Regina auto shop trying out four-day work week

Erin Vaughan is trying something new at Regina’s Kinetic Auto Service.

Vaughan, the company’s president and CEO, recently implemented a four-day work week in an effort to help recruit and retain employees.

On Monday, Vaughan told Greg Morgan Morning Show guest host Kevin Martel the move happened about three weeks ago after Vaughan heard a presentation that suggested asking the company’s employees if they were happy at work and what would make them happier.

“They told me they would like four-day work weeks and sick days and some extra training, so I said, ‘All righty,’ ’’ Vaughan said. “I implemented those things without two weeks of those meetings.”

That’s not to say it was a spur-of-the-moment thing, though; Vaughan had been pondering the idea of a four-day work week for a couple of years.

“I was thinking about how to attract some talented technicians,” Vaughan said. “That was part of my thought is, ‘Hey, why not create an environment that has a work-life balance for people?’

“Again, I also want my staff to be happy. I want them to be able to feel successful in their careers and in their lives, so I thought this would be a great way to do that.”

Companies across Saskatchewan – and around the world, in fact – have been struggling to address a shortage of workers, so Vaughan’s move may help Kinetic get a leg up on the competition.

“In our industry, there’s a huge technician shortage. It has been going on already for a few years and it has just got worse,” Vaughan said. “I just thought, ‘Hey, this would be a great way to be able to get some good talented people and then give them a really great environment to work in.’ ”

The technicians and the service adviser at Kinetic work Tuesday to Friday from 7:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. Vaughan and the shop’s manager works Monday to Friday from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.

“(The manager) had originally wanted to do something along those lines because he was concerned about losing those phone calls and not being able to help our clients be able to book appointments on (Monday),” Vaughan said. “Monday is a very busy day for the phones, so he just was worried about not being able to take care of our clients.”

Vaughan said it’s too early to determine if the shift to a four-day work week has lived up to expectations. Conversations will be held at the end of the month to determine how things have gone, Vaughan said, and tweaks will be made if they’re required.

“The only changes we may make are operational changes – just some procedures that might make things work a little bit better here and there,” Vaughan said.

“I do think we’ll probably stick with the four-day work week. We just have to kind of work on the little differences throughout the day that maybe are making things challenging.”