Trials Show Increase in Satisfaction and Productivity
The six-month trial, canvassed by the 4 Day Week Foundation, featured companies from charities to professional services. They varied in size from five to 400 employees, and the British Society for Immunology and Crate Brewery in East London were among the organisations that took part. All participating companies elected to continue with the new lines with either a four-day week or a nine-day fortnight.
That follows a bigger pilot in 2022, in which nearly 3,000 employees at 61 companies tested the model of a shorter workweek — 56 opted for the shorter hours long term. The latest findings are reported as “very positive” by scientists from Boston College. 62% also reported decreased burnout and 45% greater satisfaction with life, according to the survey of the 89 who participated.
Supporters say the shorter week is good for employees’ mental health and work-life balance, and good for businesses, as it increases motivation and helps with retention. Some businesses said that they were doing at least as well, if not better, as companies adjusted to customers’ new habits. The trial did not just coincide with a spike in sales, but also forced the company to rethink how it perceives efficiency, said Geoff Slaughter, BrandPipe’s CEO. “Financial performance is twice what it was before,” he said, and he believes the model could help inform the future of work.
Support And Incentives Urged To Support Industry Widening Calls For Help
The 4 Day Week Foundation, which is campaigning for a working time council to be established by the government to bring together business leaders, unions, and politicians to coordinate plans to reduce the working week. The campaign is modeled after the past push for the two-day weekend, which, through trade union activism, became the standard in the early 20th century.
Although the concept met resistance from the previous Conservative government, Labour leaders have been more open since taking power in 2024. In 2023 Angela Rayner, now deputy prime minister, said the model should be welcomed if it “can increase productivity and suit the needs of the sector.”
With more than 5,000 workers already on permanent shorter schedules from previous trial waves, campaigners think momentum is building. BrandPipe’s Slaughter of the government to incentivize early adopters, saying they’re “helping create the blueprint for the future.”
