Toronto Company Switched To A 4-Day Workweek & Says They Are More 'Relaxed' & 'Happy'

A Toronto roofing company took the four-day workweek plunge, and its employees are apparently more "relaxed" and "happy."

Situra switched over to a four-day workweek in April 2021 on a rotating schedule that allows its customers to have service five days a week while still shortening employees' hours.

Marketing Director Chauntelle Facey told Narcity that after implementing the four-day workweek, "it's a different life at work," and that "everyone is so focused."

Not to mention, according to Facey, that revenue has increased compared to last year, and the company has been able to offer bonuses and promotions to workers since implementing the four-day workweek.

The impact on work culture

"The overall climate at work is just everybody is happy about this."

Facey attributes the positive change to their work culture to employees' ability to spend more time on themselves and their physical and mental health.

Wali Majd, GTA account manager and a new father, told Narcity the change has allowed for a better work-life balance.

"It gives me more equal balance between life and between work and family time."

Majd says his workload hasn't changed but that he has learned to work more efficiently to manage his tasks in a shorter period of time and that productivity has actually increased.

"I learned when you're more focused, you're actually more productive than adding that extra one day and [if] you're spending more hours at work, that doesn't mean more output."

Majd says engagement with clients has increased, and he thinks it's because "When you're less stressed, you're more devoted to your job. So you perform better, you take more pride in your work."

The environment has become more relaxed, and "everyone is in a happier mood," according to Majd.

How it works

Facey says they heard about the four-day workweek and its success in Europe they decided to give it a go seven months ago.

"We always choose the path to be the innovators in our roofing industry."

After COVID-19, Facey says they decided to try out the four-day workweek alongside their hybrid work-from-home model and workforce operations manager Klara Pronerova implemented the system.

As a roofing company, employees still need to perform some tasks in-person, but Majd explained that their employees can answer questions and perform tasks that are less hands-on virtually.

Situra combines these two models and currently offers employees a rotating schedule where some people have Friday, Monday or Wednesday off with the same salary.

This allows the company to work at a full week's capacity while still offering employees the benefit of an extra day off.