More than 3,000 workers at 60 companies across Britain will take part in a four-day working week pilot from June to December, in what is thought to be the largest trial of its kind worldwide. The scheme involves businesses and charities including the Royal Society of Biology, London brewer Pressure Drop, a Manchester medical devices firm, and a Norfolk fish and chip shop.
The pilot is being run by academics from the universities of Oxford and Cambridge, along with Boston College in the US, in partnership with the campaign group 4 Day Week Global, the 4 Day Week UK Campaign, and the Autonomy thinktank. It will examine how a shorter working week with no loss of pay can affect productivity and worker wellbeing.
The initiative follows the Covid pandemic, which prompted many people and companies to reconsider traditional working patterns, with a noticeable rise in hybrid and flexible arrangements. Joe O'Connor, chief executive of 4 Day Week Global, said there was no way to 'turn the clock back' to the pre-pandemic world. He added that managers and executives increasingly focus on the quality of outputs rather than the quantity of hours.
Mark Downs, chief executive of the Royal Society of Biology, said the decision to join the trial was partly a response to an 'incredibly competitive' labour market. He said it was about trying to be a good, innovative employer to attract and retain staff. The society's 35 employees mostly work in King's Cross, London, and will be split between Monday-to-Thursday and Tuesday-to-Friday shifts, with the organisation remaining open five days a week.
Other companies that have previously experimented with a four-day week include FTSE 100 firm Unilever, Japanese electronics company Panasonic, and London's app-based Atom Bank, though they are not part of this latest pilot.
