OCCU piloting four-day, 32-hour workweek

OCCU is one of the first U.S. credit unions to engage in a pilot program to test the benefits of a four-day, 32-hour workweek with its inbound call center team.

The four-day workweek has been gaining momentum in other industries and countries, especially in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, with organizations using output as a more accurate productivity benchmark than hours logged. The OCCU pilot will consist of four eight-hour shifts, with team members being compensated at a rate equivalent to what they would have been paid for five eight-hour shifts. This will result in one additional day off each week; allowing for additional time with family, to attend to appointments and generally decompress from a traditionally stressful role.

“We’re excited to see if the four-day workweek is the right fit for OCCU. Our hope is that stepping outside the traditional workweek schedule and seeking innovative solutions will result in a positive impact to our team members’ well-being and create a positive and engaging workplace culture,” said Chief Operating Officer Tracey Keffer. “This new model has the potential to boost employee health and engagement, decrease turnover, increase productivity and, as a result, provide the best experience possible for our members.”

Through the pilot, OCCU will not change service hours or bring on additional employees to support the new scheduling. The team instead will work to ensure that overall productivity remains high and that absenteeism, unplanned time off and turnover are within acceptable ranges. If the four-day, 32-hour workweek pilot proves successful, the credit union will consider implementing the model in other business units.

OCCU has made other employee-first efforts to be an employer of choice and maintain a positive and productive culture with programs such as offering an above-market starting wage of $18.55 hourly, providing reimbursement for mind/body classes and stress management programs, offering an up-to 9% 401k match and allowing up to 40 paid hours annually to volunteer. These efforts and others have earned the credit union accolades such as 2022 Employer of the Year from the Springfield Chamber of Commerce; placement on the Portland Business Journal’s 100 Best Companies to Work For, Corporate Philanthropy and Most Admired Companies lists; and the Culture Innovator award from Kudos, Inc., an internal social platform that encourages team members to recognize each other for demonstrating company values in their work.