On top of muffins, fresh baked bread and dinner specials, Lavallee’s Cookery has an exciting addition to the menu for its employees.
“We recently moved to a four-day work week, while still being open for seven days a week,” says owner Christine Lavallee. “So we’re on week three right now, with our new work schedule for the staff.”
The Cookery employees work four 10-hour days in order to keep the 40 hour work week.
The change to the shortened week was brought on by stress and burnout felt by the workers during the pandemic.
“We have to keep staff engaged and happy,” says Lavallee. “Not only at work, but at home as well. So I started to do some more research on happy, productive staff, and it kept bringing me back to the four day work week.”
According to staff, the change means more energy and motivation while at work and extra time at home.
Lavallee is still working out the kinks on this newly-adopted schedule, but workers are happy with that extra day off.
“It’s great so far, I mean what’s not to love about it,” says employee Pam Raby.
“It’s good that you can have that extra day to do all the tasks that you typically don’t get to do, unless it’s a Saturday. So like groceries and banking and that kind of stuff.”
The Ontario Liberals have said they plan to explore a four-day work week if elected this year.
But experts say implementing a blanket policy likely won’t work, and that each company would have to evaluate the possibility themselves.
“Employers will have to work on it, because different work settings will each be different,” says Ryerson University Associate Professor Dr. Margaret Yap.
“They have their own business, their own way of serving their customers or clients. So each business will have to figure it out as to how it’s going to work for them.”
Lavallee says she plans to make the four-day work week a permanent part of her business, as long her workers are happy.
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