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Some East TN companies moving to 4-day workweeks, helping retain employees and boost productivity

Some companies in East Tennessee are experimenting with 4-day workweeks, saying it has helped retain employees, boost morale and improve productivity.

KNOXVILLE, Tenn. — Workers and companies across the world have started to rethink the way they approach workweeks. More are considering implementing 4-day workweeks, and some companies in East Tennessee are already experimenting with them.

Some company leaders like Misty Mayes, the CEO of Management Solutions, said that the strategy is helping retain employees. Burnout and work-related stress are at an all-time high, and giving employees an extra day off can help them relax and rejuvenate themselves, returning to work with a clearer mind.

She also said that it can help companies hold onto employees, at a time when companies in many different industries are scrounging for workers.

"Today, the data shows that flexibility is the name of the game to recruit and then retain top talent," she said. "We've really been experimenting with different ways of what really resonates with the employee."

She said one specific company in Oak Ridge, Consolidated Nuclear Security, has already been giving workers more time at home. CNS said most workers have every Friday off, and Mayes said the 4-day workweek has been a massive success for the business.

"When you talk to the staff that are there, they love it because it gives them the opportunity to de-wind and have a nice weekend, and not have to dread that Sunday night," she said.

Large companies like Microsoft and Unilever are also experimenting with shorter workweeks. And across the world in Iceland, a years-long trial with it was so successful that 86 percent of its workforce is on track to work fewer hours.

"Who doesn't want more free time?" said one worker in Knoxville.

"A three-day weekend is always nice," said another.

However, experts said that the effectiveness of the new kind of workweek depends on the type of job someone has. Some industries may not be able to support it at all.

They also said some kinds of work in manufacturing, retail, restaurants, dealerships, mobile services and repair services can't be performed from home. Others need workers to be available at a moment's notice, such as emergency responders.

But many people in Knoxville said they would love to spend fewer days at the office. One civil engineer said that he would love a chance to work longer days in exchange for a long weekend.

"I've worked four 10s before," he said. "That's really nice. Yeah, a three-day weekend."

Knoxville's Chamber of Commerce also conducted a local study, finding that 48 percent of respondents would consider using a hybrid work model at their business. Of those, 75 percent are already doing it.

And most of those respondents said the switch led to an increase in sales and more productivity.

Businesses that considered hybrid work models but have not implemented them said they are still trying to determine which employees would be qualified for remote work and if employees would be willing to negotiate trade-offs in pay or benefits for it.

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