Workers in the UK can begin to get excited as a four-day week pilot launches

A new four Day week pilot has been launched in the UK and if it is successful, this new working week schedule could be implemented across the UK!

For many of us who are used to working five days a week, the possibility of a four-day week being implemented in the UK is like something from a dream. Only last year it was announced that Iceland's four-day-week trial was deemed an ‘overwhelming success’ as the country discovered that employees were more productive and happier when working a four-day week instead of five.

These positive results led to rumors that a four-day week could be implemented in the UK, but we all refrained from getting too hopeful. Well now is the time to be excited as a trial four-day week is currently being implemented in over 30 companies in the UK!

What is the UK four day week trial?

Working longer hours and feeling stressed can be linked to insomnia, anxiety, and burnout. Because of this, introducing a four-day week to replace the current five-day week in order to improve the productivity and wellbeing of workers has been a subject of debate for many years.

The new trial taking place in the UK will monitor if employees are able to complete the same amount of work in 80% of the time. It is thought that will more time away from work, employees will be in a better position to complete their daily tasks and will be able to perform at the same level.

The employees will still be paid the same amount, but will be working for four days instead of five and will be expected to complete the same number of tasks within the week.

The six-month pilot trial in the UK is being led by a number of organizations including, the 4 Day Week UK Campaign, 4 Day Week Global, think tank Autonomy, and researchers at Oxford University, Boston College, and Cambridge University.

This UK pilot scheme will be running alongside other trials across the globe including in the US, Ireland, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand.

Which companies are taking part in four day week

The 30 companies taking part will be offered supporting workshops, mentoring, networking, and access to academic research. According to Metro, there are more than 30 companies that are currently participating in the four-day week scheme. Some of the companies are as follows:

• 3D Issue
• Advice Direct Scotland
• Big Potato Games
• Blink
• CMG Technologies
• Canon
• Causeway Irish Housing Association
• Charlton Morris
• Common Knowledge
• Crystallised
• Earth Science Partnership
• Elektra Lighting
• Evolved
• Four Day Week Ltd
• Geeks for Social Change
• Gracefruit
• Legacy Events
• MRL
• PTHR
• Punch Creative
• Reboot
• Resilience Brokers
• Reward Agency
• STOP AIDS
• Sinister Fish Games
• Social Enterprise Direct
• Softer Success
• T-Cup Studios
• Target Publishing
• Technovent
• The Circle
• The UPAC Group
• Venture Stream
• YWCA Scotland
• flocc
• streamGO

Will the four day week be implemented across the UK?

If the six-month trial is successful, the government could choose to implement this new schedule across the UK. But we will have to wait for the results of the trial to see its success.

Joe O’Connor, pilot program manager for 4 Day Week Global, 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."

"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."