Compressed hours are making headlines in many sectors, but what do membership organisations need to consider?
Here’s something worth sitting with: seven in ten UK workers view flexibility as a major priority when considering their next role – and a massive 4 million UK employees have switched jobs due to a lack of flexibility in their current workplace.
According to one 2024 survey; 79% of job listings now offer some form of flexible working opportunities, up from just 25% the year before. And yet, only a small fraction - around 4% - are making use of one of the simplest tools available: compressed hours.
But that’s changing - particularly in the membership world.
In the membership sector, we’re seeing a marked shift in how people are choosing to structure their time. Compressed hours (where full-time hours are worked across fewer days) are starting to look less like a novelty, and more like a quiet evolution of working life.
And it's not just about four-day weeks. Let’s talk about what’s actually happening:
What exactly are ‘compressed hours’?
Compressed hours are gaining ground, but unlike hybrid or remote work, they don’t always look the same. There’s no one-size-fits-all and that’s part of their appeal.
At its core, compressed working means an employee works their agreed full-time hours across fewer days. There’s no change to salary, responsibilities, or contractual hours - just a change in the rhythm.
Here’s what that could look like:
- 9-day fortnight - Work the usual weekly hours across nine longer days and take every other Friday off.
- 4-day week - Stretch your hours slightly across four days and free up one whole weekday.
- Variable compression - A mix of longer and shorter days, designed to fit around life (school pickups, study days, or even just headspace).
- Half-day Fridays - Often achieved by adding 30-60 minutes Monday to Thursday.
What counts as ‘compressed’? And what doesn’t?
It’s worth being clear: compressed hours are not the same as part-time or flexitime. Where part-time cuts hours and salary, and flexitime shifts start/end times daily, compressed hours are about maintaining the same hours on a different shape of week.
And importantly, they require team coordination and consistency. This isn’t about disappearing on a whim, it’s about creating structured alternatives to the classic 9-5, Monday to Friday.
Why the membership sector is leaning in
In the membership space, we often talk about being “member-first”. But increasingly, organisations are applying that same mindset inward, asking what it means to be people-first in how they hire, support, and retain teams.
Many of the roles we recruit for - policy officers, member engagement leads, communications managers etc. - attract values-driven professionals. These are people who want meaningful work and a life that works for them. And most are not shy about asking for both!
Compressed hours are resonating because they offer:
- Work-life balance without pay cuts
- Autonomy without chaos
- Structure without burnout
For mission-led organisations under budget pressure, that’s a pretty compelling equation. And it’s not just anecdotal - the research backs it up. Employees report real gains in satisfaction, health, and performance when compressed hours are introduced, and employers see measurable improvements too.
Benefits for employees:
- In a UK-wide compressed work week trial, 71% of employees reported lower levels of burnout
- In a New Zealand trial, the results found that 78% of employees said they could more effectively balance their work and home lives
- CharlieHR ran their own nine-day workweek trial in 2023, and found that employees were 14% more able to disengage from work in their free time
- Many compressed hour trials show significant increases in employee physical and mental health
Benefits for organisations:
- Compressed working hours positively impacts retention, with one study showing 57% better employee retention in companies with shorter working weeks
- In a study by the University of Cambridge, 91% of companies who trialled a nine-day fortnight or four-day week decided to continue permanently
- Research by the University of Reading suggested that a compressed workweek could save businesses in the UK a total of £104bn every year due to increases in productivity and employee mental and physical health (leading to less sick days)
- If your organisation has ESG targets to hit, a compressed workweek can reduce your carbon emissions by up to 20%
Considerations – and how to make compressed hours work in practice
Compressed hours aren’t a one-size-fits-all solution, and despite the headlines about four-day weeks, that model isn’t always practical for every business - including in member-led organisations with ongoing queries, events, and deadlines to manage.
A nine-day fortnight, for example, may offer more balance for both the business and its people, giving regular breathing space without creating gaps in service. Other options like half-day Fridays or personalised compression patterns can also be easier to integrate, especially for teams already working around varied schedules.
Here are a few practical considerations if your membership organisation is thinking about trialling a compressed hours working model:
- Be honest about coverage. For teams managing member queries, events or CPD schedules, you’ll need to coordinate carefully to make sure compressed hours don’t lead to service gaps. Rota-style planning or clear handover notes can help here.
- Set clear expectations. Is someone contactable on their day off? How are emergencies handled? Without clarity, what should feel like flexibility can quickly become frustrating. Ground rules help everyone feel secure.
- Focus on output, not presence. Compressed hours only work in organisations where trust is high and performance isn’t measured by who logs on earliest. Make it about what’s delivered, not who’s online.
- Keep equity front of mind. Some roles can compress easily; others can’t. Be transparent about that. Offer flexibility in other forms where possible - early finishes, remote days, or time-in-lieu - so compressed hours don’t become a source of division.
Remember: the goal isn’t to copy someone else’s approach. It’s to shape a version of compressed working that reflects your team, your members, and your culture.
In conclusion
Compressed hours aren’t just the latest trend to hop on, they’re about responding to what people are actually asking for, in a way that works for your organisation. And particularly in the membership sector, where many roles are built on trust, communication and emotional intelligence, offering a bit of breathing space through compressed working can go a long way.
And with more organisations seeing the benefits, the question becomes less about whether compressed hours are possible - and more about what kind of working week would best support your team, your members, and your goals.
Want to read more about flexible working in the membership sector? Read our blog “Remote, Hybrid, or In-Office: What’s Right for Membership Organisations?” here.