The 4-day workweek was a success: results from the UK pilot programme

After six months of the program, the benefits of the four-day work week in Britain are summed up

The four-day work week may soon become a reality in the world of work. In the UK, where it was tested for a six-month trial period, the satisfaction expressed by employees who tested it during the year was very high.

As part of a pilot program promoted by the non-profit association 4 days of a global week61 companies in the UK offered their employees a four-day workweek over a six-month period (June to December 2022).

At the end of the trial period, more than 2,900 concerned employees were interviewed about the advantages and disadvantages experienced by this new work organization, which includes reducing the work week to four days while increasing daily working hours.

The project

Before starting the program, all participants (employees and employers) attended workshops and laboratories to learn about the experience of companies that have already switched to a shorter work week, in order to better enter into the mechanisms of the short week.

The companies that participated in the initiative remained free to adjust the daily working hours of their employees as they saw fit, provided that the bonus was maintained at 100%, and that the employees enjoyed a 100% bonus. Significant reduction in weekly working hours.

Hence the “dip” in the short work week was different, because each company was able to create a work schedule that best responded to its own sector, organizational challenges and departmental structures.

The organizers of the initiative made sure to interview the participating employees at the beginning, middle, and end of the pilot program, in order to assess any changes in mood and performance in the workplace.

Also read: The 4-day work week proves a hit in the UK (and Italy is watching)

Results

The data collected demonstrates the success of the four-day work week as a successful business model. Among the 61 participating companies, 56 chose to continue with a four-day week Even after the program ended, that’s when they realized the benefits.

With regard to employee well-being, the data collected at the beginning and end of the program shows this 39% of employees were less stressed than they were at the start and 71% had low levels of exhaustion. In addition, levels of anxiety, fatigue, and insomnia decreased, while overall mental and physical health improved.

Improvements in work-life balance were also noted: the majority of employees rated it easier to juggle work, family and social obligations; Furthermore, all said they were more satisfied with their family’s finances, their relationships, and how they managed their free time.

One last point of the advantages of the four-day work week related to abandonment of the workplace: during the six months of the program, the number of employees who left the companies participating in the initiative decreased significantly (-57%).

For many employees, the positive effects of a four-day week are worth more than a pay raiseIn fact, the free time you spend with your loved ones or to devote to your passion is priceless.

At the end of the survey, 15% of employees said no amount of money would make them accept a five-day schedule after the four days a week they are now used to.

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source: 4 days of a global week

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