Member Article

Discrimination Law Clients To Get Increased Support Thanks to New 4 Day Week

A discrimination law supervisor at Citizens Advice Gateshead is going to have her cake and eat it, as her new working hours mean she can perform better in work and dedicate more time to her own bakery business Sugar and Ivy.

Faye works on the legal aid contract at the charity helping build clients discrimination cases for tribunals and county courts. She loves her job and is driven by getting positive outcomes. Having worked for the organisation for two years, Faye has recently subscribed to the 4 Day Week and now has a Wednesday off, which she says has doubled her productivity when in work benefiting her clients massively.

Faye uses her Wednesday to reset her thoughts and to stay on top of her small bakery business where she makes custom and celebration cakes. She said:

“I love my job but also adore making cakes and want to have a stand at a local market every Saturday so need time to shop and bake. Having that extra day means when I am in Citizens Advice Gateshead I am fully engaged as I know I have time to do everything else too and am not worrying. It is a great balance of doing the two things that make me happy.”

Faye feels the team agree with her that they can get more done, are better focused and that the quality of work hasn’t dropped.

The North-East based charity is taking part in a trail-blazing pilot to benefit both its clients with extended hours and services and its staff with an innovative way of working that is believed will positively impact on their wellbeing and performance.

Citizens Advice Gateshead is the first one in the national Citizens Advice Network to lead the way with the new model of working which includes the team working 80% of their hours within an extended parameter of delivery hours that will benefit clients who struggle to make appointments between 9 and 5 on weekdays, for 100% of their salary.

Staff have the choice to opt into the programme, which allows services such as the witness support service and the direct hospital access service to be delivered outside of the traditional 9-5 model, on weekdays and over the weekend. This, over time, will enable the charity to better meet the needs of clients at times that suit them.

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by Anna Toms .