And finally…Scottish advice centre introduces 4-day working week

Advice Direct Scotland, which has customer contact centres in Glasgow and Stornoway, has overhauled its business to ensure all 68 members of staff will receive exactly the same wages as they previously earned, while working fewer hours.

Advice Direct Scotland is a charity that provides free advice and information on a range of subjects including benefits, debt, money worries and consumer issues. It delivers a full citizens advice service over the phone and online, through live chat, email and Facebook.

Social Enterprise Direct, the charity’s trading arm, provides a number of commercial contracts, from which the profit directly supports struggling families, individuals and communities. The organisation is an accredited SQA training centre with a commitment to creating sustainable employment and a strong focus on a diverse workforce from all backgrounds.

This week, the Trades Union Congress (TUC) is calling for people to work fewer hours, with around 1.4 million people thought to be working seven days every week.

David Rutherford, quality and compliance manager at Advice Direct Scotland, said: “This is a major first step by a large and growing organisation to introduce a four-day working week, and everyone is very confident it will increase productivity and reduce absenteeism.

“Advice Direct Scotland is a modern consumer-facing employer, and we want all workers to be positive about their job and look forward to coming to work.

“Too many people across Scotland and the UK are working excessively long hours, and that’s not good for society.

“The four-day working week has given staff more time to do what they love. I used my extra day off to take my 6-month-old son swimming and go to one of his dentist appointments for the first time. Everyone in the office is sharing stories about what they did on their day off. It’s created a really positive atmosphere, and everyone loves the better work-life balance.”