Chick-fil-A restaurant inundated with applications after introducing three-day working week

We've all heard whispers of a four-day working week being trialled in certain workplaces, but one Chick-fil-A restaurant in Miami has taken the idea a step further after introducing a three-day working week instead.

And the idea has been so popular, that the Chick-fil-A is being inundated with applications from people looking for work.

It all started when store operator Justin Lindsey noticed that employees had been working 70-hour weeks and skipping their holidays in order to meet goals.

Lindsey looks after a team of 18 store leaders and 20 employees, and told QSR magazine that he realised he could 'do better' for them.

"I realized, I'm asking a ton of these folks. They’re literally working 70 hours a week, week in and week out [...] Honestly, I can do better," he said to QSR Magazine.

"We were very clear with them from the beginning. We said, 'Look, this is uncharted territory'. I don't know that this has ever been done but if you're going to do this, you're going to come on a journey with us."

So how does it work?

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Lindsey explained that the staff are separated into pods, with each pod working three-day blocks, and each shift lasting 13 to 14 hours. Essentially, the staff consolidate their hours into these three days.

Lindsey introduced the program in February and has so far achieved 100 percent retention. And he's even had more than 420 applicants for a recent job ad.

Aside from the benefits for staff - which includes seven days in a row off each month - Lindsey says it's made a difference operationally, too.

Before the three-day working week was introduced, the team noticed that service would often drop during the afternoons.

“I said, ‘why are you surprised by that?’ You have one leader leaving at 2 and another coming in who hasn’t been there all day and they’re trying to count registers and get everything done. Basically, you get in a good rhythm and then you go home for the day.”

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While some staff haven't decided to take advantage of the new model, most of the teams are now working perfectly under their new structure.

"I think people want to work in this industry," added Lindsey.

"People enjoy the work. But they want some things to change, and I think that's what this has shown — is that there are things that if we change it for the better, we're going to make a lasting impact."

Sounds like a pretty good deal to us!