Boss who puts staff first 'loves the woke criticism'

A CEO who spends the winter working abroad lets staff work the hours that suit them to fit around their hobbies and needs. Bryana Francis reports

- 

A SELF-CONFESSED “woke” young CEO has hit back at criticism for offering four-day weeks, flexible hours, and both extended maternity and paternity pay.

Entrepreneurial Aled Nelmes, 29, launched his own search engine marketing business, Lumen SEO, five years ago from his home town of Cardiff.

The CEO was steadily growing the business and decided to take a gamble two years in by experimenting with a four-day working week.

From there, staff began asking to switch around their hours flexibly - and Aled couldn't see a reason why not.

For the past two and a half years, Lumen SEO has offered fully-flexible 32-hour working weeks - where staff can work any time, anywhere, as long as their work is completed.

He more recently implemented nine months' full-pay maternity and paternity policies to support new parents too.

Aled said he welcomes being called “woke” and a “naive optimist' because he wants to prove outdated business ideas wrong.

He hopes to demonstrate that a business can prioritise employees' wellbeing and still thrive.

Aled said: "I want to make this company the biggest commercial success by making it 'people first!

"I was in traditional employment six or seven years ago and believed a business could only be successful at the expense of its people.

"I wanted to show you can have flexibility, good pay, and still have a growing business.