BPE Solicitors embraces four-day week
Gloucester-based BPE Solicitors has put 13 members of staff, including three salaried partners, on a four-day week.
Senior partner John Workman (pictured) said the firm's equity partners took the decision to cut the working week to stem losses from its commercial, property and corporate practices. Workman said slashing hours was preferable to making widespread redundancies at a later stage.
"We have some great people here - either we lose several of them or go for a four-day week," he said.
"Our vision statement says we are committed to and respectful of our people and we want to stand by that by getting to the other side [of the recession] with as little casualties as possible. It's the right thing to do."
BPE counts commercial insurance broker Jelf Group and social housing repairs company Mears Group among its clients.
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Readers' comments (12)
Anonymous | 29-Jan-2009 3:50 pm
Wow
Crikey!
Can I do a four day week please?
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Sceptic | 29-Jan-2009 4:17 pm
Reduced hours or Reduced days in the Office
Presumably these people have had their pay reduced by a fifth for working a day less?
Have they also ghad their hours reduced by a fifth or are they just doing the same hours but in 4 days instead of 5?
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Anonymous | 29-Jan-2009 4:33 pm
4 Day Week better than 0 Day Week
I must commend BPE Solicitors for taking this approach rather than redundancies.
It shows commitment to their staff but understanding of what needs to be done to cope during this difficult time.
I just wish more businesses would deal with the credit crunch as a team, involving both management and employees, rather than management making the decision and telling the employees to leave.
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Anonymous | 29-Jan-2009 4:48 pm
Sensible
Nice to hear that firms are trying to find alternatives to just making fee earners redundant - lets hope it works.
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Curious | 29-Jan-2009 4:54 pm
Agreed.
I agree. But why does this only have to be for during redundancies? I'd happily work a four-day week for 4/5s of my present pay in general, not just to save my job. There's a lot of talk a lot about flexible working, but how many firms actually offer a deal as simple as that?
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Dave | 29-Jan-2009 5:45 pm
Four-day week
I have heard of a number of firms doing this with departments that have a shortage of work. It makes good sense, for several reasons. In my opinion, however, staff should agree to work full five-day weeks. One should be grateful still to have a job. Clients and referrers are not going to be impressed if you're regularly not in when they need to contact you.
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Anonymous | 30-Jan-2009 7:21 pm
What?
Dave - are you serious? Five days work for four days pay?
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Anonymous | 31-Jan-2009 4:36 pm
Inside track
I know the people concerned. To answer the questions by Sceptic, some of them are still working the day that they are not in the office. Clients are in full contact with fee earners on their days "off". That goes with the territory. Salaries have been reduced by a 5th. It was a sensible decision overall and seems to be working quite well now, although it is unclear how long the arrangement will continue. The firm is rather good when it comes to flexible working and that encourages people to put in the extra effort when it's required.
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Anonymous | 31-Jan-2009 8:07 pm
Maserati
Intersting. I'll bet that the equity partners are still driving maseratis.
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Anonymous | 31-Jan-2009 9:19 pm
Impressive?
I don't think so. The Partners are still driving Maseratis while the staff are on minimum wages.
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