Four-day week made permanent by most UK companies taking part in world’s biggest trial

Most companies who took part in the biggest four-day working week trial have now made it a permanent policy, research shows.

It seems people are happier when they have enough free time to spend with loved ones as well as some much needed rest, and with batteries fully charged they feel ready to take on the new working week.

With long commutes Monday-Friday and two days a week to do your weekly shop, get the washing done, look after the kids, clean the house, visit friends and family and somehow find time to chill, the weekly grind can be tough.

A six-month UK pilot of the four-day work week took place in 2022 and saw 61 organisations take part, of which, 54 (89%) are still operating under the policy a year later and 31 (51%) have made the change permanent – according to a report.

In the trial, staff did not work longer days to make up for the missing fifth, nor did they take a pay cut, instead, they got all their work for the week complete within a 32-hour week.

More than half the project managers and CEOs of the companies said the move to a four-day work week – where staff work 100% of their output in 80% of their time – had a positive impact on their organisations.

As reported in The Guardian, improvements included 82% seeing positive effects on staff wellbeing, 50% found it reduced staff turnover and 32% said it helped with staff recruitment. Almost half (46%) said the changes helped improve working and productivity.

Author of the report, an American economist and Sociology Professor at Boston College, said the results showed ‘long lasting’ effects.

She added: “Physical and mental health, and work-life balance are significantly better than at six months. Burnout and life satisfaction improvements held steady.”

But, Matthew Percival, a director at the Confederation of British Industry said the four-day work week was not a ‘one-size fits all answer’ and it was unlikely it would pay for itself in many industries.

He said: “If businesses have the budget to add to their offer to employees, then they will be considering the relative merits of reducing working hours compared to increasing pay, pensions or paid parental leave, as well as better supporting health and wellbeing.”

However, the four-day working week report, created by the thinktank Autonomy and researchers from the University of Cambridge, the University of Salford and Boston College in the US, found that ‘many of the significant benefits found during the initial trial persisted 12 months on’, although they noted the sample size used in the trial was small. 

One charity which took part in the trial reported employee satisfaction and that it offered a good alternative for not being able to offer high salaries.

Paul Oliver, chief operating officer at Citizens Advice Gateshead, said: “We wanted to see a way to improve staff conditions so they would be better rested and could give more to work.”

Though some challenges faced by companies included working with clients and stakeholders where the four-day working week was not in practice. In places where the policy was implemented unevenly, there was some resentment from staff.

The Scottish government launched a four-day working week trial for some public services this month, with an aye for a wider rollout if it proves successful.

A government spokesperson said: “We have no plans to introduce a four-day working week. 

“Ultimately it is for employers and employees to agree what working arrangements work best for them, and we will be making changes to our flexible working legislation in April, including the right to request flexible working from day 1 of a new job.”

It seems we’re still a bit away from the dream of that sweet work-life balance, but the four-day work week could still become the norm for many of us in the near future. 

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