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92% of firms are continuing with the 4-day week

92% of firms are continuing with the 4-day week

Jodie | 21 Feb 2023 | News | 4 Day Week

The eagerly awaited four-day week results for the UK trials are finally here. The trial of nearly 3,000 staff & 61 companies was conducted by 4 Day Week – Global, Autonomy UK and the UK 4 Day Week campaign in conjunction with research conducted by Boston College and the University of Cambridge.

The trial implements a model of work that requires 100% of the pay, for 80% of the time, in exchange for a commitment to delivering 100% of the output.

Andy Dawson, Director of Curium Solutions said: “We have watched the momentum behind the move to shorter working weeks gather speed throughout 2022 and following the success of past trials, I expected nothing less from this UK pilot.

We are excited to be helping customers deliver a shorter working week solution that appeals to employers, employees, and customers alike. Changing the way people work to improve the work-life balance.”

The study had very impressive results with 92% of the companies involved saying they are continuing with the 4-Day week.

When it came to the business impact, the shorter work week resulted in:

35% increase in revenue on average when compared to similar periods from previous years.
57% reduction in staff resignations during the trial.
Nearly 100% of employees involved said they would prefer a reduced work week.

There’s endless reasons for companies to consider a shorter working week, this has been evidenced time and time again in trials across the globe. Yes, it’s good for business, but what really stands out to most is the effect it has on the people. Such as:

71% reported lower burnout.
39% lower levels of stress.
Nearly half reported lower levels of fatigue and sleep difficulties.
Over-two fifths reported improved mental health.

And if that’s not enough to convince you that a shorter working week is beneficial all round, there’s some impressive results based around family life. With nearly 75% reporting greater satisfaction with their time and 3/5 found it easier to combine paid work with care responsibilities. As well as:

62% reported improved combining of work and social life.
21% reported reduction in childcare costs.

Speaking about the UK trial results, Work Time Reduction Center of Excellence director and co-founder Joe O’Connor said:

“Today’s groundbreaking results from the four-day week pilot in the UK represent the culmination of a set of trials throughout 2022 that I was proud to play a leading role in designing and delivering. The focus for 2023 needs to be the application of the learnings and positive findings from these trials to industry-specific challenges and contexts.”

The Work Time reduction Center of Excellence also announced today a set of new industry-specific initiatives designed to take the growing global shorter working week movement to the next level, the WTRCoE will be recruiting companies from law, insurance, manufacturing and professional services to a set of cohort-based work time reduction programs which will provide tailored support specific to that industry. It is anticipated that more programs and industries will follow later in 2023.

O’Connor adds, “These particular sectors have been chosen as while they have been underrepresented for the most part in recent global experiments, we believe that with the right approach, there is a significant opportunity to reduce working time in these professions without loss of pay or productivity.”

The Work Time Reduction Center of Excellence, will be supported by world-class researchers, change management experts, operational excellence specialists, future of work thought leaders, and four-day week pioneers, designs bespoke trials, programs and projects focused on the individual needs of companies.

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