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Have you trialled a 4-day working week?

Steve Bridger

We last discussed this a couple of years ago, and we learn today that nearly all of the companies that took part in the world’s largest trial of the four-day week have decided to continue with the new structure of the working week, The Guardian reports. 



Of the 61 companies that entered the six-month trial, 56 have extended the four-day week, including 18 who have made it permanent.

The findings will be presented to MPs [today] as part of a push urging politicians to give all workers in Britain a 32-hour week.

In total, about 2,900 employees across the UK have taken part in the pilot. Surveys of staff taken before and after found that 39% said they were less stressed, 40% were sleeping better and 54% said it was easier to balance work and home responsibilities.

The number of sick days taken during the trial fell by about two-thirds and 57% fewer staff left the firms taking part compared with the same period a year earlier.

Also, a BBC News piece here.

At CIPD we published this report last autumn, and covered the topic in this insightful podcast. 

What do you think? 

It would be particularly interesting to hear from anyone working at one of the trial settings - or from anyone looking to take this step.

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  • Just some thoughts on the concept of a four day working week.

    - if the length of the working day remains the same e.g. 7.5 hours then reducing from 5 days to 4 with no change in salary requires a 25% increase in productivity - tough ask. The UK is already close to the bottom of the productivity league - could the economy take it?

    - if 5 day working hours are compressed into 4 then in theory no increase in productivity is required - although the perceived better work/life balance may lead to an expectation of increased productivity, the longer days may cancel that out.

    - if the business model allows it then Mon-Thu would be ideal, if it doesn't then any 4 from 5 (or 7 for many industries, including mine) may work.- with compressed hours.

    - It can work where the activities are not time bound - tough in for example a contact centre environment or where the activities coincide with fixed time events.

    - 168 hours in a week, 112 waking hours assuming 8 hours a night sleep. If we based it on a 40 hour five day working week with an hour a day travelling then the balance is 45 hours work/67 hours life - so there is already a reasonably healthy balance but if the work allows it then moving away from a typical 8 hours continuous work to 'any 8 hours' could provide any needed flexibility. FWR for reduced hours (at proportionally reduced pay) can give greater flexibility without the hit on productivity/profitability.

    In conclusion - am I against it in principle? No. But it does present huge, and in some instances insurmountable challenges. Also, for the record, I have spent my very long (I'm retiring this year) continuously working in 'for profit' private sector organisations and that will clearly influence my opinions through my lived experience.
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  • Just some thoughts on the concept of a four day working week.

    - if the length of the working day remains the same e.g. 7.5 hours then reducing from 5 days to 4 with no change in salary requires a 25% increase in productivity - tough ask. The UK is already close to the bottom of the productivity league - could the economy take it?

    - if 5 day working hours are compressed into 4 then in theory no increase in productivity is required - although the perceived better work/life balance may lead to an expectation of increased productivity, the longer days may cancel that out.

    - if the business model allows it then Mon-Thu would be ideal, if it doesn't then any 4 from 5 (or 7 for many industries, including mine) may work.- with compressed hours.

    - It can work where the activities are not time bound - tough in for example a contact centre environment or where the activities coincide with fixed time events.

    - 168 hours in a week, 112 waking hours assuming 8 hours a night sleep. If we based it on a 40 hour five day working week with an hour a day travelling then the balance is 45 hours work/67 hours life - so there is already a reasonably healthy balance but if the work allows it then moving away from a typical 8 hours continuous work to 'any 8 hours' could provide any needed flexibility. FWR for reduced hours (at proportionally reduced pay) can give greater flexibility without the hit on productivity/profitability.

    In conclusion - am I against it in principle? No. But it does present huge, and in some instances insurmountable challenges. Also, for the record, I have spent my very long (I'm retiring this year) continuously working in 'for profit' private sector organisations and that will clearly influence my opinions through my lived experience.
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