How can Smart Lockers help companies implement the four-day workweek?

The four-day workweek is still a relatively new concept but has gained immense popularity in recent years as more and more companies are beginning to trial it. The idea behind reduced days is to provide employees with a more flexible schedule for better work-life balance. 

The four-day work week typically involves employees working longer hours for four days and having the fifth day off. Advocates of the concept argue that it can improve employee productivity and job satisfaction while reducing stress and improving the well-being of employees.

Studies have suggested that a shorter working week can lead to higher creativity and increased productivity, as employees have more time for rest, relaxation, and personal pursuits.

Many companies have reported positive results after implementing a four-day week, which has been demonstrated in a recent 2022 UK trial, 86% of companies said that the trial was a huge success, and out of the 61 companies that participated, 56 are continuing the four day week (92%), with 18 confirming the policy is a permanent change.

This is just the beginning of this new adoption, with many other countries embracing and implementing this new way of working. In Belgium, a bill was passed on 21 November 2022, allowing employees to decide whether they wanted to work four or five days a week. Meanwhile, the four-day week in Iceland is now a norm, with nearly 90% of the working population having reduced hours or other accommodations.

However, there are also some challenges and potential drawbacks associated with a four-day workweek that companies should be aware of before they think about introducing it. The most common setbacks are increased stress during the four working days, decreased collaboration and communication between employees, and difficulties in scheduling and coordinating meetings and deadlines.

This is why it is vital that companies are still operating at an efficient and effective pace during this reduced period. One way to reduce these challenges is with a simple tool, which is implementing smart lockers.

The benefits of using smart lockers with the four-day work schedule are numerous and include:

• Access to equipment and supplies: Smart Lockers can securely store items such as laptops, phones, and other personal items when employees are not in the office. This can reduce the amount of clutter and distractions in the workplace and make it easier for employees to focus on their work while they are in the office. Employees can focus on their work during the four working days by providing a secure and convenient place to store personal items, reducing the stress and pressure to accomplish more in a shorter amount of time.

• Facilitating remote work and flexible scheduling: Smart lockers can ease remote work and flexible scheduling by providing employees with a secure and convenient way to access their work-related items, enabling access from anywhere, at any time, and making it much easier for employees to work from home or other remote locations.

• Streamlining the process of checking in and out of the office: With the ability to access their personal items using their smartphone or other connected device, employees can check in and out of the office more quickly and easily, reducing the stress associated with carrying all of their belongings with them at all times.

The four-day working week provides a new and dynamic approach that many businesses want to adopt. It offers many benefits for employees and creates a work environment that is rewarding and centred around employee wellbeing.

Yet, it is important that companies carefully consider the specific needs and requirements of the workplace before implementing this model. Intelligent lockers are a useful tool that enables ample benefits such as improved security, reduced storage needs, flexibility and convenience, which are crucial when a company is considering introducing the four-day working week.