Bosses are trying to coax younger workers back into the office with early Friday finishes, invites to summer festivals, holiday incentives and days off on birthdays. Information from job market statistics and insights firm Adzuna revealed a sharp increase in shorter-day offers from firms still trying to get to grips with post-Covid recovery.
They are attempting to appeal to a growing number no longer attracted to the traditional 9-5 working day.
More than 75 percent of those roles advertised were aimed at recruiting staff on salaries between £20,000 and £40,000 a year.
This suggests employers are trying to target Generation Z “zoomers” – those born in the mid-to-late 1990s – and new graduates.
Adzuna co-founder, Andrew Hunter, said the job conditions shift reflected the fact that employees were “demanding more” from their bosses after the pandemic.
And he believes the trend may be here to stay. Research revealed the weekend extension pack is part of an effort by businesses to persuade younger staff who have prioritised a more steady work-life balance following the Covid lockdowns to work for them.
Information gathered by Adzuma, which was provided to Bloomberg, showed last month there were 1,426 job adverts online citing “early-finish Friday”.
The figures contrast with only 583 similar offers in the same period five years ago, before Covid changed the way people work.
Other sweeteners advertised by companies include free barista-style coffee, massages, paid-for company nights out and annual holiday incentives featuring one hot destination and one cold break.
Of the hundreds of roles featured on Adzuna, it emerged 4,536 job advertisements sprang up in the UK when people typed “early finish Friday” into their online search bar.
