This week the Scottish Trade Union Congress (STUC) enlisted its support for a four-day, weekly policy, prompting us to wonder how this could affect employee incomes and personal budgets.
Glasgow-based charity Advice Direct Scotland (ADS), which runs Scotland’s national advisory service consulting.scot, introduced a four-day workweek for all employees in 2018 and has since been pushing for others to adopt the concept.
All 90 employees receive the same wages, but work fewer hours – so the annual income does not change.
ADS says this is the gold standard they think other companies should strive for, and that’s what STUC advocates. However, they acknowledge that it is up to companies to decide how or whether to implement this policy.
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On the subject of matching items
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On the subject of matching items
Employees report savings in their personal budget
(Image: Getty Images / Image source)
What changes might employees notice in their personal weekly budgets?
David Rutherford, a Glasgow father of two and an ADS employee, says he saves around £ 520 a year commuting: “If you take work completely out of the equation, before lockdown, I’m 5 days off 4 days a week in the office, which meant one less train ride.
“That would cost me a tenth. We’re not talking thousands of pounds here, but that’s a tenth a week that saves on train travel and fuel to the station. I have the same salary and have a little bonus from commuting less.”
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While work at home is still the norm for many as workplaces open up and employees return to the city and town centers, David said avoiding the temptation saved him money for an extra day for lunch or to pay for the coffee.
He stated, “The Merchant City my office is in has fancy places for coffee and lunch so it’s really easy to spend £ 10 a day on lunch and snacks so it’s definitely a way to go with an extra one to save days off. “
The charity said the move has widespread public support and has been shown to improve employee productivity and morale, with the organization decreasing absenteeism by around 75 percent – and not affecting the service it offers.
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David added, “For me it’s not just a financial benefit. I have two you kids and having a weekday that we can set aside as family day made a difference. I missed a lot of my youngest sons in the first year because 5 days a week I was out at 7:30 a.m. and came home when he went to bed, and he often spent the weekend with his grandma.
“I now have guaranteed family time every week and some weekly savings to spend on it.”
A report last year found that 70 percent of Scots supported a four-day week, with just eight percent saying they were opposed or strongly opposed to the idea.
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