Four-day workweek trial in UK: Shorter hours, happier employees

Findings present corporations’ reported income largely stayed the identical, and even rose, over the June to December trial interval.

A trial of a four-day workweek involving 61 corporations and their almost 3,000 workers final yr within the UK resulted in happier staff and confirmed no modifications, and even progress, in revenues, researchers say [File: Tolga Akmen/EPA]

A trial of a four-day workweek in Britain – billed because the world’s largest – discovered an awesome majority of the 61 corporations that participated will preserve going with the shorter hours and most workers had been much less burdened and burned-out.

That was all whereas income reported by the collaborating corporations largely stayed the identical over the June to December trial interval and even grew in contrast with the identical six months a yr earlier, in response to the findings launched this week.

“We really feel actually inspired by the outcomes, which confirmed the numerous methods corporations had been turning the four-day week from a dream into a sensible coverage with a number of advantages,” mentioned David Frayne, analysis affiliate on the College of Cambridge who helped lead the group conducting worker interviews for the trial.

“We expect there's a lot right here that should inspire different corporations and industries to provide it a attempt,” he mentioned.

Improved psychological well being

The college’s group labored with researchers from Boston Faculty; Autonomy, a analysis organisation targeted on the way forward for work; and the 4 Day Week International nonprofit neighborhood to see how the businesses would reply to lowered work hours whereas pay stayed the identical. Industries spanning advertising and finance to nonprofits took half, as did their 2,900 staff.

Not surprisingly, workers reported advantages with 71 p.c saying they had been much less burned-out, 39 p.c saying they had been much less burdened and 48 p.c saying they had been extra glad with their jobs than earlier than the trial.

Of the employees, 60 p.c mentioned it was simpler to steadiness work and tasks at residence whereas 73 p.c reported elevated satisfaction with their lives. Fatigue went down, individuals had been sleeping extra and psychological well being improved, in response to the findings.

“We acquired plenty of very joyful individuals,” Cambridge College Professor Brendan Burchell mentioned. “Individuals actually loved it. They discovered it such a reward to have three-day weekends as a substitute of two-day weekends.”

Income static

UK environmental consultancy Tyler Grange was amongst 18 companies to completely undertake the four-day week after collaborating.

“My expertise has solely been actually, actually constructive,” consumer director Nathan Jenkinson mentioned. “You possibly can see it in individuals day-to-day at work, that they’re extra energised at work.”

For corporations that rolled out the shorter work hours – whether or not it was one much less workday every week or longer hours in elements of the yr and shorter hours the remainder of the time to make a median 32-hour week – income was not affected, the findings present.

Income grew 1.4 p.c over the course of the trial for 23 corporations that supplied sufficient information – weighted for the dimensions of the enterprise – whereas a separate 24 corporations noticed income climb greater than 34 p.c from the identical six-month interval a yr earlier.

There was a drop within the chance of workers quitting, down 57 p.c in contrast with the identical interval a yr earlier, in addition to these calling out sick, down 65 p.c from a yr in the past.

Of the businesses, 92 p.c reported they might proceed with the four-day workweek with 30 p.c saying it's a everlasting change.

“Not solely do these findings reveal that the UK pilot programme was a powerful success, however it's encouraging to notice that they largely mirror the outcomes from our earlier trials in Eire and the US, additional strengthening the arguments for a four-day week,” mentioned Charlotte Lockhart, co-founder and managing director of 4 Day Week International.

There are, in fact, industries that might not institute shorter hours as a result of they want staff across the clock, equivalent to hospitals and first responders. Such staff and lots of others have been strolling off the job within the UK in latest months demanding higher working situations and pay that retains tempo with the excessive price of residing.

The COVID-19 pandemic modified the best way the world works with individuals searching for larger flexibility to enhance work-life steadiness.