Thousands of UK workers begin the world’s biggest trial of four-day week. More than 3,300 workers at 70 UK companies, ranging from a local chippy to large financial firms, start working a four-day week from Monday 13th June with no loss of pay in the world’s biggest trial of the new working pattern
The pilot is running for six months and is being organised by 4 Day Week Global in partnership with the thinktank Autonomy, the 4 Day Week Campaign, and researchers at Cambridge University, Oxford University and Boston College.
The trial is based on the 100:80:100 model – 100% of pay for 80% of the time, in exchange for a commitment to maintain 100% productivity.
What are your views on how a 4 day week would work for your organisation?
What is the timeline for the Pilot?
February – March 2022: Rollout of information sessions on the pilot program.
31 March 2022: Deadline for signing up to the first phase of the pilot program.
April 2022: Preparation, training and onboarding sessions with our support team begins.
May 2022: Establish baseline metrics for the research aspect of the pilot and get trial-ready.
June to November 2022 (inclusive): 6-month trial period.
More information on the pilot: https://www.4dayweek.com/ukpilot
What are the Potential Benefits of a 4 Day Work Week?
- Increased Productivity. An in-depth examination of the relationship and productivity conducted by Sanford University revealed a clear correlation between the two factors.
- An Equal Workplace. Research on the Gender Pay Gap from the Government Equalities Office shows that roughly two million British people are not currently in employment due to childcare responsibilities.
- Better Employee Engagement. A 4 day week can lead to happier and more committed employees.
- A Smaller Carbon Footprint. Countries with shorter working hours typically have a smaller carbon footprint so reducing our work week from 5 to 4 days could have an environmental benefit.
The importance of operational planning
Right now, many firms are looking for new ways to attract and retain the best talent – according to a recent survey of 4,000 workers in the US, 83% want a four-day workweek. This makes it more likely that firms could rush into a shorter workweek, and figure out substantial policy changes on-the-hoof.
But industry experts warns that rather than piling pressure on staff to work more quickly over fewer days, careful thought and preparation are crucial to making the working model sustainable. Not many companies do it successfully without radically transforming their daily operations. It’s crucial to craft a shorter workweek that’s fairer for everyone – from executives down to frontline workers.
Others suggests a more bespoke working model for each employee – which may include a shorter workweek – may be a better solution than simply imposing a four-day week pattern on all staff members. “A four-day workweek could be the answer for some people. But flexible working is generally desired by employees, correlates higher with engagement and wellbeing, and fits into a modern workplace.
