UK Four-Day Working Week Trial To Cover Thousands Of Workers

For many, the idea of working one less day per week, with that additional day off being paid, is simply a dream scenario. 

This summer will see at least 30 UK companies participate in a four-day working week trial, which almost 2,000 lucky workers have already signed up to.

Beginning in June, the pilot programme is being introduced to assess whether such a concept might be feasible across almost every UK sector.

For the time being, however, the trial is set to be the largest of its kind in the UK, with researchers from Oxbridge universities closely monitoring its effectiveness.

As The Independent states, similar trials in other countries have noted that a four-day week can improve productivity and wellbeing, while making it easier for companies to recruit and retain staff. 

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In essence, workers involved in this summer’s pilot will be given one extra paid day off work per week, meaning that no earnings will be lost compared to the current standard. While currently set to last just six months, it could be extended by the respective companies, should it prove to be successful.

Companies involved in the potentially revolutionary trial include mobile games developer, Hutch, Yo Telecom, Pressure Drop Brewing and Platten Fish and Chips.

The idea itself was first conceived by a non-profit called 4 Day Week Global, who worked in close collaboration with think tank Autonomy to turn the concept into a reality.

Joe O’Connor, the Pilot Programme Manager for 4 Day Week Global, recently said: "More and more businesses are moving to productivity-focused strategies to enable them to reduce worker hours without reducing pay.

"We are excited by the growing momentum and interest in our pilot program and in the four-day week more broadly.

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"The four-day week challenges the current model of work and helps companies move away from simply measuring how long people are ‘at work’, to a sharper focus on the output being produced. 2022 will be the year that heralds in this bold new future of work."

Brendan Burchill, from Autonomy, added: “With the social and environmental benefits of the shorter working week becoming clearer, grassroots support more widespread, and technology available to maintain productivity, the time has come for more organisations to take the leap and unravel the practicalities.

“This scheme has tremendous potential to progress from conversations about the general advantages of a shorter working week to focussed discussions on how organisations can implement it in the best possible way.”