From fish-and-chip shops to big corporations, more than 3,300 workers from 70 companies will work 80 percent of their hours for 100 percent of their pay — provided they commit to maintaining 100 percent productivity.
The six-month trial, coordinated by nonprofit groups 4 Day Week Global and 4 Day Week U.K. Campaign, with researchers from Cambridge and Oxford universities and Boston College, and labor think tank Autonomy, comes as workplaces are grappling with pandemic burnout and the phenomenon dubbed the “Great Resignation.”
“As we emerge from the pandemic, more and more companies are recognizing that the new frontier for competition is quality of life, and that reduced-hour, output-focused working is the vehicle to give them a competitive edge,” Joe O’Connor, chief executive of 4 Day Week Global, said in a statement. “The impact of the ‘great resignation’ is now proving that workers from a diverse range of industries can produce better outcomes while working shorter and smarter.”
Similar trials are set to begin in Scotland, Spain, Australia, New Zealand, the United States and Canada this year. Belgium announced in February plans to offer employees the option to request a four-day workweek, as the government seeks to boost flexibility in the workplace amid the coronavirus crisis.
Caleb Hulme-Moir, who owns a New Zealand-based P.R. firm, Mana Communications, instituted a schedule of nine working days every two weeks in early 2020, initially as a way to hold on to workers as his business slowed during pandemic shutdowns.
At first, they all agreed to a 20 percent pay cut. Business rebounded swiftly, however, and within a month, they were back at full pay. The short week was so popular, though, that they kept it. His staff in Sydney and the New Zealand capital, Wellington, alternate between four- and five-day weeks — a move he sees as a steppingstone for a small business with not enough workers yet to be able to move to a four-day week and still be available for clients every weekday.
“I’ve always toyed with the idea of a short working week. It’s good for staff retention in a hot employee market,” he said. “People love it.”
Several large-scale trials of a four-day workweek in Iceland between 2015 and 2019 found workers were productive and happier, recording fewer instances of stress and burnout.
In the United States, Rep. Mark Takano (D-Calif.) has proposed a bill that would reduce all standard workweeks to 32 hours, requiring overtime pay for anyone working beyond that. A number of companies in the United States have tested the four-day workweek model.
The 40-hour workweek became the norm in the United States following the Great Depression; the government saw it as a way to address an unemployment crisis by spreading work among more people. During the Industrial Revolution, it wasn’t uncommon for employees to work six days, for 70 hours or more.
Automaker Henry Ford was among the first to switch to a five-day workweek in 1926. Ford argued that his employees were more productive in fewer hours. In 1933, the Senate passed, and President Franklin D. Roosevelt supported, a bill to reduce the standard workweek to only 30 hours. He later changed his mind, amid an outcry from businesses. The 40-hour week was legislated by Congress in 1940.
In the latest trial, involving 70 companies, researchers will measure the impact on productivity in the business and the well-being of its workers, as well as the impact on the environment and gender equality.
“We’ll be analyzing how employees respond to having an extra day off, in terms of stress and burnout, job and life satisfaction, health, sleep, energy use, travel and many other aspects of life,” said Juliet Schor, a professor of sociology at Boston College and a lead researcher on the trial.
The first day of the trial, Monday, wasn’t entirely auspicious: It coincided with a strike by thousands of London transport workers that brought Britain’s capital to a standstill, perhaps underscoring the pitfalls of commuting.
Gillian Brockell contributed to this report.
FAQs
Thousands of UK workers are starting a four-day work week from Monday with no cut to their pay in the largest trial of its kind. The pilot, which will last for six months, involves 3,300 workers spanning 70 companies, ranging from providers of financial services to a fish-and-chip restaurant.
What are the results of the 4 day work week trial in the UK? ›
Most of the UK companies that took part in the world's biggest ever four-day working week trial have made the policy permanent, research shows. Of the 61 organisations that took part in a six-month UK pilot in 2022, 54 (89%) are still operating the policy a year later, and 31 (51%) have made the change permanent.
What are the results of the UK's four-day week pilot cite? ›
'Before and after' data shows that 39% of employees were less stressed, and 71% had reduced levels of burnout at the end of the trial. Likewise, levels of anxiety, fatigue and sleep issues decreased, while mental and physical health both improved. Measures of work-life balance also improved across the trial period.
