Four-Day Working Week Trial Declared A Success One Year On
One year on from the completion of the UK's 6 month four-day working week trial, new research has led to the trial being declared a success.
The Trial
The 6 month four-day working week trial was launched on the 6th June 2022 by the campaign group, 4 Day Week Global, which was founded by New Zealand entrepreneurs, Andrew Barnes and Charlotte Lockhart. The trial was run in conjunction with Oxford and Cambridge academics and others. 61 companies comprising of over 2900 employees participated.
Employees of the participating employers worked a four-day working week without the loss of any pay, with the aim of determining whether the four-day working week yields an increase in productivity, as well as improvements in health, wellbeing, work life balance, and staff retention.
100:80:100 Model
The 6 month four-day working week trial was based upon what is known as the 100:80:100 model, in which employers pay their employees their full pay (i.e. 100%) despite only working 80% of the normal working week (i.e. a 4 day working week, instead of 5). In exchange, the employee looks to deliver 100% productivity (i.e. produce what they had been doing in 5 days, in 4 days).
Trial Results
4 Day Week Global published the results of the four-day working week trial on the 21st February 2023. The findings of the report were as follows:-
- Out of 10, the participating employers provided an average overall rating of 8.5. In terms of productivity and performance, the average rating was 7.5
- Employers reported an average increase in revenue of 35% during the period of the trial, compared to the same period in 2021.
- Whilst absenteeism fell by 65% on average, their was also a 57% reduction in staff departures . Moreover, there was an increase in recruitment.
- Participating employees reported that a four-day week had improved their work life balance, with 54% stating that they were better able to combine work with tasks at home, and 62% stating that they were better able to integrate work with socialising. 60% of working carers also reported that they were better able to manage
- 39% of participating employees stated that their stress levels had fallen, and 71% reported a fall in burnout. 40% also stated that they were sleeping better.
- 15% of participating employees stated that no amount of money could induce them to voluntarily return to working a five-day week
New Research
Now, 1 year on, new research by Autonomy has found that:-
- Of the 61 employers that took part in the four-day working week trial, 54 of them (89%) were still operating a four-day working week, with 31 (51%) having made the policy permanent.
- 100% of employers reported that the four-day working week had had a positive impact upon their organisation, with 55% stating that it had been 'very positive'.
- Key benefits reported by employers included improved wellbeing (82%), reduced turnover of staff (50%), enhanced productivity (46%), and that it had made recruiting easier (32%).
- "The improvements in physical and mental health, work-life balance, and general life satisfaction, as well as the reductions in burnout found at the end of the pilot have all been maintained one year on."
- Employees reported that a four-day working week had improved their personal life (96%), their work (87%), work efficiency (38%), productivity and focus (30%), and produced "smarter ways of working" (13%).
- 24% of employees stated that they were better able to balance their work with their caring responsibilities on a four-day working week, whilst 13% reported that a four-day working week had improved the quality of the relationships they had with family and friends and the amount of time that they could spend with them.
Reaction
Commenting upon the findings on the four-day working week trial, Professor Brendan Burchell of the University of Cambridge, stated: "I can definitely see a very plausible scenario whereby, in a few years time, any organisations that are advertising jobs in an old-fashioned five-day-a-week way just aren't going to get the sorts of talent that they want applying for them and they won't be able to fill their vacancies.....[It's] what employees want. And once employees have tasted or seen other people experience having three days off a week, they definitely won't want to go back. People think it is a much bigger boost to their quality of life than even a large pay rise would give."
Whistleblowing Charity Receiving More Calls
Protect, the whistleblowing charity, have reported that the number of calls to their helpline increased by 23% last year. The highest number orf calls (30%) came from the health and social work sector, with the number coming from that sector increasing by 48% compared to 2022. 41% of all callers stated that their employer had ignored their concerns.
The chief executive of Protect, Elizabeth Gardiner, stated: "There’s often an assumption that whistleblowers are highly paid execs working senior roles in big firms. But what we find is that nearly half of callers to our advice line earn less than £30,000. These are often workers within hospital wards and small charities concerned about patient safety and the abuse of vulnerable people. We should be pleased that so many people are coming forward and speaking up in their workplace to stop harm. Whistleblowers are a valuable resource to employers and protect the public interest by holding organisations and governments to account."
