Four-day workweek: Firms in UK make the move permanent after world’s biggest trial

The majority of companies in the United Kingdom that took part in the world’s largest study trialling a four-day workweek have made the policy permanent, with 100 per cent of managers and CEOs saying it had a “positive” impact on the organisation.

Some 61 organisations took part in the six-month pilot in 2022. The trial results were announced on Thursday with 89 per cent of companies still using the four-day workweek a year later and over half of the firms making the change permanent.

The study also showed that work intensity remains lower and job satisfaction is higher than before the pilot began with almost all the employees (96 per cent) saying their personal life had benefited, and 86 per cent said they felt they performed better at work.

The COVID-19 pandemic ignited discussions and trials across Europe around a four-day workweek, with employees and employers rethinking the importance of workplace flexibility and benefits.

It would mean employees working four days a week instead of five, getting paid the same, and being entitled to the same benefits but with the same workload.

The UK study found that companies reduced working hours by an average of 6.6 hours, leading to a 31.6-hour week. It also found that full days off, rather than being “on call” were more effective.

“Physical and mental health and work-life balance are significantly better than at six months. Burnout and life satisfaction improvements held steady,” said one of the report’s authors, Juliet Schor, who is a professor of sociology at Boston College.

Trade unions across Europe are calling for governments to implement the four-day workweek. But so far governments are hesitant to officially adopt a four-day working week.

In February 2022, Belgian employees won