4-day workweek success: 89% of UK companies in trial continuing policy

Feb 22

Simone Del Rosario Reporter

By Simone Del Rosario (Reporter), Alex Peebles (Producer), Ian Kennedy (Video Editor)

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According to a LinkedIn survey, the “Sunday scaries” impact 75% of Americans as they head into another long week of work — and they aren’t alone. A test run from 2023 could ease the anxiety brought on by those Sunday scaries. 61 U.K. companies participated in the world’s largest four-day workweek test run in 2023, and the results seem to be sticking in 2024.

“If you give people this incredible incentive of a whole day of your time a week, they are going to work really hard to become more productive,” Simon Ursell, managing director at one of the participating companies, told the BBC in 2023.

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That thought drove the U.K.-based four-day week pilot trial. One year later, a look back at the program gives researchers and companies across industries and the world insight into whether it would work long-term.

According to a newly released report by the think tank Autonomy, of the 61 companies that participated, 89% of them have continued the four-day workweek policy and 51% have made it official, permanently switching the workweek from five days to four days.

Shortly after the trial ended in 2023, Ursell told the BBC that while it is great for employees’ work-life balance, it has also been great for productivity, with his staff calling out sick 65% less frequently and no drop in revenue.

“We’ve seen our fatigue come down through the trial so we can prove that our team are happier, less tired and are making more money,” Ursell said.

Twelve months later, Ursell’s findings hold true, according to Professor of Sociology at Boston College Juliet Schor, the author of the Autonomy report.

“Overall results have held and in some cases have even continued to improve,” Schor said in a statement. “Physical and mental health and work-life balance are significantly better than at six months. Burnout and life satisfaction improvements held steady. Job satisfaction and sleep problems nudged down a bit, but the bulk of the original improvement remains.”

Of the staff who participated in the trial, 96% reported their personal life had benefitted from the shortened week and 86% said they were more productive. 82% of companies that took part reported positive effects of the policy, and one-third saw a noticeable uptick in recruiting, with half reporting better staff retention.

Schor and other researchers contend that four-day workweeks can help companies combat high turnover rates — which have been exacerbated by the pandemic — and increase overall efficiency.

Not everyone agrees that a four-day workweek is the answer. According to reporting by The Guardian, the director at the Confederation of British Industries said the policy is not a one-size-fits-all answer and that not all industries can afford such a policy.

In February, the Scottish government implemented its own four-day workweek trial for some of its public services.

Tags: BBC, Mental health, Pandemic, Remote work, Scotland, United Kingdom

[SIMONE DEL ROSARIO]

ARE YOU SICK OF THE SUNDAY SCARIES SETTING IN AS YOU STARE DOWN THE LONG WORK WEEK AHEAD?

SO WERE THE VAST MAJORITY OF THE 61 U.K. COMPANIES THAT PARTICIPATED IN THE WORLD’S LARGEST FOUR-DAY WORK WEEK TEST RUN LAST YEAR.

MORE THAN HALF HAVE MADE THE FOUR-DAY TRIAL PERMANENT IN THE WORKPLACE.

SIMON URSELL – MANAGING DIRECTOR AT TYLER GRANGE: “IF YOU GIVE PEOPLE THIS INCREDIBLE INCENTIVE OF A WHOLE DAY OF YOUR TIME A WEEK, THEY ARE GOING TO WORK REALLY HARD TO BECOME MORE PRODUCTIVE.”

[SIMONE DEL ROSARIO]

IT WAS THIS THOUGHT THAT DROVE LAST YEAR’S FOUR-DAY WEEK PILOT TRIAL – COMPANIES ACROSS THE U.K. PARTICIPATED IN.

NOW, ONE YEAR LATER A LOOK BACK AT THE PROGRAM IS GIVING US INSIGHT INTO WHETHER IT’LL WORK LONG TERM.

ACCORDING TO A NEWLY RELEASED REPORT BY THE THINKTANK, AUTONOMY. OF THE 61 COMPANIES THAT TOOK PART IN THE TRIAL, 89% OF THEM HAVE CONTINUED THE FOUR-DAY WORK WEEK POLICY AND 51% HAVE MADE IT OFFICIAL, PERMANENTLY SWITCHING FROM FIVE-DAY WEEKS TO FOUR.

SHORTLY AFTER THE TRIAL ENDED LAST YEAR, SIMON URSELL, THE MANAGING DIRECTOR AT ONE OF THE FIRMS, TOLD THE BBC THAT WHILE THE FOUR-DAY WEEK IS GREAT FOR EMPLOYEES’ WORK-LIFE BALANCE, IT’S ALSO BEEN GREAT FOR PRODUCTIVITY. HE SAYS STAFF ARE TAKING 65% FEWER SICK DAYS AND THEY HAVEN’T SEEN A DROP IN REVENUE.

SIMON URSELL – MANAGING DIRECTOR AT TYLER GRANGE: “WE’VE SEEN OUR FATIGUE COME DOWN THROUGH THE TRIAL SO WE CAN PROVE THAT OUR TEAM ARE HAPPIER, LESS TIRED AND ARE MAKING MORE MONEY.”

[SIMONE DEL ROSARIO]

12 MONTHS LATER, URSELL’S INITIAL FINDINGS HAVE STAYING POWER, ACCORDING TO THE AUTONOMY REPORTS AUTHOR, BOSTON COLLEGE SOCIOLOGY PROFESSOR JULIET SCHOR

JULIET SCHOR – PROFESSOR OF SOCIOLOGY AT BOSTON COLLEGE: “I’VE BEEN STUDYING WORK SINCE THE 1980’S AND I’VE NEVER SEEN ANYTHING LIKE WHAT’S HAPPENING TODAY.”

[SIMONE DEL ROSARIO]

SCHOR’S FINDINGS SHOWED “REAL AND LONG LASTING” POSITIVE EFFECTS.

96% OF STAFF WHO PARTICIPATED IN THE TRIAL REPORTED THEIR PERSONAL LIFE BENEFITTED FROM THE SHORTENED WEEK, AND 86% SAY THEY ARE MORE PRODUCTIVE.

THE MAJORITY OF COMPANIES THAT TOOK PART – 82% – REPORTED POSITIVE EFFECTS OF THE POLICY AND ONE-THIRD SAW A NOTICEABLE UPTICK IN RECRUITING WITH HALF REPORTING BETTER STAFF RETENTION.

WHILE SCHOR AND OTHER RESEARCHERS CONTEND THAT FOUR-DAY WORK WEEKS HELP COMPANIES COMBAT HIGH TURNOVER RATES EXACERBATED BY THE PANDEMIC, NOT EVERYONE AGREES THAT A FOUR-DAY WORK WEEK IS THE ANSWER.

THE DIRECTOR AT THE CONFEDERATION OF BRITISH INDUSTRIES SAYS THE POLICY IS NOT ONE-SIZE-FITS-ALL AND ARGUES NOT ALL INDUSTRIES CAN AFFORD SUCH A POLICY.

MEANWHILE, THIS MONTH THE SCOTTISH GOVERNMENT HAS IMPLEMENTED ITS OWN FOUR-DAY WORK WEEK TEST-RUN FOR SOME OF ITS PUBLIC SERVICES.