Perth Human Resource Consulting Services

A shorter working day and what it can give Perth businesses

Western Australia

Did you know that small business in Western Australia makes up 96% of all WA businesses according to the Australian Bureau of statistics? 24% of these employ 1 to 4 staff members.

With many of these small businesses in Perth, they appreciate the importance of recruiting, attracting and retaining quality team members. But with so much competition for good staff, what does a small business have to offer? Well at Vitil we encourage our business owners to consider their working week.

More and more West Australians are looking for that elusive work life balance. Many Perth families struggle with the competing priorities of work, family, health and social commitments, and this results in excessive tiredness and increased stress levels, less time with the family and more time feeling guilty and potentially resentful of work.

The average working week for many West Australians is 43.2 hours but is that productive time or to get through the day, do many team members take numerous breaks, making themselves a coffee regularly or are they breaking up their day with social media?.

So what if we shortened our week or just condensed our hours?

Potentially Perth small businesses should consider providing their teams with shorter days and thereby a shorter working week. If they did that, would the same amount of work get done? Could we cut hours so that our team could start late or leave early, and would that impact productivity?

In Sweden they have undertaken a trial of a 6 hour working day, in aged-care homes and the results are that staff feel more alert, they have more energy and are enjoying their family life more. With the ability to have a private life outside of work more available, people are exercising more, eating better and that in turn brings happiness and greater productivity. Therefore, cutting distractions like personal calls or social media, reducing meeting times, coffee breaks or long lunch breaks, means focussed effort can be placed on work tasks.

What can a shorter working day offer Perth employers?

A whole new segment of the recruitment market could open up to employers, finding new, prospective employees who prefer not to use childcare. Providing flexibility of hours that suit working parents, means more can return to the workforce.

Many larger, corporate businesses are able to offer gym membership, plush offices or free lunches to recruit, attract and retain their staff, but is that what current employees want?

We at Vitil believe that what a small business can offer is much more valuable. A real, achievable work / life balance.

At Vitil Human Resource Consulting Services, Perth's boutique HR consulting specialist, we are always looking at ways to attract and retain key team members. Vitil Outsourced HR Services: Experts in recruitment services, offers flexible, reliable and affordable outsourced recruitment support, to help you and your human resources engage the right candidate for your role.

Vitil's business services are built on flexibility with performance our key focus. We work with your staff of people in your business to manage your recruitment needs. By outsourcing HR to an expert our experienced professionals can objectively assess your environment, your human capital, your culture and assist you in recruiting the right person for your business.

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