Taking into consideration the unpredictable time and its indications Oyo announced a progressive work arrangement for its employees. It rolled out a 4-day working schedule. Ritesh Agarwal, the founder of Oyo in his tweet declared May 2021 will be a 4-day work week month for Oyo’s employees.
How did it all start?
The trend for a 4-day work week came about when the Labour Ministry of Government of India proposed new labour codes in February this year. They proposed to provide flexibility to Indian companies in choosing a 4-day work week model. The proposal came at the correct time when employers were battling mental and physical health implications of employees working from home amidst the pandemic phobia. The second wave of the Covid-19 further wafted the flames of this trend, making Oyo the lead contender of the 4-day work week trend.
Oyo and Swiggy made these human resource management change, which was progressive in light of the devastation caused by the pandemic’s second wave. Both Swiggy and Oyo have specifically made these arrangements for the month of May to boost the morale of employees struggling amidst the health scare, safety, and security concerns of their loved ones. Companies both big and small are experimenting if a 4-day work culture will deliver the desired business along with the efficiency and professional benchmarks. Needless to mention if this model yields success, it may soon be the inherent perk of working with a start-up. On the same side-lines Indian technology giants are considering the May timeline and may extend the four-day week until the end of the year. At present Oyo is providing Wednesday off as a mid-week breather, whereas Swiggy is giving their employees a choice to decide which 4 days in the week they want to work.
Start-ups following this trend
Zerodha (Stock Broking Firm)
Stock broking platform Zerodha has announced that their employees will no longer be communicating about work post 6 pm be it on chat or conference calls.
Myntra (Fashion e-commerce)
Myntra gave its employees unlimited wellness leaves as well as 14-day ‘care leaves’ for tending to sick children or old parents.
Swiggy
‘Swigsters’ (Swiggy employees) belonging to the Grade 1-6 category will receive their salaries for the month of May well in advance. They will also receive a special ‘nutrition support payment’ if a family member tests positive for the coronavirus.
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If the trying times don’t abate or if employees can achieve stability and productivity through this measure, start-up giants may consider extending this trend or may become a permanent business requirement.
Benefits of a 4-day work week
Relief during trying times
Start-ups offering a 4-day work week can prevent their employees from going through ‘burnout’ and can alleviate their mental stress.
Improved employee efficiency
1 day off in the week along with a 2-day weekend will make employees more focused and productive since they will get ample time to spend with their loved ones. It will also take off from the anxiety of having to deal with sick and suffering friends and family who are hit by Covid-19.
Improved performance
A 4-day work week will reduce multitasking among employees which will implicitly boost their productivity in a work from home model.
Sailing through the peak of the second wave
We are in the mid of May, and we are witnessing the peak of the second wave of Covid-19 in India. During such a life-threatening time, a 4-day work week will help employees to keep their grit and focus on coping with the ongoing financial, mental, and emotional crisis.
Improve work-life balance
The fine line separating work and personal life was completely disrupted for employees after Work From Home came into the picture. A 4-day work week will improve their quality of life and bring a balance between personal and professional life. It will also protect them from irregular work hours and uncertainty in career growth. Overall ensuring happy employees, and a happy workforce implies happy customers!
