In May 2024, when we announced the implementation of "Balance Friday" at Aero Atelier, boldly moving to a 4-day work week, our first thoughts were for our employees and their families. We also aimed to increase workforce loyalty and, ultimately, ensure the irreproachable quality of our aircraft engine overhaul work.
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Filled with hope for this work-family balance, yet with our fingers crossed that our productivity would be maintained despite the reduction in workshop hours, we never imagined that this local decision would cross the Atlantic. It eventually landed on the desks of the Directorate General for Civil Aviation (DGAC) in France.
The vision: trading exhaustion for heightened vigilance
Everyone talks about the "Human Factor" in aeronautics. It is often the official label applied after the fact to an accident that "possibly" could have been avoided. For several years, under the guidance of Transport Canada and global authorities, this concept must be studied and understood to have the right to work in our industry.
When we implemented the 4-day work week, the starting idea was simple yet radical: aircraft engine overhaul and repair tolerate no errors. However, the number one enemy of precision is exhaustion and mental load. By offering a three-day weekend every week, we made the bet that a rested team would be not only happier, but above all more efficient and safer. It is this direct link between "well-being" and "safety" that captured attention on the other side of the ocean.
An unexpected convergence with France
Earlier this year, we were contacted by the head of the French State Safety Program. It turns out that since 2020, the DGAC has been leading an expert working group named "Aérosentinelles." This group, born from a break with traditional safety thinking, tackles subjects that were long considered taboo: psychological well-being and human factors.
Although their work began before our initiative, they identified the Aero Atelier model as a concrete, innovative, and inspiring application of what they are seeking to promote theoretically within French civil aviation. This is a major validation for a Quebec SME. Seeing that our intuition aligns with the analyses of experts who recently brought together more than 200 participants from 50 organizations for two full days dedicated to mental health confirms that we are on the right track.
Beyond human resources: a component of the Safety Management System (SMS)
This convergence highlights an underlying trend in global aviation. Mental health is no longer a simple social benefit, but a critical component of the Safety Management System (SMS). The experts at Aérosentinelles are working to establish a "Just Culture," where human fragility is recognized and managed rather than hidden. By reducing the work week, we are acting upstream on this same lever: reducing pressure to increase quality of life and, at the same time, technical vigilance.
The verdict after one year: + 10% productivity
Beyond the theory, what about the facts? Did our productivity suffer after one year of using the four-day model? The answer is no. Against all odds, our productivity even increased by approximately 10%. We notice that team members arrive on Monday with renewed energy. The atmosphere in the workshop is more jovial, and the appreciation for having long weekends year-round translates into increased engagement at work.
A snowball effect?
Today, we are invited to share our data and feedback with the DGAC for their upcoming seminars. It is an honor to see a bridge being built between Shawinigan and Paris on such a vital issue. If our experience can provide useful insights to the industry and inspire broader change, we would be proud. Because in the end, behind every rested technician, there is a more reliable engine, but also a family that regains a better quality of life and a human being who simply regains their humanity.
