Given the number of workers today who are struggling to achieve a good work-life balance, it pays for companies to explore the merits of offering more flexible arrangements. One company in New Zealand, in fact, did just that, and it was a resounding success.
Perpetual Guardian, a company that offers estate planning services, conducted an experiment wherein it condensed its workweek into only four days for a two-month period. During that time, employees were still paid for a standard five-day workweek but weren't required to show up that extra day.
The result? The company reported that its workers were more focused and productive, spending less time on non-work activity since, presumably, they were afforded more opportunity to tend to personal matters. Employees also reported a better work-life balance and lower stress levels across the board. Perpetual Guardian now wants to make its four-day workweek a permanent fixture -- something its employees will no doubt come to celebrate.
IMAGE SOURCE: GETTY IMAGES.
Of course, requiring employees to report to the office only four days a week doesn't work for all businesses. But if yours can make it work, there's a host of benefits to be gained.
Why try a four-day workweek?Americans aren't strangers to hard work, with 40% of U.S. employees clocking in more than 50 hours a week on a regular basis. But being perpetually chained to a desk can quickly contribute to employee burnout, and when that happens, productivity suffers. Not only that, but research from Stanford University tells us that once employees work more than 50 hours in a given week, their productivity takes a notable dip, regardless of whether they're happy on the job or not. It therefore stands to reason that easing up on the attendance requirement might result in better output, as Perpetual Guardian found.
Remember, the more hours employees are forced to work, the more time they're likely to waste. According to data from OfficeTeam, the average office worker spends about five hours a week doing non-work activities on his or her phone, from answering personal emails to shopping online. By compressing the workweek into four days, you may come to find that employees are less likely to slack off or engage in non-work activities, and instead focus on tackling key tasks.
And then there's your employees' outlook to take into account. When workers feel they're being treated with respect, they tend to reward their employers in the form of harder work and more flexibility on their part. For example, if your company tends to experience after-hour emergencies, your staff members will be more likely to jump in and help on those occasions if they feel they're being well taken care of.
Implementing a four-day workweek also might result in better employee retention. And as we all know, it takes a lot of time and costs a lot of money to replace workers who leave.
Is a four-day workweek suitable for everyone? Absolutely not. But if you think it might work at your company, you have little to lose by giving it a try.
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The Chinese yuan fell to its weakest level against the US dollar in a year on Thursday. 
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Mallinckrodt public limited company develops, manufactures, markets, and distributes branded pharmaceutical products in Canada and the European Union, as well as in Latin American, the Middle Eastern, African, and the Asia-Pacific regions. The company markets branded pharmaceutical products for autoimmune and rare diseases in the specialty areas of neurology, rheumatology, nephrology, ophthalmology, and pulmonology; and immunotherapy and neonatal respiratory critical care therapies, as well as analgesics and gastrointestinal products. It offers H.P. Acthar Gel, an injectable drug for various indications, such as proteinuria, multiple sclerosis, infantile spasms, ophthalmic, neuromuscular disorders, dermatomyositis, polymyositis, rheumatology, and pulmonology; Inomax, a vasodilator to enhance oxygenation and reduce the need for extracorporeal membrane oxygenation; Ofirmev, an intravenous formulation of acetaminophen for pain management; Therakos, an immunotherapy treatment platform; and Amitiza for the treatment of chronic idiopathic constipation. The company is also developing StrataGraft, which is in Phase III and II clinical development for the treatment of burns; terlipressin for the treatment of hepatorenal syndrome; MNK-1411 for the treatment of Duchenne muscular dystrophy; Stannsoporfin, a heme oxygenase inhibitor for the treatment of jaundice; Xenon gas for inhalation; MNK-6105, an ammonia scavenger for the treatment of hepatic encephalopathy, a neuropsychiatric syndrome associated with hyperammonemia; VTS-270 that is in Phase III development for Niemann-Pick Type C, a neurodegenerative fatal disease; and CPP-1X/sulindac, which is in Phase III development for Familial Adenomatous Polyposis. Mallinckrodt public limited company markets its branded products to physicians, pharmacists, pharmacy buyers, hospital procurement departments, ambulatory surgical centers, and specialty pharmacies. The company is based in Staines-Upon-Thames, the United Kingdom.
ANI Pharmaceuticals, Inc., a specialty pharmaceutical company, develops, manufactures, and markets branded and generic prescription pharmaceuticals in the United States. It focuses on producing controlled substances, anti-cancer (oncolytics), hormones and steroids, and complex formulations. The company offers Erythromycin Ethylsuccinate to treat infections; Esterified Estrogen with Methyltestosterone for treating vasomotor symptoms of menopause; Etodolac to treat pain caused by osteoarthritis, rheumatoid arthritis, and other conditions; Fenofibrate for treating hypercholesterolemia; Flecainide to treat arrhythmia; Fluvoxamine for treating obsessive-compulsive and social anxiety disorders; and hydrocortisone enema and cortenema to treat ulcerative colitis. It also provides Hydrocortisone Rectal Cream to treat inflammatory and pruritic manifestations of corticosteroid-responsive dermatoses; Lithium Carbonate ER and Lithobid for bipolar disorder; Mesalamine Enema to treat distal ulcerative colitis, proctosigmoiditis, or proctitis; Methazolamide to treat ocular conditions; and Metoclopramide and Reglan to treat gastroesophageal reflux. In addition, the company offers Nilutamide to treat metastatic prostate cancer; Nimodipine that reduces the ischemic deficits in patients with subarachnoid hemorrhage; Opium Tincture to treat diarrhea; Oxycodone capsules and oral solution for severe and chronic pain; Propafenone to treat arrhythmia; Propranolol ER, Inderal LA, and Pindolol for managing hypertension in patients with angina pectoris; and Vancomycin and Vancocin for use in treating C. difficile-associated diarrhea and enterocolitis. Further, it provides contract manufacturing services for other pharmaceutical companies. The company markets its products through retail pharmacy chains, wholesalers, distributors and mail order pharmacies, and group purchasing organizations. ANI Pharmaceuticals, Inc. is headquartered in Baudette, Minnesota.
Athenex Inc (NASDAQ:ATNX) shares saw an uptick in trading volume on Friday . 4,670,100 shares traded hands during trading, an increase of 1,213% from the previous session’s volume of 355,816 shares.The stock last traded at $19.05 and had previously closed at $18.62.
Tim Melvin