A major trial of a 4-day week (on same pay) sees "vast majority" of organisations extending or making it permanent

Photo by Christopher Burns on Unsplash

Great news, as reported by the Guardian:

The vast majority of companies taking part in the world’s largest trial of a four-day week have opted to continue with the new working pattern, in a result hailed as evidence that it could work across the UK economy.

Of the 61 companies that entered the six-month trial, 56 have extended the four-day week, including 18 who have made it permanent.

The findings will be presented to MPs on Tuesday as part of a push urging politicians to give all workers in Britain a 32-hour week.

Joe Ryle, the director of the 4 Day Week Campaign, called the trial a “major breakthrough moment”, adding: “Across a wide variety of sectors, wellbeing has improved dramatically for staff; and business productivity has either been maintained or improved in nearly every case.

“We’re really pleased with the results and hopefully it does show that the time to roll out a four-day week more widely has surely come.”

At Sheffield-based Rivelin Robotics, one of the participating firms that plans to continue with the new approach, the chief product officer, David Mason, said he hoped offering a shorter working week will help with future recruitment. “It’s certainly something that makes us a little bit different from the average.”

The UK pilot, which kicked off last June, has been promoted by 4 Day Week Global, a not-for-profit organisation founded in New Zealand, and overseen by the thinktank Autonomy and a team of academics.

Companies taking part were offered workshops and mentoring to help them rethink working practices. Staff were given the opportunity to remain on their existing salary, working across four days instead of five.

More here. The Four-Day Week site has a rich archive of stories and media coverage:

The Metro - 3,000 workers across UK taking part in four-day working week trial New York Times - In Britain, a New Test of an Old Dream: The 4-Day Workweek The Times - Companies switching to four-day week save £18,000 a year Daily Mail Exclusive - Two-thirds of the public want Boris Johnson to look at bringing in a four-day working week after coronavirus crisis BBC News - The workers getting 100% pay for 80% of the hours The Guardian - Four-day working week would slash UK carbon footprint, report says The Spectator - Why Conservatives should support a four-day week Good Morning Britain - New Four-Day Working Week Trial Sparks Productivity and Pay Debate

And from the FT:

Businesses adopted a range of approaches for the four-day week, including offering Friday off to staff. Other companies let staff work 80 per cent of their previous hours on a flexible basis.

Revenue at participating companies rose on average more than a third over the trial period compared with the same time in 2021. The number of staff leaving companies fell significantly.

Lead researcher Professor Juliet Schor, of Boston College, said: “Results are largely steady across workplaces of varying sizes, demonstrating this is an innovation which works for many types of organisations.”

More: Senedd committee backs four-day working week trial in Wales.

It took a pandemic to shift the boundaries… but it looks like we are readying ourselves for a significant shift to the balance between work and life. We have reasonably long memories, and can recall the New Economics Foundation arguing for a 21 hour week in 2010. It seems a long shot then - but as planetary limits and limitlessly productive AI crowd in on us, could this even more radical target be raised again?