Did you know Henry Ford introduced the 5-day week in 1922, giving people the weekend off? Before then it was commonplace to work 6-day weeks. But productivity improvements in manufacturing allowed the car company to succeed with fewer hours worked. By 1932 the whole of the US had adopted 5-day weeks.
So, it only feels natural in 2023, with a century of technology improvements behind us since Ford’s decision, to question whether 5-day weeks are still the best?
What is a 9-Day fortnight?
A 9-day fortnight is a working week where each employee has every second Friday off work. This is accomplished by working the first five days of the first week, and Monday to Thursday of the second week.
Benefits of a 9 day fortnight:
🌸Better mental health and wellness: Implementing a 9-day fortnight working pattern will greatly improve the mental health and wellness of your employees. Our employees love it when they have an additional day to travel, do groceries or spend time with their loved ones
🌸Increased productivity levels: The majority of companies that have implemented a 9-day fortnight reported that they had an overall increase in productivity. Us included!
PLACE Lab has been offering a 9-day fortnight to all employees for the past 2 years – with no reduction of pay or compressed hours! All staff have approached this new way of working with immense positivity! 🎉
