If you work at JMS, every other Friday is a free day off!

Here at JMS, building a happy, motivated, and capable workforce is just as important as constructing the structural, civil and commercial infrastructure we’re renowned for. And whilst our latest morale-boosting initiative may go against the conventional logic of many of our industry peers, the results speak for themselves.

It’s no secret that the construction industry has a culture of working long hours and constant high-pressure targets to be met, so it’s refreshing to be bucking the trend by scaling back working hours.

At the start of 2019 we trialled a scheme where every employee within the JMS group received an extra 25 fully paid days off, to be taken every second Friday throughout the year. Unsurprisingly, these regular 3-day weekends went down so well that the trial period was extended indefinitely.

Andy Kenyon, Joint Managing Director at JMS said of the scheme: “When the proposal was put forward to the board, it had unanimous approval. The staff at JMS work hard when they are here but we recognise that they need to be able to enjoy life outside work as well. We’ve seen a phenomenal increase in growth and turnover these last few years. That’s thanks to the hard work of my team. Now we want to make sure they’re getting the most out of their work/life balance. A 3-day weekend gives them a chance to properly wind down, enjoy the weekend and come back on the Monday refreshed. It is a benefit to everyone – including our clients.”

Work smarter, not harder

Believe it or not, the effective 10% drop in hours worked that the free Friday initiative has brought hasn’t had an effect on JMS’s productivity. Andy says; “If anything, it’s increased our productivity. Because our people know that we value their time, and are prepared to reward them with more free time. They come to work rested, and ready to really give it their all. It’s about working smarter, not harder,” says Daniel.

Not only are we industry leaders in bringing innovative, sustainable and attractive structures to our towns and cities, we are also proud to be leading the way in creating an enviable work/life balance for our staff.