4 Day Week Campaign

The companies that participated in the pilot project didn’t all volunteer without resistance. Most people thought that the idea was insane. But researchers at Cambridge University, Oxford University and Boston College had a theory that needed to be tested.

70 firms in the UK participated in a trial, where for six months starting in June 2022, more than 3,300 employees have worked 80% of their usual hours, with no reduction in their pay, but they still have to deliver 100% of their usual work. So far, 95% of companies surveyed by 4 Day Week Global say their productivity levels have either stayed the same or improved, and 86% say they are likely to make the shorter work week permanent.

The trial is also having an unexpected domino effect, as clients of companies adopting the 4 day work week are cheering for the trial’s success, so that they can go to their HR people and demand the same kind of work schedule. Some companies in the trial found that productivity was up 35% and that staff said they were feeling healthier and happier, compared to before the trial. And as you could imagine, potential hires are scrambling to join these companies.

What is interesting is that even with evidence to suggest that a 4 day work week is feasible, these companies’ boards are  still skeptical about the new schedule, but that’s to be expected, as it flies in the face of traditional business thinking.