The lender implemented the shortened week in November last year, with no change to staff salaries.
During this time, customer goodwill and satisfaction levels have increased, according to Atom.
The bank’s Trust Pilot score increasing from 4.54 at the start of the new working structure to an impressive 4.82 in June 2022.
Job applications have also increased by almost half, while headcount is up thanks to a reduction in the number of staff leaving.
Atom said the move to the shorter week was in recognition of people having longer working lives, flexible working and the need to live more sustainably.
The aim was to support employee mental and physical wellbeing so they could enjoy a healthier work/life balance while improving business performance.
Atom hopes the results will encourage more businesses to realise the five-day week is “now as unnecessary as permanent office working and the daily commute has become for many”.
The bank said employee surveys revealed almost all people can accomplish what they need to in four days.
Nine out of 10 said they have found efficiencies in how they work as a result of the shorter week.
Productivity has been measured across the company. For the six months to April, all of the data points to improved success since the four-day week.
Nine out of 10 employees say they look forward to work with an increase in engagement.
Days lost to sickness at Atom have also declined since the introduction of the new working structure, dropping from 100 in the month of November 2021, to 72 in June 2022.
Anne-Marie Lister, chief people officer at Atom, said: “Over six months on from introducing our new four-day working week, it’s clear that it has been a huge success for our business and our people. We are extremely proud of how our employees have adapted and the benefit it has brought to many.
“People are rightly looking for a healthier work/life balance, and despite warnings from some sceptics, our metrics and people surveys show that this has not had a negative impact on employees or customer service. In fact, it has been the opposite, with happier, more efficient, and more productive people who are even more driven to help us change banking for the better…
“We believe most organisations can move to a four-day week and we hope Atom’s experiences will encourage more businesses to make the shift permanently.”
Joe Ryle, director of the 4 Day Week Campaign, “Atom bank’s experience shows that a four-day week with no loss of pay is a win-win for workers and employers.
“Companies should embrace the four-day week as a way of boosting productivity, improving wellbeing and to help with job retention.
“The nine to five, five-day working week is outdated and no longer fit for purpose.”
