'A happy employee is a good employee': Windsor, Ont. company transitions to four-day work week to improve work-life balance
Local cleaning company Men in Kilts is transitioning to a four-day work week in hopes of improving employee retention and satisfaction.
“One thing that COVID may have taught us is that mental health is a big factor. A happy employee is a good employee,” said franchise owner, Ben Snow.
Instead of working eight hour days, five days a week, employees at Men in Kilts will work longer hours during the four days.
The compressed schedule will allow workers to spend more time with loved ones and improve work-life balance.
“A lot of them have kids so they'll be able to save a little bit of money on daycare,” said Snow.
He said as long as the jobs are done, there will no reduction in pay.
“We pay what we call ‘performance pay.’ We give them a percentage of the job. So the better of a job they do, the safer and faster of a job they do, the more they'll get paid,” Snow explained.
From a business standpoint, Snow expects their bottom line to take a hit but believes profits will be made in the long run.
“On the back end, we'll see an increase in retention. I've read it cost 30 per cent of an employee's annual salary to rehire,” he said. “If we have to constantly rehire, that should be negated a bit.”
More and more bosses are thinking like Snow.
According a recent survey by recruitment firm Robert Half, 91 per cent of senior managers would support a four-day work week for their team.
Nearly seven out of 10 managers also anticipate their company will transition to a shorter working week within the next five years.
“The cost of hire is exceptionally high and the time it takes is approaching 13 to 14 weeks,” said Michael French, national director of Robert Half. “If you can keep your people in the seat and doing well, you're going to be miles ahead of your competitors who may be struggling with some of these very progressive ideas.”
The CEO of the Windsor-Essex Regional Chamber of Commerce points out this model is not a one-size-fits-all and won’t work for every sector.
“What happens to the wages? Who picks up the tab? Is it the employer or the employee?” Chamber CEO, Rakesh Naidu questioned. “There are many things that need to be discussed.”
Naidu said the shortened week may not be suitable for many in the local auto industry.
“The supply chain is very synchronized and is mostly dictated by the original equipment manufacturer. When Ford, General Motors or Stellantis operates a five day work week, the supply chain will have to work similarly,” Naidu explained.
Men in Kilts is actively hiring for home maintenance technicians. Interested candidates can apply online.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Harvey Weinstein's 2020 rape conviction overturned by N.Y. appeals court
New York's highest court on Thursday overturned Harvey Weinstein's 2020 rape conviction, reversing a landmark ruling of the #MeToo era in determining the trial judge improperly allowed women to testify about allegations against the ex-movie mogul that weren't part of the case.
BREAKING Honda to get up to $5B in govt help for EV battery, assembly plants
Honda is set to build an electric vehicle battery plant next to its Alliston, Ont., assembly plant, which it is retooling to produce fully electric vehicles, all part of a $15-billion project that is expected to include up to $5 billion in public money.
MPP Sarah Jama asked to leave Ontario legislature for wearing keffiyeh
MPP Sarah Jama was asked to leave the Legislative Assembly of Ontario by House Speaker Ted Arnott on Thursday for wearing a keffiyeh, a garment that is banned at Queen’s Park.
CTE: Researchers believe widespread brain injury may contribute to veteran suicide rate
Researchers are working to better understand if some Canadian military veterans may be suffering from Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy, also known as CTE -- a disorder previously found in the brains of professional football and hockey players after their death.
1 arrested in northern Alberta during public shelter order
Residents of John D'Or Prairie, a community on the Little Red River Cree Nation in northern Alberta, were told to take shelter Thursday morning during a police operation.
Secret $70M Lotto Max winners break their silence
During a special winner celebration near their hometown, Doug and Enid shared the story of how they discovered they were holding a Lotto Max ticket worth $70 million and how they kept this huge secret for so long.
Remains from a mother-daughter cold case were found nearly 24 years later, after a deathbed confession from the suspect
A West Virginia father is getting some sense of closure after authorities found the remains of his young daughter and her mother following a deathbed confession from the man believed to have fatally shot them nearly two decades ago.
New deep-water channel allows first ship to pass Key bridge wreckage in Baltimore
The first cargo ship passed through a newly opened deep-water channel in Baltimore on Thursday after being stuck in the harbor since the Francis Scott Key Bridge collapsed four weeks ago, halting most maritime traffic through the city's port.
First in Canada procedure performed at London, Ont. hospital
A London man has become the first person in Canada to receive a robotic assisted surgery on his spine. Dave Myeh suffered from debilitating, chronic back pain that led to sciatica in his right now and extreme pain in his lower back.