Advice firm Invest Blue to trial nine-day fortnight initiative
Financial advice firm Invest Blue has adopted a nine day fortnight pilot to support employee wellbeing and productivity, at a cost of $1.9 million annually.
The trial would give all full-time employees an extra 26 days off per year, with an underlying aim to foster employee welfare and drive productivity gains.
“A critical element of our recruitment strategy is to ensure we remain a great place to work and initiatives like the nine day fortnight demonstrate our commitment to employee health and wellbeing,” said Kasey Patterson, head of people and culture at Invest Blue.
The firm strongly believed the sentiment that if they looked after their employees, it would have flow-on benefits to their clients.
With over 190 employees across Australia and a large offshore team, chief operating officer Lexi Glover explained the trial would have no disruptions to clients and minimal impacts on daily operations.
“Everyone is busy here and there’s plenty of work to do so, intuitively, it doesn’t make sense to compress the week and give people every second Friday off but research shows that this approach can lift productivity while increasing employee satisfaction,” Glover said.
She added that establishing operational rhythms, data analytics tools and consistent communication would support the trial across the numerous offices.
“Our mission is to have a recognisable presence across the country, which depends on our ability to attract, develop and retain advice professionals who are able to consistently deliver excellent advice and service to our clients,” Patterson continued.
Established in 1954, Invest Blue currently had 25 offices across rural, coastal and city locations, offering financial advice, wealth management, lending and life insurance services.
AUTHOR
Jasmine Siljic
Recommended for you
Sequoia Financial Group has declined by five financial advisers in the past week, four of whom have opened up a new AFSL, according to Wealth Data.
Insignia Financial chief executive Scott Hartley has detailed whether the firm will be selecting an exclusive bidder for the second phase of due diligence as it awaits revised bids from three private equity players.
Insignia Financial has reported a statutory net loss after tax of $17 million in its first half results, although the firm has noted cost optimisation means this is an improvement from a $50 million loss last year.
With alternative funds being described as “impossible” for fund managers to target towards advisers without the support of BDMs for education, Money Management explores the evolving nature of the distribution role.
