UK 4 day week pilot begins with 70 companies and 3300 workers
70 UK companies and over 3300 workers will begin working a 4 day week with no loss of pay today in the biggest ever 4 day week pilot to take place anywhere in the world so far.
Participating organisations are trialling a 4 day week with no loss of pay for employees, based on the principle of the 100:80:100™ model - 100% of the pay for 80% of the time, in exchange for a commitment to maintain at least 100% productivity.
The pilot is running for 6 months and is being organised by 4 Day Week Global in partnership with leading think tank Autonomy, the 4 Day Week UK Campaign, and researchers at Cambridge University and Boston College.
From a local chippy to large corporates, companies in the UK pilot provide products and services ranging from education to workplace consultancy; banking; care; financial services; IT software training; professional development and legal training; housing; automotive supply services; online retail; sustainable homecare; skincare; telco; animation studios; building and construction recruitment services; food and beverage and hospitality; digital marketing; and comprehensive case management services for people recovering from traumatic injury.
Researchers will work with each participating organisation to measure the impact on productivity in the business and the wellbeing of its workers, as well as the impact on the environment and gender equality.
Government backed 4 day week trials are also due to begin later this year in Spain and Scotland.
Joe O Connor, CEO of 4 Day Week Global, said:
“The UK is at the crest of a wave of global momentum behind the 4 day week.
“As we emerge from the pandemic, more and more companies are recognising that the new frontier for competition is quality of life, and that reduced-hour, output-focused working is the vehicle to give them a competitive edge.
“The impact of the 'great resignation' is now proving that workers from a diverse range of industries can produce better outcomes while working shorter and smarter.”
Juliet Schor, Professor of Sociology at Boston College, and lead researcher on the pilot, said:
“I'm excited to be working on the research side for this historic trial.
“We'll be analyzing how employees respond to having an extra day off, in terms of stress and burnout, job and life satisfaction, health, sleep, energy use, travel and many other aspects of life.
“The 4 day week is generally considered to be a triple dividend policy - helping employees, companies, and the climate. Our research efforts will be digging into all of this.”
Ed Siegel, CEO of Charity Bank, who are participating in the pilot, said:
“We have long been a champion of flexible working, but the pandemic really moved the goalposts in this regard. For Charity Bank the move to a 4 day week seems a natural next step.
“The 20th-century concept of a five-day working week is no longer the best fit for 21st-century business. We firmly believe that a 4 day week with no change to salary or benefits will create a happier workforce and will have an equally positive impact on business productivity, customer experience and our social mission.
“We are proud to be one of the first banks in the UK to embrace the 4 day week and as one of our Board members put it, we believe ‘this trial will put Charity Bank on the right side of history.’”
Some of the businesses taking part are as follows:
CASE STUDY: Platten’s Fish and Chips
Staff at Plattens Fish and Chips in Wells-Next-The-Sea, North Norfolk are excited about taking part in the pilot.
General Manager Kirsty Wainwright, 34, is already working a 4 day week and is confident the pilot roll out across the business for all staff is going to be a success. Instead of a three day weekend, staff are going to be rotating their days with two days on followed by two days off.
Kirsty has been working in the hospitality industry for 17 years and is a mother of two children. She said: “The option of working a 4 day week was the main reason for choosing to work here.
“The hospitality industry has really unsociable working hours and it needs to change. It's not surprising the industry has been struggling with recruitment given the excessively long working hours.
“On a five day week I didn't get to see my kids enough. Spending more time with my kids is the best thing about a 4 day week. It's amazing.
“Having that extra rest and not feeling exhausted means I can be more productive at work too.”
Wyatt Watts, 25, Team Leader at Platten's, enjoys exercising at the gym and playing football but feels a five day working week leaves him very tired and without enough time to exercise. He says working in the hospitality industry can be “very strenuous.”
“When I first heard we were going to be working less hours with the same pay I thought to myself what's the catch, it sounds too good to be true,” said Wyatt.
“I'm hoping it's going to allow me to have more time for personal development, socialising with friends and going to the gym. Usually I'm so exhausted from work I don't have the energy so hopefully having that extra time to rest will boost my energy levels.
“The impact of making the decision to take part in the pilot has already had an extremely positive impact on the team. Morale has improved and we're hoping that our productivity at work is going to be higher, meaning that stuff can get done quicker.
“Having a 4 day week has left me feeling a lot more positive about staying and working in the industry.”
Luke Platten, the Director of Platten's Fish and Chips, said:
“Making memories is our purpose and our passion, so we strive to exceed the expectations of our team, customers and community. Our team believes the 4 day week perfectly aligns with our values to provide the win-win position for everyone involved.”
