours will improve all of our lives,” he said.

He added that customers would not be affected by the move to a four-day week because the time off would be staggered across the team so there were no gaps in support coverage.

“It is very important to us that we continue to deliver the high level of service to our customers that they are used to,” said Sahota.

Charlotte Lockhart, founder of The 4 Day Week Global, said that the idea of changing working patterns was becoming more widely accepted.

“We have passed the tipping point with the four-day week and reduced hours working. The leadership at Highgate have recognised that this is the way forward, and we congratulate them and wish them all the best for their trial. We’re looking forward to following their journey,” she said.