A new six-month trial by an official four-day week campaign in the United Kingdom offers hundreds of workers increased flexibility in their working hours, aiming to improve work-life balance and productivity.
Building on an initial trial from 2022, this project will explore a variety of flexible working models, such as flexible start and finish times, a nine-day fortnight, and compressed hours. Six companies have already participated, and the campaign aims to include around 3,000 employees and 50 businesses. The trial enjoys support from Unison, the UK’s largest union, and several major firms. However, it is worth noting that some companies have previously abandoned the four-day week after initial trials.
Joe Ryle, the campaign’s director, emphasised the mutual benefits, stating, “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.” This new trial further benefits from research conducted by Cambridge University and Boston College and includes participants like Bron Afon Community Housing. Unji Mathur, a director at Bron Afon, praised the initiative for its positive impact on organisational performance, employee wellbeing, and retention. The campaign group noted that at least 54 of the 61 companies that participated in the initial trial have continued with the four-day week a year and a half later.
Sophie Greaves, a research chemist in Liverpool, appreciates the flexible start and end times her job offers. She can begin work anytime between 07:00 and 10:00 and finish eight hours later, which she finds beneficial for managing her own time. “People really are productive if they can manage their own time,” she noted. However, not all experiments with reduced working hours have been successful. Asda recently abandoned a four-day week trial after staff found the longer shifts too demanding. Their plan had store managers working 45 hours over four days, which proved unpopular compared to other parts of the trial that involved a five-day, 39-hour week.
Similarly, Morrisons concluded its four-day week trial at its corporate office in Bradford earlier this year. Staff were required to work 37.5 hours over four days with occasional Saturday shifts. Joe Ryle critiqued this approach, commenting that it was “not really a four-day week,” which he defines as 32 hours across four days. Conversely, some countries are exploring extended workweeks to boost productivity. Greece, for instance, recently introduced a six-day working week for specific industries, offering workers a 40% pay increase for overtime. This policy is optional and applies to businesses operating 24 hours a day.
Joe Ryle plans to present the results of this second trial to the newly elected Labour government next year. “With a new Labour government, change is in the air and we hope to see employers embracing this change by signing up to our pilot,” he said.
This trial represents a significant step towards redefining work-life balance and productivity in the United Kingdom. While the outcomes remain to be seen, the initial support and participation from various organisations indicate a potential shift in traditional working models.
