Turtle Bay’s four-day week shake-up is a big success, after Asda’s flop

Popular Caribbean bar and restaurant chain, Turtle Bay has served up record turnover this year, after it became one of the biggest hospitality chains to adopt a four-day week for salaried staff.

Companies House account filings show the company enjoyed a turnover of £93.6m in the last financial year, up from £90.1m the year before. Turtle Bay managers are permitted to drop their working days from five to four, crucially with no loss of pay.

The increase pours cold spritz on the myth that a four-day week will lead to reduced productivity. Turtle Bay’s success follows Asda’s failed four-day week trial for managers, suggesting that employers may be the main determiner of the policy’s outcome.

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Turtle Bay’s turnover hurricane comes amid a year of growth for the chain. It opened its first locations in Scotland this year, and expanded to three more UK locations.

In a statement, Turtle Bay’s board said: “Unlike many of our competitors, we bounced back quicker and stronger following the pandemic.”

Part of the firm’s post-pandemic strategy has been rolling out a four-day week, named ‘4-Days at the Bay’, for management teams. As reported by City AM, Turtle Bay said take-up for the employee benefit has been “phenomenal and the feedback has been overwhelming”.

It seems that the change has also had a positive effect on Turtle Bay’s recruitment plan. In 2023/24, the company’s workforce reportedly rose from 2,097 to 2,147, despite labour shortages contributing to an above-average staff turnover rate across the hospitality sector.

Challenges remain for the business, however. The cost of living crisis continues to squeeze Brits’ wallets, and the island bar is prioritising value for customers over profit surges.

While turnover rose in 2023/24, the chain’s pre-tax profit reportedly fell from £9.9m to £1.8m.

Cutting hours key to four-day week success

As Turtle Bay hails the four-day week as responsible for its financial growth, another major UK employer has scrapped the policy after it reportedly failed to win over staff.

Asda announced it would end its four-day week trial for management staff early after it apparently left them feeling “physically exhausted” after shifts.

The two contrasting company strategies could explain the difference. Neither organisation cut employee pay for the perk. However, Asda told managers to condense their 44-hour working week into four days, while Turtle Bay reduced staff hours by one working day.

Because managers at Asda were forced to work longer shifts, this created stress for those who commute to work and left them worn out on their day off.

The 4-Day Week Campaign, which will run a four-day week test pilot for UK businesses this November, advises that to properly introduce the benefit to SMEs, employers should cut hours rather than condense them to lessen the risk of increasing staff stress and burnout.

Can retail and hospitality have a four-day week?

Asda and Turtle Bay are both useful case studies for how to adopt a four-day week in retail and hospitality. Both sectors are client-facing, which can complicate four-day week adoption as firms need to be open seven days a week to meet customer needs and expectations.

That both chains have sold the perk exclusively to managers suggests an industry-specific approach is key to adoption. Still, some firms have also broadened the benefit to support staff, such as The London Landmark hotel, which offers its chefs a four-day work pattern.

Perfecting the strategy will be beneficial for all businesses looking to stand out from rivals in 2024. A Startups survey shows that 12% of UK organisations plan to adopt a four-day week this year, marking a seismic shift in company attitudes towards flexible working.