Thousands of employees take part in biggest ever four-day week pilot
Seventy UK companies and over 3,300 workers began working a four-day week with no loss of pay last week in the biggest ever four-day week pilot to take place anywhere in the world so far.
Participating organisations are trialling a four-day week with no loss of pay for employees, based on the principle of the 100:80:100 model – 100 per cent of the pay for 80 per cent of the time, in exchange for a commitment to maintain at least 100 per cent productivity.
The pilot is running for six months and is being organised by 4 Day Week Global in partnership with leading think tank Autonomy, the 4 Day Week UK Campaign, and researchers at Cambridge University, Oxford University and Boston College.
From a local chippy to large corporates, companies in the UK pilot provide products and services ranging from education to workplace consultancy; banking; care; financial services; IT software training; professional development and legal training; housing; automotive supply services; online retail; sustainable homecare; skincare; telco; animation studios; building and construction recruitment services; food and beverage and hospitality; digital marketing; and comprehensive case management services for people recovering from traumatic injury.
Researchers will work with each participating organisation to measure the impact on productivity in the business and the wellbeing of its workers, as well as the impact on the environment and gender equality.
Government backed four-day week trials are also due to begin later this year in Spain and Scotland.
Joe O Connor, CEO of 4 Day Week Global, said: “The UK is at the crest of a wave of global momentum behind the four-day week.
“As we emerge from the pandemic, more and more companies are recognising 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.
“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.”
Juliet Schor, Professor of Sociology at Boston College, and lead researcher on the pilot, said: “I'm excited to be working on the research side for this historic trial.
“We'll be analysing 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.
“The four-day week is generally considered to be a triple dividend policy – helping employees, companies, and the climate.
“Our research efforts will be digging into all of this.”
Ed Siegel, CEO of Charity Bank, which is participating in the pilot, said: “We have long been a champion of flexible working, but the pandemic really moved the goalposts in this regard.
“For Charity Bank the move to a four-day week seems a natural next step.
“The 20th-century concept of a fiveday working week is no longer the best fit for 21st-century business.
“We firmly believe that a four-day week with no change to salary or benefits will create a happier workforce and will have an equally positive impact on business productivity, customer experience and our social mission.
“We are proud to be one of the first banks in the UK to embrace the fourday week and as one of our board members put it, we believe this trial will put Charity Bank on the right side of history.”