Any jobs goin, lads?
An Irish company has introduced a four day week for its employees.
The ICE Group has committed to paying its staff the same rate for fewer days. Their headquarters are in Galway but they also have a number of offices around the country including bases in Sligo, Limerick and Dublin.
It says the aim of the three day weekend is to adopt more flexible ways of working to motivate, encourage and retain staff.
Margaret Cox Director of ICE Group in Galway says employees won't get a lower salary:
"Everybody will be paid for five days except they'll work four", she told iRadio.
The four days they do work will be slightly longer but Margaret says the team at ICE Group were more than happy to support that idea.
"While our day will be a little bit longer on the four days, everybody is more than willing to participate in the scheme and see it allowing them to be more productive"
"They see them allowed to deliver greater customer service to our clients, but really make a difference to their lives and the lives of their families and friends in terms of education, family life, taking up hobbies, et cetera."
"The amount of positivity we've received from both clients and from employees has been phenomenal and I've gotten so many emails saying, 'Can I get a job with you?', that obviously it's an indication of what people are looking for".
The ICE Group announced the three-day weekend to all staff at the end of May and Margaret added that it'll be up to the employees what way they want to work their new three-day weekend.
"We're still going to be open our normal office hours and then people decide do they work, Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday and have Friday, Saturday, Sunday off, or do they work Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday and have Saturday, Sunday, Monday off".
Does Margaret think a three-day weekend will become more common in Irish workplaces?
"We've seen some reports coming from New Zealand, a couple of companies in the UK and one or two companies in the States trial this.
What makes us unique in Ireland is I suppose we're pioneering it with the support of our employees. And I guess that's the first thing I'd say to everybody. Talk to your employees, make sure that they're involved from the very beginning".
