'I want my staff to be happy': Regina auto repair shop transitions to 4-day work week

Employees at a Regina auto repair shop may never experience a case of the Mondays again.

Earlier this month, Kinetic Auto Service (KAS) switched to a four-day workweek schedule for its employees.

“I think in the end, it will increase productivity and we just have to work out the kinks as we go,” said KAS president and CEO Erin Vaughan.

KAS employees will work 10 hours a day from Tuesday to Friday. The new schedule is a trial run that stemmed from employee feedback.

Vaughan believes it will improve her employees’ work-life balance. She hopes her staff can spend more time with their families, book appointments, run errands and recharge during the three-day weekend.

“I want my staff to be happy. I want them to be supported. I want them to be successful, so I try to implement as much as I can,” Vaughan said.

Erin Vaughan implemented a trial four-day work week for her staff at Kinetic Auto Service in Regina. (Allison Bamford / CTV News)

Vaughan conducted “stay interviews” with all her staff in mid-March as a way to check in with everyone. Three suggestions came out of the process: more training, sick days and a four-day workweek. All of the requests were implemented within two weeks, she said.

“What’s really great about having a small business is you have the ability to adapt and change,” Vaughan said.

Instead of completely closing up shop on Mondays, the KAS office stays open.

Mike Farmer, KAS manager, is the exception to the new four-day workweek schedule.

“I’m still here five days a week as we make the transition through this period,” he said.

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“I thought it was important to be here for our clients and maybe our new clients that aren’t used to our four-day work week helping with that transition.”

Mondays are still the busiest day of the week for Farmer. However, he said they’ve gotten a little lonelier with everyone else off. As KAS continues to assess its four-day workweek schedule, Farmer said there may come a time when he also gets an extra day off.

KAS hopes to have the new schedule stick around until at least the end of the year. Vaughan said it is too soon to say if the four-day workweek is paying off, but she will continue following up with her employees to gauge any success.