Since the introduction of a four-day working week last May, data from Tyler Grange’s Alertness App reports that employees are 14% happier and 28% less tired.

17million working days were lost last year to poor mental health at a cost of £56 billion to UK employers – twice as much as on physical health. They’re important improvements to highlight – especially when it’s widely recognised that happy workers are more productive and loyal.

It’s a hugely positive result for Manchester environmental consultancy Tyler Grange, which has reduced its working week to prevent burnout – whilst increasing happiness and productivity amongst its 100-strong nationwide team. And the benefits of doing so are being reaped in all areas of the business.

Increased productivity
Crucially, productivity at the firm has increased, with The Tribe producing 102% more work than it did working five – making the company 22% more productive. It’s measurement ratio of productive time versus direct costs – meaning Tyler Grange is 102% productive in 80% of the time.

Reduced absenteeism
And despite stress, depression and anxiety being the UK’s main cause of workdays lost each year, Tyler Grange has only lost an average eight days per month, since the four-day week was introduced. It’s a reduction of 66% compared to an average 18 days during the first five months of the year, before starting the pilot.

Improved talent attraction and retention
The four-day week is a key strategy for employee attraction and retention and is core to the Tyler Grange company culture and values. It also places a focus on managing team performance rather than ‘face time’ or number of hours worked.

Since the introduction of the four-day week, Tyler Grange has seen a huge increase in applications for new roles. There’s been a significant increase in visitors to its jobs webpage and an 88% rise in CVs received – averaging receipt of 32 each month, compared to 17 previously – despite there being a relatively low number of vacancies currently available.

And after looking at the company through a 360o lens whilst preparing for – and implementing – the four-day week, Tyler Grange has also reviewed its salary structure and further enhanced its employee benefits offering, with plans to offer complete transparency very soon.

The Tyler Grange Alertness App – how it works and what it does
Amid concerns that working reduced hours less may have caused stress and fatigue rather than bringing the benefits sought, Tyler Grange also developed an app to monitor alertness levels, support safe working and to track The Tribe’s tiredness and happiness. But, in fact, the very opposite is true.

Developed with input from a British Airways pilot, the Tyler Grange Alertness App has been developed to quantify factors that can lead to fatigue and increase The Tribe’s awareness of it and helping them them make good decisions regarding it – such as choosing to use public transport rather than driving or booking into a hotel rather than driving home late at night.

The app asks users to make a subjective assessment of their current alertness – collecting details such as their amount of recent sleep, how long they’ve been awake and how they’re feeling on a rating scale of one to five – as well undertaking a short reaction test, similar to those carried out by NASA astronauts.

It’s particularly important when employees are driving and for on-site consultants carrying out surveys on nocturnal animals during unsociable hours, working near water or at height. But it is also a valuable tool across the entire organisation – working within the consulting industry that’s too often plagued by growing demands, diminishing timescales and increasing complexity.
The app also considers the time of day and the effect of our natural circadian rhythm – the 24-hour cycle that’s part of our body clock – before presenting the individual fatigue risk factor. Results are then uploaded, anonymously, to the company’s database, which allows trends to be monitored amongst particular workgroups and companywide.

The data is then collated to provide a real time measure of fatigue and happiness, which informs company decision making, and helps manage the impacts of working time over four days, rather than five.

Eppie Cecil-Wright, a Graduate Landscape Consultant at Tyler Grange, said: “I’ve found the app to be really helpful at picking up the signs that I am at risk of becoming fatigued before I am even aware of it. It provides me with really useful information on the dangers of fatigue, how it’s measured and how I can prevent it.”

The mental and physical wellbeing of the Tyler Grange Tribe is also being supported through regular clinics and workshops with in-house psychologist Dr Suzanne Brown and Fatigue Consultant, Kevin Beck.

Reduced carbon footprint
Tyler Grange’s data on the environmental benefits of working a four-day week are also important to note – with an average 21% reduction in car journeys for business each month. And the firm’s making further reductions to its carbon footprint by electrifying as many journeys as possible. Interestingly, Tyler Grange has completed more work whilst working reduced hours, which highlights the number of unnecessary journeys we were previously making and how our use of transport wasn’t as efficient as it now is.

Reduced mileage and commuting bring with them cost savings, which are currently at the forefront of everyone’s minds. The Tribe is also reporting significant reductions in their childcare costs too.

Tyler Grange Managing Director Simon Ursell said: “The UK has an unhealthy culture where it is seen as a badge of honour to work all the time, yet our productivity levels are low and younger talent – as well as the brilliant talent that we want to attract at all levels of our business – doesn’t want to be defined by a burnout life.

“One study shows that burnout is cited as one of the top three reasons for why young people are leaving their jobs. Almost half of Gen Zers (ages 19-24) and 24% of millennials (ages 28-39) said they feel burned out due to their work environments. We know that it’s particularly prevalent amongst female workers. But regardless of age and gender, it’s felt across the board, and it will continue to be a significant attraction and retention issue for employers unless some significant changes are made to how we work.

“We’ve always said that the four-day week isn’t for everyone, but it’s possible for many more sectors and companies – it simply requires re-thinking entrenched norms and changing workplace cultures. Trust is another key factor, but indications show that it’s likely the four-day week will become more mainstream, which is simply brilliant.

“As more companies that make the switch, more will certainly be inclined – or feel pressured – to do the same.We’ve already been approached by a number of businesses to share our advice and learnings – helping them to determine how they too can make the switch to a three-day weekend. We’re able to demonstrate, first-hand, how challenges of the four-day working week can be overcome and the many holistic benefits that can be enjoyed as a result. Employers really shouldn’t be afraid of it – they should embrace it.

“Change is uncomfortable and transitioning to a four-day week has provoked negative responses amongst some. I suppose that’s the nature of it; that it’s necessary to make people feel uncomfortable in order to change. We’re here to do what’s right for our people, planet, and our clients. We believe that making the four-day week permanent is the right thing to do, even if it’s seen as disruptive.

To help other business leaders to adapt how they work, Tyler Grange’s Simon Ursell and Russell ‘Rusty’ Earnshaw – the former professional rugby player, England coach, teacher and now a coach developer – are launching a podcast that will focus on how to thrive in challenging environments.

Tyler Grange also has offices located in Exeter, Birmingham, London, Bristol and Cirencester, in the Cotswolds. For further information visit https://tylergrange.co.uk

For further information on Simon Ursell, please visit https://simonursell.com