BC Unclaimed has adopted a four-day work week

January 22, 2025

In August 2023 BC Unclaimed started a four-day work week pilot. Initially intended to last only six months, it was extended to twelve to get a better dataset to assess the pilot’s outcome. We’re here to report back that we are continuing our four-day work week, and we’d like to share what we learned during the trial and why we made the switch.

Approach

There are a few ways a modified or four-day work week can be implemented by an organization. BC Unclaimed chose to adopt a staggered work week approach to ensure our operating hours and availability to our claimants and holders was unchanged. During the pilot, staff worked four, eight-hour days either Monday to Thursday, or Tuesday through Friday, for a total of 32 hours a week. Service to the public remained available from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Monday through Friday. Staff also completed three hours of professional development time monthly.

Goals

To consider the pilot a success we wanted to see increased employee engagement and satisfaction, fewer staff absences and better employee retention, along with either maintaining or improving work output and productivity. To meet these goals, we knew we’d have to change the way we worked, not just how many hours. Before beginning the pilot we identified procedures and policies that could be streamlined. Some changes that worked for us were reducing meetings in length and frequency, creating a staff schedule that allowed for more uninterrupted work times, and setting targets to monitor productivity.

Outcome

Our staff’s feedback on the pilot was overwhelmingly positive. Staff reported they felt happier, healthier, better rested, able to be more present with their families and community, and in turn could be more productive at work. Our employees’ self-reported increased productivity was proven in our stats too; we saw increased or maintained productivity in almost all aspects of our work. The three hours of dedicated learning time introduced during the pilot was appreciated by staff because it allowed them to grow their expertise and deepen the value they can add to the organization.

What we learned and why we’re sharing our success

Switching to a modified work week is an acknowledgement that our organization’s success is not determined by the numbers of hours our staff work per week; it’s having staff show up healthy, well-rested, and engaged that matters most. We also learned success is achieved through listening, learning, and continuously evolving to make sure we’re meeting the needs of the public and achieving our operational goals. We’re sharing our success because we’d love to see more organizations join us. We know every organization’s approach and journey will be different, but we hope BC Unclaimed can inspire other teams to consider how they can adopt a modified work week too. Giving people more time to engage with their family and community won’t only improve your organization’s productivity, but it’s a vital steppingstone to creating a healthier and happier society, and ideally a brighter future for us all.

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