UK Edition
PwC has told its accountants they can take Friday afternoons off all summer as companies find themselves locked in an arms race for talent amid widespread staff shortages.
The accounting giant's UK staff will be able to clock off at lunchtime every Friday from June to the end of August following a pilot last summer involving 6,000 employees, PwC said.
The move comes as employers across the country scramble to beat the Great Resignation by offering staff better working hours, improved pay or once unheard of benefits.
According to Ipsos, over half of 16 to 34-year-olds considered quitting their jobs or were actively looking at the start of this year.
Restaurants and pub chains have been offering round-the-world-flights and “pawternity” leave to look after new pets to woo staff, while City firms have focused on extra time off and a better work life balance.
Clifford Chance, one of London's oldest law firms, is considering hiring a 'chief happiness officer'.
Traditional professions such as accounting and banking were on the backfoot even before the pandemic as big tech companies began offering better lifestyle perks and inflated salaries. Now they are hoping to lure back young graduates with more flexible working patterns.
Major accountants such as PwC are also still rebuilding their reputation following concerns that auditors failed to spot red flags in various audits before disaster struck, notably at Carillion, BHS, Thomas Cook and Patisserie Valerie.
PwC said that over 90pc of those involved in its summer working hours pilot last year thought the policy "was a good idea," adding that it positively impacted their day-to-day working experience. In October it also introduced flexible bank holidays so people could take up to two bank holidays at a time that suits them.
Kevin Ellis, the chairman of PwC UK, said "we hope our policy gives people more time for themselves, their friends and their families".