Seventeen UK companies, together with Crate Brewery in Hackney and the British Society for Immunology, are launching a six-month trial of the four-day working week with over 1,000 workers collaborating.
Organised by the 4 Day Week Marketing campaign, this trial lets employees preserve full pay whereas working solely 4 days every week.
This follows a profitable trial in 2022, the place 56 out of 61 collaborating firms completely adopted the shorter week after reporting improved workers morale, diminished stress, and no adverse influence on efficiency.
The trial will run till April, with information on worker wellbeing, productiveness, and burnout collected by researchers from Cambridge College, the Autonomy Institute, and Boston School. Findings will likely be introduced to the federal government subsequent summer time, providing additional perception into the feasibility of a four-day work mannequin.
Labour has proven curiosity in versatile work choices, with Deputy Prime Minister Angela Rayner stating that it poses “no threat to the economy.” Joe Ryle, director of the 4 Day Week Marketing campaign, champions the mannequin for providing “50 per cent more free time and no loss in pay,” selling happier, extra fulfilling lives.
For firms like Crate Brewery, the trial gives a novel benefit within the hospitality trade. Georgia Pearson, the corporate’s individuals supervisor, remarked that this “groundbreaking” shift not solely helps worker wellbeing but additionally offers a aggressive hiring edge. Doug Brown, CEO of the BSI, expressed optimism for improved work-life steadiness amongst workers, whereas underscoring the significance of sustaining excessive service requirements.
Already, near 200 UK firms have adopted the four-day week, and a latest survey by Owl Labs means that 1.5 million UK workers are working four-day weeks, exhibiting rising curiosity on this method throughout the workforce.
