4 Day Week Global welcomes call for Welsh public sector 4 day week trial

In a report published today, the Welsh Petitions Committee recommended that the Welsh Government should liaise with organisations experienced in the area of work time reduction to develop a 4 day week pilot in the public service, with no loss of pay for employees. 

Responding to the publication, 4 Day Week Global co-founder and acting CEO, Charlotte Lockhart welcomed its recommendations: “Our philosophy is all about collective partnership and that’s exactly what’s been set out in this report. In order for the 4 day week to work there needs to be close collaboration with all major stakeholders, so it’s very encouraging to see this approach advised.

“Similarly, it’s important to measure the outcomes of any trial in order to inform next steps and serve as learnings for other jurisdictions. Therefore, the recommendation for a robust and impartial assessment of any pilot is a necessary and forward-thinking inclusion by the Committee.

“At 4 Day Week Global, we guide organisations through the transition to reduced-hour, output-focused working in a flexible and sustainable way. Our pilot programmes are not only a vehicle for change for participating companies, but the associated research adds to the growing bank of evidence in favour of a 4 day week, helping others to make the shift.

“The Welsh Government now has the opportunity to be a global leader on this front, acting as a real driver of change. We encourage this administration to seriously heed the recommendations set out in this report and look forward to offering any support that may be required.”

After considerable consultation and information collection, the Welsh Petitions Committee concluded that a 4 day week could have significant economic, social and environmental benefits. 4 Day Week Global was glad to contribute to these evidence sessions. 

About 4 Day Week Global 

4 Day Week Global was founded in New Zealand by 4 Day Week architect Andrew Barnes alongside entrepreneur and philanthropist Charlotte Lockhart in 2019, following the world-renowned success of their pioneering trial of the 4 day week in Perpetual Guardian in 2018.

Since then, 4 Day Week Global has supported over 1,000 companies from a variety of industries all over the world to make the permanent transition to reduced-hour, output-focused working.

Last November, they published the results of their first completed pilot programme. Next month, they are set to publish the results of the world’s largest 4 day week trial where over 70 UK companies and 3,000 workers took part.

Their approach is based on the 100-80-100™ principle designed by Lockhart alongside the Perpetual Guardian trial in 2018. That’s 100% of the pay, for 80% of the time, in exchange for a commitment to delivering 100% of the output.

Its ambition is to make a 4 day week the new default and reduced working time the new standard. Its intention is to lead and grow the global movement for a shorter working week to make this a reality all over the world.