Wickes has become the latest retailer to offer staff a four-day work week as part of its new flexible working policy for store management.
The home improvement retailer said managers now have the option of working four longer days in-store or flexing their hours across the week to better suit their lifestyles.
The new policy has been rolled out across 230 stores nationwide and follows a successful six-month trial with flexible working consultancy Timewise in 14 of its stores.
Wickes said it found offering more flexibility to managers had no negative impact on store KPIs and 96.5% of store managers taking part in the trial were either satisfied or very satisfied with their working hours, up from 66.5% pre-pilot.
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The retailer’s chief people officer Sonia Astill said: “We are delighted to be giving the opportunity for our store management teams to explore flexible working options and busting the myth that managers in retail operations need to be on-site at all hours of the day.
“We have demonstrated that this just isn’t the case and that being open-minded about flexible working patterns can deliver significant benefits to both the company and colleagues.
“At Wickes we want our colleagues to feel at home and feel supported to be their authentic selves at work. Key to achieving this is a healthy work-life balance, allowing people to switch off from work and spend more time with friends and family.
“It is also a win-win for the business leading to higher levels of engagement, reduced turnover and the ability to attract and retain diverse talent. Ultimately, happy colleagues lead to happy customers and better overall company performance.”
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