More Companies are Making the Switch to Four Day Work
A recent report looked at how UK companies are doing over a year after participating in a big trial of the four day work week. They found that most places are still letting people work shorter weeks – and over half have fully switched to only four days as the new normal. The trial back in 2022 had workers at 61 different companies work 80% of their usual hours for the full pay in exchange for getting all their work done.
Fast forward to the end of 2023, and the results are in. Around 89% of the companies from the original trial were still doing the four day work schedule. Even better, over 51% had officially made the four day week a permanent thing. Employees reported really liking the better work-life balance and less stress. Their bosses mostly agreed, with many saying it boosted staff happiness and helped attract new talent.
What Else Did They Find Out?
The companies involved in the study shared some other interesting insights. Half said employee turnover went down after switching to four day work. Nearly a third noticed it helped them recruit more people too. And the overwhelming majority said it had positive effects on worker well-being. Managers learned they had to rethink things like meetings and communication to make the shorter week work smoothly.
It’s looking like the four day work week could really be the future for many jobs. The trial showed the benefits seem to last long-term too. Most importantly, both employees and their employers thought it was working out well. With results this good, it’ll be interesting to see if even more companies decide to make the switch permanent down the road.
