Local company finds success with 4-day work week in response to pandemic shift

The 5-day, 40-hour workweek has been the standard for decades.

But the shifts brought about by the pandemic are prompting new talk that a four-day workweek may work.

In fact, a company in Rotterdam is attracting more employees with a new kind of flexibility. They believe that having that choice is the future for employees.

Thomas Pest Services is letting employees choose to clock in for four 10-hour days or five eight-hour days. They’re just one company hoping to meet employees’ desire for more personal time in the pandemic.

“As we’ve kind of gone through the pandemic and there’s been importance not only on mental health but on time at home, and developing personally, we said that the four-day was a great option,” said Megan Thomas, Director of Employee Experience. “It gives them more time to be home with their families or have doctor’s appointments that are so hard to get during the week.”

The company, which employs technicians who help homeowners and businesses get rid of bugs, first tested it out last fall.

“Our technician who beta tested it asked me never to take him off of it,” Thomas said.

For technician Zachary Hall, it means more time with his son.

“Being able to spend more time with my family gives me that extra down time so I’m more focused and alert while I’m out in the field working. Being that my son is three years old, it makes me smile,” he said.

About 60% of the team has decided to make the change. The official numbers aren’t in yet, but Thomas says so far it’s working for them.

“I think it’s something that the job market and employees are looking for across all industries,” she said.

In fact, the schedule has attracted new employees.

“Even from a hiring standpoint, we do place it in our job ads, and that’s the reason why people are gravitating towards it as well. So it’s that quality of life that I think people are craving whether they are with a current employer or looking. I think it’s where the world is going,” she said.