Four day working week trial has launched in the UK
18 January 2022, 07:36
Up to 30 companies are set to take part in a new pilot scheme which sees employees work four days in a week.
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After a tough few of years, now thousands of workers will reap the benefits of a four day working week.
As many as 30 UK companies are said to have signed up to the trial, which will see the working week reduced by one day.
Workers will be asked to do the same amount of work for up to 35 hours per week, split over four days and with the same amount of pay.
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Lasting six months, it’s hoped that the trial will increase productivity, reduce gender inequality and benefit the business as well as the employees.
A four day week could also see a reduction of around 127 million tonnes of carbon per year, which is the same as taking 27 million cars off the road.
The scheme is part of the 4 Day Week Campaign, which supports businesses moving away from the traditional nine-to-five.
Run by Cambridge University, Oxford University and Boston College, it is in partnership with think tank Autonomy and 4 Day Week Global.
The Pilot Programme Manager for 4 Day Week Global, Joe O’Connor, hopes that the success of the six month trial will encourage more companies to take part.
"We are excited by the growing momentum and interest in our pilot program and in the four-day week more broadly," he said.
"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."
Similar studies are being held across the world in the USA, Canada, Ireland, Australia and New Zealand, while pilots are already taking place in Spain and Scotland.
Which companies are taking part?
The businesses that are confirmed to be taking part include Unilever, Canon and Morrisons, while Atom Bank has already switched to a four-day week.
