Four-Day Week: Most UK Firms To Continue With 3 Weekends For Staff As Trial Ends, Report Says

At the end of the 6-month trial, the world’s largest, 56 of the 61 participant companies have extended the 4-day week, with 18 of them making it permanent.

For employers, a four-day workweek can ensure higher performance by workers and profits due to a cut in costs. [Image used for representational purpose only]

Source : Getty

In June 2022, over 60 companies in the United Kingdom started working only four days a week, with no loss of pay for the employees, as part of the world’s largest trial of the new working pattern. At the end of the six-month trial, 56 companies have extended the four-day week, with 18 of them making it permanent, according to a report prepared by the team behind the trial.

The report is to be presented to MPs Tuesday to urge politicians to make it a 32-hour work week for all employees in Britain, The Guardian reported.

The trial was based on a model that worked on a “100:80:100” pattern — 100 percent of pay for 80 per cent of the workers’ time, to maintain 100 per cent productivity, the news report said.

The UK pilot was organised by not-for-profit 4 Day Week Global, which was founded in  New Zealand, in partnership with a think tank, Autonomy, and a research team of leading academics from the UK and the US. 

“...the four-day week with no loss of pay really works,” Joe Ryle, the director of the 4 Day Week Campaign, was quoted as saying in the report published by Autonomy and researchers at the University of Cambridge and Boston College in the US. He called the trial a “major breakthrough moment”.

“This is a major breakthrough moment for the movement towards a four-day working week. Across a wide variety of different sectors of the economy, these incredible results show that the four-day week with no loss of pay really works. Surely the time has now come to begin rolling it out across the country,” he said.

“We feel really encouraged by the results, which showed the many ways companies were turning the four-day week from a dream into a realistic policy, with multiple benefits. We think there is a lot here that ought to motivate other companies and industries to give it a try,” Dr David Frayne, Research Associate at the University of Cambridge, was quoted as saying.

The report published on the Autonomy website shared the findings of the trial and said a majority of the participating companies were satisfied with the results as they were able to maintain business performance and productivity despite working only four days a week. 

Key Findings Of The Trial 

• Stress and burnout declined for 71% of the employees, according to the report.
• Fewer people reported anxiety, fatigue and sleep issues, while more people had better mental and physical health.
• Better “work-life balance” reported. Employees said it was easier to balance work with both family and social commitments, and manage time.
• The companies’ revenue remained broadly the same, “rising by 1.4% on average”.
• Job retention improved, with a substantial 57% decline in the likelihood of an employee quitting.
• 65% reduction in sick leaves.

Why 4-Day Week

Following are some of the benefits of a 32-hour workweek the 4 Day Week Global listed on its website. 

Workers will have a better work-life balance, getting adequate rest, leisure time to pursue hobbies, more time for household and parenting duties, and a chance to save the money incurred on the commute to the office.

For employers, a four-day workweek can ensure higher performance by workers and profits due to a cut in costs. Besides, organisations will be able to retain high-quality employees “who are happier and less stressed and take fewer sick days”.

The economy will benefit too as more free time would encourage people to take more short breaks, which will in turn boost tourism.

4 Day Week Global also listed gender equality, because of “a more equal share of paid and unpaid work, including of caring roles traditionally ascribed to women”, and stronger communities due to people getting more time to build relationships as other benefits.

Reduced carbon footprint will be another gain, the organisation says, as a four-day week would help take cars off the road to some extent.

What The Companies Part Of Trial Are Saying  

At Rivelin Robotics, the staff have been enjoying a three-day weekend since last summer. Speaking to The Guardian, its chief technology officer David Alatorre said they opted to let the employees take Fridays off, in lieu of a commitment to putting in extra hours as the four weekdays were extended to 8 am - 5.30 pm.

The start-up with just eight staff members did face challenges, though, and hence it was “quite common that we’ll be contacted on a Friday”, Alatorre was quoted as saying. However, he added, the flexibility was comforting as he could be at home on Fridays even though he might end up working some of it.

At Charity Bank in Kent’s Tonbridge, the management is planning to continue with the four-day week for its 70 employees, the Guardian report said.