Friday, January 16, 2009

KPMG Offers 4-Day Week to United Kingdom Staff

The London Mail today reported that KPMG’s United Kingdom operations put an interesting proposition to its partners and staff: How about you cut back to working four days a week to help us cut costs?

The Press Association says the firm is offering a second option, 30 to 120-day sabbaticals for 30 percent pay.

The Telegraph said the plan will be finalized in mid-February.

I can’t imagine they’re going to get too many takers. I’d be too worried to take the three-day weekend for fear that the move would be interpreted as a lack of commitment to (and desire for) my job.

In the U.S., where KPMG is legally a completely separate firm, officials declined to speculate when we asked them if a similar move might be ahead for their employees.

1 comment:

Anonymous said...

As someone who worked in a Big 4 for many years, and knowing the way they work, I suspect the previous 5 or hell, 6 days a week, many of the staff currently work will continue. The only difference will be that these staff will be paid for 4 days rather than 5!

Let's have some honesty from the partners and let's also see the small print. How many of KPMGs Partners are going to say for these staff who are taking a Friday or Monday as unpaid, or whatever extra day in the week it is, "please don't be available, don't think about checking your voicemail or email, it's the working week for our clients, but we understand you are not being paid today, perhaps consider doing another job on your day off so you definitely won't be available for us".... Do me a favor of course they won't. It'll be only mugs that take up this offer, and don't think this is some form of paternalistic action by the Big 4, look at their track record, if they want to fire people they fire people, it's just business, there's no consideration of family etc. This scheme give them the advantage that they don't have to pay expensive recruitment fees to restaff their organizations when work picks up, they avoid redundacy payments, and they keep people hanging on paying them 80% of the time but they still want them giving 100% or more!!!