4 day week movement gains momentum

Feb 2023

Organisations taking part in the UK’s 6-month pilot, from June to December 2022, trialled a four-day week with no loss of pay for roughly around 2,900 employees overall. The results of the trial were analysed by a team of researchers at the University of Cambridge in the U.K., Boston College in the U.S., and the London-based think tank Autonomy, as well as 4 Day Week Global and U.K.’s 4 Day Week Campaign.

The results of the world’s biggest ever four-day working week pilot revealed great improvements in business performance and productivity with significantly declined stress and burnout for employees as well as improved mental and physical health.

When less is more

61 companies participated in the UK pilot programme and at least 56 (92%) decided to continue with the four-day week (mostly 32hrs), with 18 saying the policy is a permanent change. Other results of the ground-breaking trial included %65 reduction in the number of sick days, %57 decline in the likelihood that an employee would quit, 1.4% rise on average in the companies’ revenues, decrease in the reported levels of anxiety, fatigue and sleep issues, and improvement in mental and physical health.

More companies sign up for 4-day workweek as the 6-month UK trial ends with positive results for participant companies, which provide products and services ranging from education to workplace consultancy; banking; care; financial services; IT software training; professional development and legal training; housing; automotive supply services; online retail; sustainable homecare; skincare; animation studios; building and construction recruitment services; food and beverage and hospitality; digital marketing; and comprehensive case management services for people recovering from traumatic injury.

The two biggest companies that have signed up are Atom Bank and global marketing company Awin, who each have about 450 staff in the UK. They have been accredited by the four-day week campaign, meaning they have demonstrated that they have genuinely reduced hours for workers rather than forcing them into longer days.

Diverse results across industries

As the trial gained a lot of attention in the UK but also global media coverage, Charlotte Lockhart, 4 Day Week Global Co-Founder and Managing Director said: “We’re delighted to add these overwhelmingly positive results to our ever-growing evidence base in favour of reduced-hour, output-focused working.

“Not only do these findings demonstrate that the UK pilot programme was a resounding success, but it is encouraging to note that they largely mirror the outcomes from our earlier trials in Ireland and the US, further strengthening the arguments for a four-day week.”

Lockhart pointed out the diversity in findings across various industries stating that “non-profit and professional service employees had larger increase in time spent exercising, while the small group of construction/manufacturing workers had biggest reduction in burnout and sleep problems.”

Dr David Frayne, Research Associate at University of Cambridge, said: “We feel really encouraged by the results, which showed the many ways companies were turning the four-day week from a dream into a realistic policy, with multiple benefits. We think there is a lot here that ought to motivate other companies and industries to give it a try.”

Although security industry has yet to catch up with the new four-day week model, especially the field of cyber security shows promise, according to Keiron Holyome, Vice-President of the UK, Ireland and the Middle East at Blackberry, who stated: “Having to always be “on” while adapting to this new way of working is not easy when any reduction in surveillance gives attackers ample leeway to strike. Cyber security is critical and not a function that can afford to stop working for any length of time at all.

“The advantages of AI and the benefits of outsourcing or augmenting your team with threat management experts alleviates the ongoing pressures of cyber surveillance to make a shorter working week viable, even for this most critical of business functions.”

Now, Autonomy, an independent and progressive think tank, teamed up with 4 Day Week Campaign to launch the first ever four-day week National Rollout Programme for UK companies and organisations interested in moving to a four-day week this year.