Photograph / Photo: Freepik

When Vanja Šuvak, the owner of the Velika Gorica company Stillvil, called his workers together and told them that from now on they would work four days a week, the first reaction was not enthusiasm. Silence fell, worried looks and discomfort took over. Many thought layoffs or pay cuts were coming. But the reality was completely different.

– We told them that we were shortening the workweek without reducing pay. In fact, we even increased salaries a little. When they realized it was real, enthusiasm took over, Šuvak recalls.

Stillvil specializes in forklift servicing, an activity in which working from home is not possible. Nevertheless, the company is among the few in Croatia outside the IT sector that decided on such a step. The key idea was to increase efficiency while at the same time reducing the number of working days. The workweek now functions so that employees are divided into two teams – some have Friday off, and others Monday. The service thus still operates all five working days, but none of the workers works more than four days a week, writes Večernji list.

– Before, it used to happen that breaks lasted too long, that work dragged on. Now that no longer happens. People come motivated, focused, they are not late and get more done than before. Even though they are at work one day less, we accomplish more than ever, Šuvak states

He adds that everyone is involved in this change, from service technicians to administration and himself.

– At first it was unusual for me too to have Friday or Monday off, but you get used to it quickly. I have more time for my family, and I still manage to get everything done. I play table tennis, spend time with the children. That extra day off really makes a difference – he emphasizes.

– People come to work with a smile and that is the greatest gain – Šuvak concludes.