70 Companies Participating in Trial of Four-Day Working Week
A six-month trial has begun into the benefits of a four-day working week with no loss of pay.
More than 3,300 workers across thirty sectors will receive 100% pay for 80% time, under the trial. Workers must commit to maintaining at least 100% productivity.
The pilot is being co-ordinated by 4 Day Week Global in partnership with think tank Autonomy, the 4 Day Week Campaign, and researchers from Cambridge University, Oxford University and Boston College.
The purpose of the trial is to explore the benefits of a compressed working week, which could include increased productivity and improved staff retention. Some employers are so confident in the model that they have committed to the four-day working week independent of the pilot study. Atom Bank announced in November that it would move permanently to a four day week, whilst Morrisons supermarket has said it will be introducing the four day week for staff in its Bradford headquarters.
Compressed Hours Under the Spotlight
The four-day week trial has attracted significant media attention, and there is an increasing awareness amongst staff of compressed hours as a potential working model. Combined with the general trend towards hybrid working, employers might receive more enquiries from staff interested in a compressed working week. Eligible staff can submit formal flexible work requests in order to ask employers to explore the practicalities of a compressed working week in individual scenarios.
