20/09/2022

On Monday (6 June 2022) around 70 UK companies consisting of approximately 3,300 workers (with one firm based in Northern Ireland) started working a four-day week with no loss of pay in a 6-month trial of the new working pattern.

This is thought to be the largest of its type in the world and is led by campaigning group 4 Day Week Global.  The theory is based on the 100:80:100 model – 100% of pay for 80% of the time, in exchange for a commitment to maintain 100% productivity.

Academics from Oxford and Cambridge Universities, as well as Boston College will analyse how employees respond to having an extra day off, in terms of areas including stress and burnout, job and life satisfaction, health, sleep, energy use and travel.

Many will be interested in its results likely to be published in 2023.