The question of working arrangements and a four-day working week is back in the headlines as the new Labour government is said to be looking at updating existing legislation to allow more workers access to working one less day per week.

Naturally, this has sparked some debate within our own sector, and whether we think it can work in our industry or not.

A four-day working week

It’s important to note that the idea of flexible working and four-day weeks already exists in our sector. There are plenty of job roles in fenestration which allow people to work from home or remotely. Marketing, admin, and finance positions already have that flexibility. Some people in those roles will already work a shortened week.

Labour plans to strengthen existing legislation to force companies to offer four-day working weeks to all workers. This takes us from a place where the offer is flexible and voluntary to a point where it is mandatory. How quickly this legislation is brought before Parliament remains to be seen. There is a very difficult budget coming up next week which is likely to change the economic landscape of the country, and various international matters may distract the Government from other issues.

But for the sake of this post lets assume they will press ahead with it. How could a four-day working week which is more prevalent affect our industry?

Installers

I can speak with some real-world experience for this part of the supply chain. This is going to be dictated by the homeowners and installers willingness to work four days.

Removing a day per week from an installer’s schedule would naturally extend lead times. The idea of being able to work ten-hour days for four days in the world of installation isn’t that practical. Weather and lack of daylight in the autumn and winter months make that impossible. Therefore it would push lead times up. Something homeowners may not be keen to hear. Something which installation companies might not be that keen on either.

The reality is that most homeowners are going to want installers to be available at least five days per week to work. Their own plans, daily lives and project deadlines will mean for many, four days in a working week simply won’t work.

For the micro-installers, single person installers working out of their homes and vans, they will be the most likely to make a four-day week work for them. Smaller projects and more control over their own schedules will mean they could perhaps make a shorter week work for them. Larger businesses with bigger order books will likely stick with five-day weeks.

Fabricators and systems companies

Systems companies operate 365 days a year. The nature of their operations means they need their staff to be on a constant rotation. I remember when I toured the impressive Eurocell facility a couple of years ago I was illuminated by their flowing operations which run all year long. They explained they work every day of the year, even Christmas, and that required staff to be available.

The complicated nature of systems companies means a four-day week probably wouldn’t work here. At least on the factory floor. Admin and office staff could probably manage more flexibility but when it comes to the manual side of the job then there would be more practical hurdles to manage.

For fabricators though, I think this is one area where it could work. If fabricators could manage their input deliveries from IGU suppliers and systems companies, as well as organise their own deliveries to installers efficiently, then I could foresee a four-day week working out. It would of course depend on demand levels. Boom periods would probably make a shorter week harder to manage. But in quiet times like these, it could probably work without causing much upset to installers. So long as installers get their products on time, I don’t see why it would be a problem.

My own personal feeling is that if you’re office-based in this industry, you’ll be able to make a four-day week work. The nature of office roles allows you to work from home, or anywhere with an internet connection. You can make a shorter week work. But when it comes to the practical side, such as installing and fabricating, the demands to be available from customers means a shorter week likely isn’t going to work on a widespread basis. There are too many variables at play, and cramming another two hours into each of the four days probably isn’t going to be enough to make it work.

We will wait and see what the legislation looks like and how it will affect our own industry once it is announced by the government.

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