For those of us lucky enough to have jobs that allow flexible working hours, the five-day work week could soon become a thing of the past. All hail the three-day weekend!
Six businesses in the UK have already signed up to take part in a new four-day work week pilot scheme. Following on from a 2022 trial, hundreds of workers will be allowed to choose their working hours during a six-month experiment. The scheme is conducted by the 4 Day Week Campaign, which is hoping to get 3,000 employees and 50 companies on board.
The campaign, which is backed by research from Cambridge University and Boston College, has already got support from the UK’s biggest union Unison, as well as several big companies. However, some firms, such as supermarkets Morrisons and Asda, have already abandoned the four-day week after trying it.
The campaign’s director Joe Ryle said: ‘Hundreds of British companies and one local council have already shown a four-day week with no loss of pay can be a win-win for workers and employers.’
After the original trial ‘at least’ 54 of the 61 companies that signed up have kept the four-day week in place, the campaign said. Companies that kept the four-day week cited improved staff wellbeing, better staff retention and better overall company performance. But firms that abandoned it said longer shifts over fewer days was too demanding for employees.
Here are 12 takeaways from the four-day working week trial in the UK in 2022.
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