Scottish firms Jerba Campervans and Complete Clarity Solicitors latest to move to four-day week

New working week aims to boost work-life balance

Two Scottish companies are the latest to have adopted a four-day week.

A Glasgow-headquartered law firm has made the move – in what it says is a trailblazing move for the legal sector.

Complete Clarity Solicitors and Simplicity Legal are currently trialling a condensed week whereby staff are on station for a similar number of hours, but can take Mondays or Fridays off. Instead of working five days a week 9am to 5pm, staff can now work from 8am to 6pm from Tuesday to Thursday and from 8am to 5pm on either Monday or Friday, creating a full day off.

Emma King, who co-founded the firm with Billy Smith 14 years ago, said: “So far, the response has been overwhelmingly positive. Of the 31 staff eligible to opt in to the scheme, 22 have taken up the option of joining – that’s 71 per cent of the workforce. It doesn’t suit everybody, but from a business perspective it also allows us to enhance client services by offering extended opening hours."

She also cited a recent Law Society report revealing that 42 per cent of lawyers had considered leaving the profession for reasons other than retirement – and 45 per cent said they aspired to a better work/life balance.

Meanwhile, North Berwick-based Jerba Campervans has moved its entire 15-strong workforce to the new shorter working week without any loss in pay – saying it is the first automotive company to make such a move and as part of the 4 Day Week Campaign.

The employee-owned company is now closed on Saturdays, Sundays and Mondays, with staff working an extra hour a day from Tuesday to Friday, reducing the official working week to 34 hours from 37.5. The firm’s co-founder Simon Poole said: “We believe this will have wide-ranging benefits for our staff and our business.”

Complete Clarity Solicitors and Simplicity Legal co-founders Billy Smith and Emma King. Picture: contributed.

It is the third company with a presence in Scotland to join the the 4 Day Week Campaign programme, and 92 per cent of all companies that have taken part have continued operating a four-day week. Joe Ryle, director of the 4 Day Week Campaign, said: “Congratulations to Jerba Campervans who have recognised that the four-day week with no loss of pay improves productivity, and is a win-win for both workers and employers.”