4-day Workweek Program (4-10)

National Retailer

Challenge: This operation’s workload was heavy early in the week and departments had to pay overtime to comply with service standards. Workload decreased substantially on Thursday and Friday and staff was under utilized. The operation also incurred additional expenses training seasonal employees to satisfy customer demand in peak seasons.

Actions: FPI prepared a capacity analysis for every department to determine human resource requirements during peak and off peak seasons. We also determined the days when the department could afford to have people on and off the floor based on business needs. A survey was distributed throughout the distribution center to assess employee interest and to determine which day employees would prefer not to work.

Results: Twenty percent of the work force opted to participate in the program. Throughput increased during the busiest days of the week and the company saved more than $100,000 the first year. In addition, associate morale improved because of the added flexibility in their work schedule.