Marvin OnumonuReboot Online reported a 1450% surge in searches for ‘reasons to call out of work’ over the past month.
Searches for four-day work week companies, 32-hour work week, work from home (WFH) side hustle, WFH jobs with no experience, and four-day working week in Scotland all rose by over 4,000%.
Shai Aharony, CEO at Reboot Online, said: “As the data shows, employees are increasingly seeking flexibility.
“Our fully remote, four-day work week means our team receive 100% of the pay for 80% of the time, in exchange for a commitment to achieve at least 100% productivity.”
Aharony said introducing flexible working policies and a nomad policy addressed employee demand for flexibility and also improved business outcomes.
Aharony added: “Since implementing our flexible and four-day workweek schemes, the revenue per employee rose by 133%, from £3,000 to £7,000, while overall business revenue increased by £2.1 million.
“Without even mentioning employee wellbeing and staff retention, the numbers speak for themselves.
“It’s been a huge success, and our employees love it. Inc. even recently reported that flexible companies grow 1.7x faster than those that demand staff in the office.”
He said: “We now receive over 40 job applications every week, and the quality of candidates is unmatched compared to what we saw before.
“It’s clear that people yearn for a flexible work-life balance, and the demand is continuing, with searches for four-day week companies increasing 5000% in the past 30 days.
“We also found that the average tenure at Reboot is now three years, while planned staff retention has risen from 63% to 94%, and the number of sick days has dropped to 1.1 per person, compared to the UK average of 4.4 days.”
Aharony noted that traditional workplace schedules have not kept up with what employees need, and that a four-day week allows staff time to properly unwind, handle personal tasks, work on side projects, and spend time with family.
He said this leads to employees being at their best and most productive, with 88% of staff reporting they can maintain productivity and manage their workload in four days.
He also noted that not everyone performs best on a traditional nine-to-five pattern.
In his view, creativity is crucial in the sector, and flexible hours allow staff to work when they are most productive, whether that means starting early or later in the day.
He said: “As a three-time winner of ‘Best Remote Working Initiative’ at the UK Company Culture Awards, we’ve been recognised for leading the way in flexible, people-first working.
“This kind of response reminds us that culture and performance don’t have to be a trade-off – they can (and should) go hand in hand.
“Traditional workplace schedules have failed to evolve with the diverse needs of employees.”
He added: “A four-day work week gives people the time they need to fully decompress after the working week, manage life admin, work on passion projects, and spend more time with their families. In our experience, this allows employees to show up as their happiest, most productive selves.
“Unsurprisingly, 88% of our employees say they’re able to maintain productivity and manage their workload across four days.
“Not all employees thrive on a traditional nine-to-five structure. In our industry, creativity is paramount and gives our staff the opportunity to work at times that best suit them.”
He said: “Whether that’s logging on at 7:30 am for the early risers, or waiting until later, flexible working hours give our employees the autonomy to work when they are the most productive.
“In today’s job market, providing flexible working policies as standard is essential for attracting and retaining top talent.
“Receiving hundreds of applications per month, our agency has become a desirable place to work as a result of our commitment to honouring employees’ unique needs and preferences, as well as highlighting the forward-thinking workplace culture.
“Not to mention, our average tenure is now three years and 94% of staff plan on sticking around, compared to 63% the year before.”
He added: “Return-to-office mandates and strict nine-to-five working policies ultimately exclude entire demographics, whether that’s parents who have young children, those with long commutes, or people with chronic conditions.
“Working in an office five days a week is not always feasible.
“The nomad policy at Reboot has also been utilised by team members who want to visit their family and home country – something they wouldn’t be able to do elsewhere.
“At Reboot, we’re striving to build and maintain a workplace culture that is inclusive of everyone, and offering flexible working plays a huge role in that.”
