Is South Africa ready for a 4-day work week? Well, many businesses are signing up for this revolutionary way of looking at work!
Johannesburg, South Africa (28 November 2022) – South African businesses are signing up for the 4 Day Week SA Pioneer Pilot, the country’s first-ever trial of the four-day week – due to kick off in February 2023.
Interested parties now have more time to get on board, with the deadline for sign-up to the pioneer pilot extended and a second pilot planned in 2023.
IQbusiness, South Africa’s largest management and technology consulting firm, last week took the lead in announcing its participation in the pioneer pilot, running from February – July 2023.
“Trialling the four-day week and the data behind it is something every leader needs to seriously consider in their business. A reduction in working hours has been proven to increase business productivity and improve employee health outcomes while working towards building a more sustainable working environment. This offers people the time and solitude to simultaneously build stronger families and communities while remaining fulfilled and successful at work. Our participation in South Africa’s pilot is going to be enhanced by the supervision of respected experts at the Stellenbosch Business School as we boldly embrace the future of business,” says Adam Craker, CEO of IQbusiness (SA’s largest management and technology consulting firm).
Other forward-thinking companies that have joined the trial include full-service market research and insights consultancy – KLA; web design and development company – Big Beard Web Solutions; business change makers – Semco Style Institute South Africa; career strategist Licia Dewing and cloud-based financial solutions provider – Valuesmart Business Solutions.
3Verse becomes the first advertising agency to take the leap along with digital marketing agency – Social Happiness. Business Consulting firm – The OMG; social impact planning and measurement company – Social Impact Insights; managed IT solutions provider – EntruTech; innovative accounting and business advisory firm Intigrate Business Solutions and Nkwali Compliance Consultants have also signed up to become four-day week pioneers.
The deadline for signing up for the pioneer pilot has been extended to 15 January 2023. Karen Lowe, Director of 4 Day Week SA, says there will be a two-week intensive onboarding to get participants ready for a February start to the trial.
With growing interest in a reduced-hour working week, a second pilot is being planned to start in May 2023.
“Smaller companies and those in the professional services sector are generally the early trialists of a four-day week because it’s easier for them to make big changes. But we are here to help all sizes of companies, across different industry sectors, take a carefully imagined approach to adopt this new way of working. We are actively recruiting for the second pilot – providing further opportunity for organisations wanting to be part of this groundbreaking workplace experiment,” says Lowe.
The deadline for signing up for the second pilot is 28 February 2023.
Research findings from trials across the globe are making a clear case for the four-day week. Midway through the trial currently being run in the United Kingdom, most participating companies say they have seen no loss of productivity during the experiment and in some cases, have seen a significant improvement. Positive results from trials run in Ireland and the United States (US) are expected to be released at the end of November.
South African pilot participants will test out a new way of working recognised as a way of supporting and empowering workers, enhancing organisational productivity, and having a positive impact on societies and the environment. It is based on the 100-80-100™ model which prescribes 100% of the pay, 80% of the time, in exchange for a commitment to delivering 100% of the output. They will be supported by 4 Day Week Global, the experts running trials all over the world, in collaboration with 4 Day Week SA, a growing base of South African entities getting behind the four-day week as a key component of the future of work.
All those interested in being part of this experiment can do so by clicking here.
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