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Crowe pioneers the move after a six-month trial and other branches of the firm will now test the idea.
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Findex audit arm first to adopt permanent 9-day fortnights
20 July 2023
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Findex audit arm Crowe Australasia has become the first large accounting operation to make the switch to a permanent nine-day fortnight following a successful six-month trial.
Its “compressed work week” has become standard practice for all 340 employees within the division and Findex’s wealth arm will be next to test the idea.
A six-month pilot, which took in staff across Australia and New Zealand, involved extended hours for nine working days over two weeks, allowing a day off every second Friday.
Crowe took the initiative after an employee survey showed 85 per cent support and strong feedback during the trial on work engagement and staff wellbeing.
Findex wealth division would now trial the system for the first half of FY24, with an emphasis on balancing the needs of clients while allowing employees to shape how they work.
Findex co-CEO Matt Games backed the pilot and thought it would be successful.
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“I believe employers can and should introduce flexible work options, but even more crucial is that there are existing supports in place that will actually enable the team to reap the benefits, so it does not become an on-paper only program,” said
Findex chief people officer Kath Nell said staff were open to different ways of working after the Covid pandemic had raised expectations about greater flexibility.
“We pride ourselves in our human approach to the traditionally transactional nature of the financial services industry and this of course extends to how we look after our team’s wellbeing,” said Ms Nell.
“We took onboard the feedback from the team and explored how the compressed work week could be implemented meaningfully and effectively, and we are extremely pleased that it is now being expanded to other areas of the business.”
The pilot for Findex’s wealth division would start with a small cohort of employees across several regions and roles over six months.
Another large firm trialling the switch to a nine-day fortnight is Grant Thornton, which began its pilot program in March.
A spokesperson for Grant Thornton spokesperson said: “We commenced the trial of the nine-day fortnight to be bold in trying something different in an effort to achieve better outcomes for our people, while also improving quality and client service.
“As part of the trial, our people are encouraged to contribute ideas to work more efficiently including redesigning the workday, rethinking meetings, and leveraging technology.
“Teams across the business are utilising the recharge time differently to suit the needs of their particular service lines, while making sure our people are always available to service clients. We continue to be closely engaging with clients throughout the trial to ensure the quality we deliver and their experience improves as expected.”
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