The world’s biggest trial of a four-day working week has been hailed a “major breakthrough” after nearly every company involved said they will keep to the shorter week following the pilot.
Some 61 firms signed up to the trial, which started in June 2022 and ran for six months. Crucially, the firms had to make sure there was no reduction in wages for their employees.
Around 2,900 employees working at a variety of businesses, from a chip shop to large corporations took part. Of those, 56 (92 per cent) are continuing to operate a four-day work week, while 18 have made the policy a permanent change. Only three have paused the four-day week for the time being.
Campaigners will now urge lawmakers to give every British worker a 32-hour working week.
The scheme, which was run by the 4 Day Week campaign, think-tank Autonomy and researchers at Cambridge University, Oxford University and Boston College, said employees reported levels of anxiety, fatigue and sleep issues decreased and improved mental and physical health. Some 39 per cent said they felt less stressed and 71 per cent said they felt less burnt out.
Louise said the four-day week meant she could concentrate on her family more (Photo: Citizens’ Advice)
Louise, 49, is a consumer adviser at Citizen’s Advice Gateshead, one of the organisations which signed up to the trial.
She says the four-day week pilot is allowing her to be a more supportive partner and mum.
“Personally, the four-day week means I can have my own time and get my jobs done. I go to Scotland every other weekend, and my daughter is having an operation soon, so fitting her appointments in on a Thursday means I can go with her. This means I feel more relaxed and pass that benefit back to the charity.
“Workwise, we are in a good position as we have quite a big team, around 30 of us, and it hasn’t affected our team performance or achievements negatively at all. In fact, all of our targets are being hit and each team member is currently helping 30 to 35 people on calls each day as an experienced adviser.
“Our clients are benefiting from an even higher quality of service, as we are all more refreshed. It is an intense role and you get tired by the end of week, so that extra day break allows you to be your best at all times.”
For many, the benefits of a shorter working week outweighed any financial benefits with 15 per cent saying no amount of money could tempt them back to working a five-day schedule.
Meanwhile, most firms were satisfied performance and productivity was maintained. Revenue stayed broadly consistent, rising by 1.4 per cent on average when weighted by company size, or 35 per cent when compared to a similar period from previous years.
The CEO of a consultancy firm that took part said: “When you realise that day has allowed you to be relaxed and rested, and ready to absolutely go for it on those other four days, you start to realise that to go back to working on a Friday would feel really wrong – stupid actually.”
There was a significant decline (57 per cent) in the chance that employees would quit their jobs, while the number of sick days taken also reduced by 65 per cent.
Joe Ryle, director of the 4 Day Week Campaign, said the trial’s success marked a “major breakthrough moment” for moving 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.”
Dr David Frayne, research associate at University of Cambridge and one of the campaign’s researchers, 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.”
However, the scheme was not without problems. Several staff at one large company reported concerns about increasing workloads, finding their work intensified or they were battling to work through lengthy to-do lists in the time available.
The results also revealed that some managers and staff felt the focus on efficiency had made the workplace less sociable, which was a particular concern for the creative companies involved.
One criticism of the change has been that certain industries will find it harder to transition to a shorter working week, particularly those in manufacturing, or those which already operate on shift patterns.
The consultancy firm Tyler Grange is one of the companies which has made the switch permanent for its 100 staff. Its managing director, Simon Ursell, said that the firm was “delighted” to do so after a successful trial, which found that staff produced 102 per cent of their five-day work load in a shorter working week.
“The UK has an unhealthy culture where it is seen as a badge of honour to work all the time, yet our productivity levels are low and younger talent – as well as the brilliant talent that we want to attract at all levels of our business – doesn’t want to be defined by a burnout life,” he added.
Ursell said that staff had used their spare day not just to look after their families and see friends, but also to undertake personal projects.
Talent co-ordinator Allie Mason has written a book called The Autistic Guide to Adventure on her days off, ecology associate Nathan Jenkinson has started a carpentry course, while senior ecologist Becky Freeman has used her Fridays off to undertake humanitarian work in Ukraine.
Tyler Grange also found that there was an unexpected benefit: there had been 21 per cent fewer car journeys undertaken by its employees in the six-month scheme.
Campaigners and academics will present the full results of the trial at an event in the House of Commons today.
