After an 18-month pilot, STOPAIDS became one of the first charities in England to implement a shorter working week. The results from the pilot conveyed that shorter working hours has improved staff well-being and staff productivity has stayed the same and in some cases, even improved.
STOPAIDS began a 6-month pilot of the 28-hour week in October 2019. Staff retained the same amount of pay but with a reduced working time of 28-hours per week. We set up a a pilot with key performance indicators and hired an external evaluator. We evaluated initially after 6 months, just as Covid-19 had hit, and decided to extend the pilot so that we could see how our fundraising and long-term advocacy outcomes might be impacted.
In April 2021, we completed a second independent evaluation and presented the findings to our board of trustees. The findings showed that staff workplace stress had decreased from the baseline; all staff reported a better work-life balance and better well-being and the organisational outcomes improved or remained the same. This policy has also encouraged staff recruitment and retention.
At the start of our shorter working week journey, we identified key performance indicators (KPIs) which were key to monitoring and evaluating the success of a shorter working week at STOPAIDS. You can learn more in this 2-pager here.
Our CEO Mike spoke on the shorter working week at a Bond conference and at an event hosted by 4 Day week Campaign. You can read more in the Devex articles here and here and in The Independent. Tabby, Advocacy Co-Director at STOPAIDS, also spoke on the shorter working week at a Bond webinar in October. You can watch the recording here.
Learn more in the video below featuring our CEO Mike interviewed by 4 Day Week Campaign or read their case study report that includes STOPAIDS.