Are you one of the many companies around the world that’s looking at a four-day working week? Perhaps you’ve already made the leap.
Or, do you find that your team takes more time off during the summer months?
For lots of businesses, it’s never going to work. But those that have tried it have generally found it to be hugely positive. It improves your employees’ experience, making them more loyal, engaged, and productive.
It can help to attract and retain better talent, while improving your brand reputation. And let’s not ignore the cost savings of shutting down the office for an extra day.
But it has to be done right. Forcing people to cram the same amount of work into fewer hours could be a recipe for burnout and exhaustion.
That can lead to corners being cut, which in turn could lead to a cyber security disaster. Even if processes aren’t being intentionally skipped, human error due to a lapse in concentration becomes inevitable.
According to the World Economic Forum’s 2022 Global Risk Report, nearly all cyber security issues can be traced back to human error.
What does that mean for your business?
If you’re considering a four-day week, work closely with your people to make sure they aren’t experiencing additional pressure. And never assume that fewer office hours means you can relax your cyber security.
You should reassess your measures to make sure they stand up to the change in working patterns, paying particular attention to remote access and VPN policies. Also revisit your procedures so that all routine tasks are still accounted for in the new working week.
Comprehensive security policies become even more important when you change a working routine, and you may also want to beef up your approach.
Consider introducing ‘zero trust’ strategies if you haven’t already. These give people access to only the files, software, and systems they need to do their job – and nothing more.
Finally, refresh employees’ cyber security awareness with regular training. If security practices are not followed, it’s often because they are not fully understood.
There’s a lot to think about, but professional advice is always on hand. If it’s something you’re considering, just get in touch.