InDebted, an Australian debt collection company that is expanding globally, including here in the United States, was already known for doing things differently. Focused on a digital-first approach to collections and eschewing phone calls, InDebted entered the U.S. earlier this year through the purchase of Delta Outsource Group. Now, InDebted has announced another initiative that puts it at the forefront of a global trend while also further disrupting the accounts receivable management industry.
The company announced yesterday that it was moving to a four-day workweek for all of its employees around the world. The employees will still be paid for five days, but will only be expected to work four. The announcement was made on Australian TV yesterday by company CEO Josh Foreman.
“For the most part around the world, we’re dropping Fridays, and we’re essentially kicking our weekends off on Thursday afternoon,” Foreman said. “We’re giving our team members an extra day each week to invest in their interests outside of work.”
The move will help prevent employees from burning out while also being used as a tool to attract new employees at its offices around the world, Foreman said in a published media report.
Foreman and the leadership team at InDebted believe that the shift to a four-day workweek will mean improved productivity for the company’s employees, who will have to make smarter choices about the work they are doing and how they are getting it done. Questioning the importance of meetings is now encouraged at the company and employees have the responsibility of making sure they are using their time as efficiently as possible.
Making the announcement even more interesting is the fact that InDebted is going to make its customer support staff available 24/7, which means hiring even more employees because of the shift to the four-day workweek.
There are many upsides and downsides to a four-day workweek, according to a professor of the Future of Work at Newcastle University, who wrote an article on the subject
