Retirement income planning firm Chancery Lane has switched to a four-day working week in order to support its employees with family commitments and responsibilities.
Under the new working structure, the firm’s financial planners and wealth managers will be contracted to work from Monday to Thursday, while retaining their previous salaries. It has given all staff the same day off due to the fact that they discuss and share client information with each other, so it is key for everyone to be in the office at the same time.
The organisation made the decision to move to a four-day week as part of its aim to help its employees, most of whom are parents and grandparents, to take family time.
Doug Brodie, chief executive officer of Chancery Lane, said: “We appreciate that our own employees who are parents need time during the week for parenting, and that those who are grandparents like to spend time with grandkids or help with childcare. We recognise that having three days off over the weekend is beneficial, so as long as people organise their work, then we don’t have a problem with it.
“There is the old adage that the time needed for work is directly correlated to the amount of time available, so we want to use that to everyone’s advantage over the four days, but with no compromise on client service. The age group we focus on for recruiting frequently have family responsibilities they’d like to fulfil, either a day a week spent looking after grandkids, on school duty, or perhaps visiting a vulnerable relative. So, to have and hold the best advisers in the right age group for our clients we also want to ensure they are happy and supported too.”