The four-day work week is taking off in the UK, with 200 companies formally signing up to permanently adopt a shorter working week — and two-thirds of Brits believe this practice will become the norm within five years.
That’s according to the 4 Day Week Foundation, which said all 200 companies have been recognized by its employer accreditation scheme. The 200 companies cover 5,000 employees, the foundation said.
Four-day working week trials have been proven to deliver positive benefits such as increased productivity, reduced burnout, and improvements in employee wellbeing.
“The 9-5, 5 day working week was invented 100 years ago and is no longer fit for purpose,” said Joe Ryle, Campaign Director of the 4 Day Week Foundation, in a statement. “We are long overdue an update.”
The 4 Day Week Foundation has backed a series of trials — with four intakes of pilots set to run this year for local councils, the technology sector, and a nationwide effort — that has recently included a British council.
“As hundreds of British companies and one local council have already shown, a four-day week with no loss of pay can be a win-win for both workers and employers,” Ryle said.
Companies can be accredited for different working patterns, with those opting for a four-day, 32-hour working week on no loss of pay awarded Gold Standard, and four-day, 35-hour working week as Silver Standard. ITPRO has asked the foundation how many of the 200 companies qualified for Gold, but has yet to receive a response.
Organizations operating in the marketing, advertising, and PR sectors were the most likely to make the shift, making up 30 of the 200 companies, followed by 29 charitable organizations, 24 in technology, and 22 in consulting and management.
The success of such trials isn’t limited to the UK, however. Iceland’s rollout of shorter working weeks across the public sector and some aspects of the private sector has been heralded as a success, with fewer sick days, reduced burnout and no reduction in productivity.
Popular working pattern
Alongside that 200-company milestone, the foundation ran a survey with Spark Market Research to assess attitudes towards shorter working weeks, finding that 69% of UK adults believe a four-day working week will become the norm within just five years.
That viewpoint was reinforced by 78% of 18-34 year olds, suggesting shorter working weeks are even more popular among younger adults.
Half of respondents also said it was a mistake for companies to attempt to force workers back to the office five days a week — again with more younger people agreeing (65%) than older (over 55, 39%) — with two-thirds of those asked saying hybrid working provides an “ideal balance”.
“Our survey clearly shows a desire for change in traditional working patterns. 18-34’s, the core workforce of the next 50 years, are making their feelings known that they don’t intend to go back to old fashioned working patterns when there’s other options now available,” said Lynsey Carolan, Managing Director of Spark Market Research, in a statement.
“This group also say that mental health and improving their overall wellbeing are their top priorities, so a four-day week is a really meaningful benefit and a key enabler of their overall quality of life,” Carolan added.
The milestone comes amid efforts by some companies to shift away from hybrid working and push staff back into the office more, but a recent survey by Randstad showed 83% of employees surveyed see flexible conditions as more important than job security or even salaries.
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