Thousands of workers in the UK to participate in four-day week trial
Over 3,000 workers at about 60 companies across the United Kingdom will reportedly participate in a four-week working week trial.
This pilot scheme is the biggest initiative to take place worldwide. Employees from a broad range of charities and businesses are expected to participate in the pilot, which will initially run from June to December. This includes the London-based brewing company Pressure Drop, the Royal Society of Biology, a fish and chip shop in Norfolk, and a Manchester-based medical devices firm.
This move comes on the heels of companies adopting a shorter work week, importantly with no pay loss, aiming for improved productivity, and garnering momentum to enhance working conditions.
The pilot is being implemented by academics at Cambridge and Oxford universities, along with the U.S.’s Boston College, in collaboration with the 4 Day Week Global, the Autonomy thinktank, and the 4 Day Week UK Campaign.
Unveiling the pilot to understand the functioning of employment patterns at a wider range of firms throughout the economy, the enrollment of 3,000 workers makes the trial larger than the previous one conducted by Reykjavík city council and Iceland’s government, which had over 2,500 workers.
The research comes after the pandemic resulted in many companies and people reassessing their working patterns, with surging demand for flexible and hybrid work practices that abstain from implementing the conventional nine-to-five, five-day work week.
According to Joe O’Connor, the Chief Executive Officer of 4 Day Week Global, executives and managers are increasingly adopting a new work model which focuses on qualitative outcomes instead of quantitative working hours. O’Connor added that workers have changed their perspective regarding a healthy work-life balance post the pandemic.
Other companies to have adopted the four-day week and are not a part of the recent trial include Unilever, Atom Bank, and Panasonic.
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