Ninety-two percent of companies in the United Kingdom that participated in a trial study centered around the four-day work week will keep the schedule change at least temporarily, according to the study results.
A total of 61 companies participated in the largest worldwide trial studying the effects of shortening the workweek to four days, according to a February report published by research organization Autonomy along with 4 Day Week Global and a team of academics. Of those businesses, 56 decided to keep the shortened week, 18 of which plan to implement the schedule change permanently. Two companies are still considering trimming the week, while three have paused the four-day work week practice, the study results show.
Over 2,900 employees had their work weeks shortened to 34 hours spanning across four days while retaining their existing salaries. Participants worked in various fields, such as finance company Stellar Asset Management, digital manufacturer Rivelin Robotics and a fish-and-chip market in a coastal English town, NBC News reported. The study took place from June to December 2022. (RELATED: Scotland To Introduce Four-Day Workweek Trial)
A four-day work week experiment in the UK has seen multiple benefits. https://t.co/666hYtEqQp pic.twitter.com/0wIvcb1pJO
— CNN (@CNN) February 22, 2023
More than half of workers, 54%, found the new hours helped them balance work with household jobs, while 60% found it easier to handle their job and care responsibilities, according to the study. Sixty-two percent found it easier to balance work with their social lives.
Still, the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development found a majority of employers do not expect to move to a four-day week before 2025, according to a 2022 study cited by NBC.
“We’re delighted to add these overwhelmingly positive results to our ever-growing evidence base in favour of reduced-hour, output-focused working,” 4 Day Week Global Co-Founder and Managing Director Charlotte Lockhart said in a statement. “Not only do these findings demonstrate that the UK pilot programme was a resounding success, but it is encouraging to note that they largely mirror the outcomes from our earlier trials in Ireland and the US, further strengthening the arguments for a four-day week.”