http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1119431/Four-day-week-As-work-dries-KPMG-offers-11-000-staff-dramatic-cut-hours-battle-save-jobs.html

I work at KPMG and needless to say we are all EXTREMELY worried. Personally i feel QUITE sorry for people who will be graduating this summer and LOOKING for jobs. It is going to be awfully difficult, naturally.x

I'm at a different Big4 and I wish we had this instead of all or nothing CR. It's a far better idea.

Agreed - I personally think its a good way to go about managing a down turn in work. Yes it will require careful management and increased effort in the short term but for those of us used to working 70 hour weeks at Big 4 firms, being able to achieve a better balance for a year is not going to be the end of the world for most I hope. Interested to know view of KPMG'ers effected.

"They also have the option of moving on to a four-day week, with the fifth day unpaid"...I just don't see a 4-day week working for client facing practitioners in consulting. Unlike those in industry - where reduced days per week on production lines are typically employed - consulting does not have a work-to-rule culture. Under KPMG's arrangement, I would expect consultants on projects to work 5 days and simply be paid for 4, even if this is against official policy. Clients / programme leadership (i.e. partners) will simply not agree for their resources to be absent one day a week each week. That said, I'd jump if offered a partially paid 12-week sabbatical to leave the drudgery of big-4 consulting over this dismal winter...

I see it working simply due to fact that there isn't the work to occupy 5 days a week. In another time, people on 4 day a week contracts would definitely end up pressured to come into the office on the 5th day; right now, there isn't the work to go round so the less people are in the office, the better - more work for everyone else.

Our Big4 consulting division is pretty busy, no more than 10% on bench.. I'm sure it is only a matter of time..

assuming this does actually apply to consulting, not just the audit guys, is the 4 day week offer across all grades or just focused on the junior ones? admit I'm sceptical - where I've seen part time working in consultancies before, those concerned just seem to end up working in their days off too and not gettnig paid for it..

KPMG, we're strong as can beA team of power and energy We go for the gold Together we hold Onto our vision of global strategy

For info, my favourite mix is the Jungle version at http://chkpt.zdnet.com/chkpt/uknewsita/http://anthems.zdnet.co.uk/anthems/kpmg_jungle.mp3The lyrics start about 1 min into the song.

That, my friend, is a thing of genius.

assuming this does actually apply to consulting, not just the audit guys, is the 4 day week offer across all grades or just focused on the junior ones? admit I'm sceptical - where I've seen part time working in consultancies before, those concerned just seem to end up working in their days off too and not gettnig paid for it..

Isn't it just!

Does this also applies to KMPG offices in western europe? I have been advised (by a headhunter) to apply to their advisory practise, because KPMG expected to grow in 2009.

All of KPMG UK

Just to set the record straight: all of KPMG UK is being given the option to volunteer for a temporary change to their contracts to allow reduced working hours. However, it's only going to be implemented in those areas where there's not enough work. In my own area, for example, it currently looks unlikely to happen. I've volunteered to take the reduced hours if required, but it's unlikely that I'll be asked to take them (shame, really, I could do with some quality family time).The issue of working five days even when you're only being paid for four doesn't apply - you're only going to be on this package if there's not enough work to keep you busy.Personally, I'm very glad that they're taking this approach and making serious efforts to avoid redundancies.

Well the quote from the KPMG press office in the article said that they were hoping that the majority of UK employees would sign up ...?

4 day week? I REALLY like the sound of that! Will this be a permanent move?