Testing out a four day week

A FAMILY have told of their shock after their “beautiful and generous” daughter died from an a c c ide nt a l dr u g s overdose.

Jessica Gibson (31) was on holiday with her parents Andy and Jennifer, from Banbridge, Co Down, when she passed away on July 9.

Mr Gibson said: “She was really outgoing, she was funny and she was very confident and compassionate.”

They had travelled to Blackpool on July 1 for a last-minute break after Covid scuppered a planned holiday in Lanzarote.

Collapsed

Jessica, a mother of one, went on to Liverpool to meet friends, intending to travel home the following day.

But she collapsed at a flat in the city and was rushed to Royal

Liverpool Hospital, where she died from what was found to be a heroin and cocaine overdose.

Her parents said there were never any signs Jessica had taken heroin and a court heard there was no evidence she was “drug dependent”.

Mrs Gibson told her inquest that she had no idea how her daughter got hold of heroin. 17 IRISH companies have signed up to take part in a new pilot programme which will test out the effectiveness of a fourday working week.

The campaign is being run by Four Day Week Ireland, who discussed the pilot programme in a meeting with the Joint Oireachtas Committee on Enterprise, Trade and Employment yesterday.

The group claims a four- day working week will not only lead to a better work/ life balance for employees but also has benefits for employers with higher productivity recorded in a number of instances.

The companies signed up range from recruitment to manufacturers.