4-day week in a Zurich hotel. “We’re sticking with the concept.”
The two 25hours hotels in Zurich introduced the four-day week on May 1st. Managing Director Lukas Meier takes stock in an interview with blue News.
For a good month now, the two 25hours hotels in Zurich have been in a test phase that will last until the end of July: the staff work a total of 38 hours four days a week instead of the previous 42 hours spread over five days – that corresponds to one hour of extra work a day or 90 percent working time with 100 percent wages. A good deal for the employees. But why should the same employer pay the salary for less work?
“We would have major electronic losses if we didn’t get enough skilled workers,” explains Lukas Meier, General Manager of the two 25hours hotels in Zurich. Therefore, the company accepts the additional costs in times of a blatant shortage of skilled workers, especially in the hotel and catering industry.
Higher number of applicants since the beginning of the test
The number of applicants shows that the concept is well received. They were up about 30 percent last month compared to average pre-pandemic times. Not only young people felt addressed, but also parents, for example, who could save one day a week from day care or third-party care with the innovative working time model.
A four-day week can possibly be a competitive advantage for companies, says organizational psychologist Johann Weichbrodt from the University of Applied Sciences Northwestern Switzerland in an interview with blue News. “In the context of the change in the world of work, the flexibilization that we are currently experiencing, the four-day week could be a model.”
With 25 hours in Zurich, two days in a row are mandatory free, the third day is integrated into the work schedule as far as possible according to the wishes of the individual employee. “One of our technicians, for example, always has Wednesdays off because he can look after his child on Wednesday afternoons when there is no school,” says Meier.
Managing Director: “Practically everyone is involved”
Participation in the test phase is voluntary. After that, you can decide whether you want to stick with the four-day week. However, apprentices, part-time employees and pregnant women are excluded from the concept. The latter because of statutory rest periods. Of the 160 volunteers at the 25hours Hotels in Zurich, 100 volunteer. That’s practically everyone who can be there, says Meier.
The General Manager emphasizes that all eligible employees can opt for the four-day model, regardless of their area of work and position. “We have already implemented the concept 100 percent at reception and about 70 percent in the restaurant,” Meier continues. The reason for this is that the company still lacks the staff there at the moment to switch completely to the four-day week. “As long as the people concerned in the restaurant are credited with one day per month.”
The basic work plan is in place, but we are in the process of working out the interlocking of the work areas even better. For example, the early shift at the reception of the 25hours hotels in Zurich also helps set up the restaurant tables on the terrace, says Meier. “This adjustment to the new shift plans takes time, just as breaking out of classic work structures requires a rethink,” he points out to any sticking points.
Two thirds of all hotels have trouble placing positions
The hotel group’s commitment is well received by HotellerieSuisse, the business association of the Swiss accommodation industry. “We generally find it positive when hotels take the initiative and try out and introduce new working models,” says Ueli Schneider, Head of Business Development and member of the Executive Board, to the “Gastro Journal». This is an important measure, especially in times when there is an acute shortage of skilled workers, especially in the hotel and catering industry. One HotellerieSuisse survey in January 2022 had shown that over two thirds of all hotels are struggling to place jobs in their operations.
The 25hors hotel chain, founded in Germany, has already successfully tested the four-day week at the Hamburg location. And General Manager Lukas Meier is already convinced of the new working time model for his establishments in Zurich: “We will definitely stick with the concept.”