March 2, 2023

The overwhelming majority of businesses participating in the biggest four-day workweek trial in history chose to keep the new schedule, which has been hailed as proof that it could be successful across the UK economy.

The four-day workweek has been extended by 56 out of the 61 businesses that participated in the six-month trial, including 18 that have made it permanent.

The results will be given to MPs on Tuesday as part of a campaign urging politicians to mandate a 32-hour workweek for all British workers.

The trial was a “major breakthrough moment,” according to Joe Ryle, the director of the 4 Day Week Campaign, who also noted that company productivity had either been maintained or increased across a broad range of sectors.

“We’re really happy with the results, and hopefully they demonstrate that the moment to expand the use of a four-day workweek has come.”

David Mason, the chief product officer at Sheffield-based Rivelin Robotics, one of the participating companies that intends to keep using the new strategy, expressed his optimism that providing a shorter workweek would aid in future hiring. “It’s definitely something that sets us apart from the norm a little bit.”

The New Zealand-based non-profit 4 Day Week Global pushed the UK pilot, which began last June. The thinktank Autonomy and a group of academics are in charge of the project.

Workshops and guidance were provided to participating companies to assist them in reevaluating their working procedures. Employees were offered the option to continue working five days a week but still receive their current salary.

Rivelin Robotics employees have been having a three-day weekend since last summer. “We wanted to instill a culture of putting wellbeing first in the business, making sure that everyone is rested and has a decent work-life balance,” said David Alatorre, its chief technology officer.

Around 2,900 workers from all over the UK have participated in the pilot. Surveys of employees conducted before and after the change revealed that 39% reported feeling less stressed, 40% reported sleeping better, and 54% said it was simpler to manage work and personal obligations.

In comparison to the same time a year prior, there was a roughly two-thirds decrease in the number of sick days taken during the trial, and 57% fewer employees departed the participating firms.

Source: The Guardian
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