Is a four-day working week the way forward?

ACCORDING to a trial by the University of Cambridge (Mail), people working a four-day week are more productive and take fewer sick days. I don’t expect this means they are receiving a lower wage or working two more hours a day.

GLAD BROWN, Ringwood, Hants. PARTICIPATION in a trial that, if a success, would result in a four-day working week would make me ensure it was. PETER DONOGHUE, Richmond, SW London. SHOULDN’T we reduce staff by 20 per cent rather than cut working days?

STEPHEN LYONS, Ballymoney, Co. Antrim.

THE four-day working week is certainly nothing new.

My wife and I ran a small factory in the 1970s. When then Prime Minister Ted Heath put everyone on a three-day week to conserve electricity, we arranged the workload so our employees had something to do on the fourth day while still getting a full-time salary. Turnover improved, the bonus system went up and everyone was happy.

So after the crisis ended, we carried on with a four-day week.

Half the staff worked Monday to Thursday one week and Tuesday to Friday the following week. The other half did vice-versa, so the factory was running five days a week. Productivity soared and everyone enjoyed having a four-day weekend every fortnight. TONY NORTON, Bournemouth.

THE trial of a four-day working week while being paid the same showed employees were less stressed.

I am happy to participate in a trial to investigate a no-day working week. I’m sure the results will show I’m stressfree. And workplace accidents, bullying and production issues would disappear. D. FITZGERALD, Melbourne, Australia.