What were the results of the 4 day work week experiment? ›
"Improvements in physical and mental health, work-life balance and general life satisfaction, as well as reductions in burnout, found at the end of the original pilot have all been maintained one year on," researchers said.
What is the UK study 4 day workweek? ›
The UK study found that companies reduced working hours by an average of 6.6 hours, leading to a 31.6-hour week. It also found that full days off, rather than being “on call” were more effective. “Physical and mental health and work-life balance are significantly better than at six months.
What is the problem with a four-day work week? ›
Pros of a 4-day work week can include cost savings, increased productivity, and employee retention. Some disadvantages, however, can include scheduling challenges, reduced productivity, and added stress.
What is the 4 day week plan? ›
The 4 day week is a reduction in the work week while largely maintaining the same productivity, for example, shifting from a standard 40 hours to 32 hours for the same pay and benefits. This reduction has been proven to work well for employees and employers.
What are the statistics for the 4-day work week? ›
56% of employees prefer a 4-day workweek of 40 hours over a traditional 5-day schedule. The statistics show a strong preference for compressed workweeks, where longer daily hours compensate for an extra day off. By working in a four-day week model, employees can more effectively utilize workload and personal time.
Is a 4-day work week more productive? ›
'The 4-day week simply makes you happy'
It's been good for business, the company says: Productivity increased by 22%, job applications are up 88%, absenteeism is down by 66%, their carbon footprint is down with people driving less for work, and employees are less tired and happier.
Will the UK go to a four-day week? ›
Most of the UK companies that participated in a ground-breaking four-day working week trial have made the policy permanent, a new study shows. The trial, the largest ever of its kind, tested the new way of working in 61 companies.
There is no specific number of hours that makes someone full or part-time, but a full-time worker will usually work 35 hours or more a week. Part-time workers should get the same treatment for: pay rates (including sick pay, maternity, paternity and adoption leave and pay) pension opportunities and benefits.
What is the 4 day week summary? ›
Brief summary
The 4 Day Week by Andrew Barnes with Stephanie Jones explores the benefits and challenges of implementing a shorter workweek. It offers insight into how this model can lead to greater workplace productivity, happiness, and work-life balance for employees and employers alike.
Are 4 day work week still 40 hours? ›
Originally, the 4-day workweek was designed to be an overall reduction in hours — from the standard 40 hours down to 32 hours per week — but some employers have opted for variations, where employees work on a compressed work schedule that distributes the standard 40 working hours across four days instead of five.
What is 4 days working days UK? ›
What is the four-day working week? The concept is simple: employees work four days a week instead of the traditional five. There are two ways the four-day working week can operate. The first is when the hours worked in a five-day week are compressed into a four-day week, meaning longer working days.
What are the results of the 4 day week pilot? ›
Over the six-month trial period, stress and burnout for employees both significantly declined with 71% of employees reporting lower levels of burnout. Reported levels of anxiety, fatigue and sleep issues decreased, while mental and physical health both experienced improvements.
What are the results of the 4 day week in the UK? ›
- 35% average increase in revenue.
- 57% decrease in attrition rate.
- 55% reported an increase in work ability.
- 92% of businesses plan to continue.
- 71% decrease in employee burnout.
56% of employees prefer a 4-day workweek of 40 hours over a traditional 5-day schedule. The statistics show a strong preference for compressed workweeks, where longer daily hours compensate for an extra day off. By working in a four-day week model, employees can more effectively utilize workload and personal time.
What are the benefits of a 4 day week in the UK? ›
By operating a four-day working week, your business could reduce its carbon footprint, helping to achieve sustainability goals. Additionally, a four-day working week could mean fewer commuting employees, helping to reduce carbon emissions from cars and public transport.
Do you get paid for a work trial UK? ›
There is no law in the UK stating whether or not you should pay a person for trial work. Instead, there is guidance from the government about when an employer should be paying the National Minimum Wage (minimum wage). This guidance acknowledges that as an employer, you may ask a potential employee to carry out a trial.
Are most companies in the UK four-day week trial to continue with flexible working? ›
In 2022, 61 UK-based organisations participated in a six-month trial of the four-day work week. A year on from the end of the trial, 89% of the original participants still operate the policy, with 51% reporting they have made the four-day week permanent.
