Morrisons became one of the first major UK retailers to introduce a four day week for its employees at its Bradford head office back in 2020.
However, last month it revealed that it was adjusting its policy and moving staff onto a four and a half day working week instead.
As one retailer pulls back, Retail Gazette rounds up the retailers offering its employees a shorter working week.
Wickes
Wickes became the latest retailer to introduce a four day work week option for store management as part of its new flexible working policy last month.
The home improvement retailer is offering its managers the choice of working four longer days in-store or flexing their hours across the week.
It follows a successful six-month trial with flexible working consultancy Timewise in 14 of its stores.
Wickes said it found giving 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.
Asda
Asda is currently trialling a four day working week.
The Telegraph reported last month that the supermarket chain was testing the compressed week among other flexible working policies after management raised concerns over a rise in turnover among retail managers in 2022.
In a presentation, seen by the publication, Asda said it is actively advocating a “case for change” among store managers as the rate of attrition has “impacted the stability and capability of our teams in store which in turn has impacted the colleague experience and by extension our customers”.
However, Asda insists that the four-day week came as a result of flexible working having become “commonplace in retail leadership in recent years”.
A spokesperson said: “We are keen to test and learn different ways of working that benefit our colleagues and business. While we are still evaluating the results of this trial, the feedback from participating colleagues has been very positive.”
M&S
M&S introduced compressed working weeks for its retail managers back at the start of 2023.
The retailer’s flexible working offering – Worklife – is designed to help its workforce achieve a better work-life balance and to help it with attracting new staff.
M&S Group HR director Sarah Findlater told Retail Gazette last year that the response from colleagues had been “fantastic”, adding that even staff that have opted to stick to their usual working pattern appreciate having the choice.
“We’re also finding that especially for those colleagues with caring responsibilities, either looking after elderly parents or young children, the flexibility is making a real difference,” she added.
Sainsbury’s
Sainsbury’s has given some staff the option of working four days a week as part of its flexible working policy.
While it’s not a once-size fits all approach, the supermarket’s employees based at its head offices in Holborn, Coventry and Milton Keynes, as well as its warehouses, and store managers have the option of working a shorter week to suit their habits.
Sainsbury’s CEO Simon Roberts said its “smarter working” policy has “really worked” for the business.
“We haven’t issued instructions about this, what we’ve said is how does it work for you to work smarter across all locations we have and the way that you need to get things done.”
“People are more trusted and feel empowered, and take the decisions that they need to take to get their their work done. And so, it’s really worked for us.”
Dunelm
Dunelm started trialling the four day working week across its head office last March.
The homewares retailer is still trialling the policy and other flexible working initiatives for head office staff after reporting improvements in team productivity and performance, as well as job satisfaction and increased mental health.
Superdry
Superdry introduced a four day week option to its full-time store staff across all its UK and Ireland stores back in October 2022.
The fashion retailer first trialled the practice within five of its UK stores in February of that year, and rolled it out to another 15 in June, offering its team members, including those in leadership roles to work their contracted hours over four days instead of five.
Former Superdry people director Cathryn Petchey told Retail Gazette last year that introducing the scheme at store level required a “little more effort” than head office given the hands-on of store roles.
She added that in some cases managers would be working longer than the shop’s opening hours but this allowed them “a bit more time [to work] behind the scenes”.
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