fourday
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Blog
Four-day weeks and Nadella’s AGI skepticism
March is very nearly at an end and it’s been quite a month for diverging views in the industry. Satya Nadella, CEO at Microsoft, has spoken out against the tech sector’s apparent fixation on achieving AGI while comparing the potential for AI to the rise of Excel spreadsheets in business. The Microsoft chief has turned his attention to the material…
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UK tech firms have a chance to trial a four-day week this year – here’s how other pilot schemes fared
British tech companies considering shifting to a four-day week can now sign up for a supported six-month trial with the 4 Day Week Foundation. The campaign group is offering six weeks of training and workshops beginning in May, as well as holding an event on 17 April in London for more information. The trial will be followed and assessed by…
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200 UK companies adopt a permanent four-day work week – Computerworld
“The effects had staying power, not just measured in productivity; employees were healthier and less stressed,” she said. “This is good for companies — healthy, happy employees are more engaged, creative, and loyal.” Joe Ryle, campaign director of the 4 Day Week Foundation, argues that the traditional 9-to-5, five-day work week, introduced by Henry Ford in 1926 and which became…
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200 UK firms have now adopted a four-day working week – and Brits are convinced it will become the norm within five years
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…
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Medical trials of a four-day week just showed huge physical and mental health benefits – staff reported higher wellbeing, less burnout, and better sleep
A new medical trial of the effects of a four-day week on workers’ health and wellbeing has revealed significant benefits. The research, from learning technology company Thrive and the University of Sussex, included tests such as MRI scans, blood tests and sleep tracking to monitor participants’ response to flexible working practices. Participants also filled out a set of weekly questionnaires…
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The four-day week sounds great – but we need the private sector on board for it to work
There’s something rather frustrating about hailing the success of four-day week trials knowing full well that you’ll probably never experience it. The reality is that flexible working practices such as these simply might not work in certain industries – and there’s nothing wrong with that. But for those who can secure better working arrangements, we should still be pushing our…
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Can the four-day week work for tech?
It’s that time of year when the clocks change and the nights draw in, the familiar starts to take on a new aspect as the shadows lengthen, and in the world of IT, trends that have been taken for granted are also starting to take on a new shape. As countries battle productivity problems, can they replicate the success of…
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New four-day week trial kicks off for workers across UK
Momentum towards a four-day week is building, with a new pilot scheme by the 4 Day Week Campaign set to involve a thousand UK workers. The trial will include 17 businesses, and will see staff working a four-day week with no loss of pay. One organization taking part is the British Society for Immunology (BSI), which from this week will…
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Iceland’s four-day working week trials have been a roaring success – economic growth spiked, workers were happier, and burnout plummeted
Iceland’s shift to a shorter working week has coincided with its economy outperforming most of Europe, according to research from organizations backing four-day working weeks. Between 2015 and 2019, Iceland ran two large trials of the so-called four-day working week across government, later leading to a labor rights agreement led by local trade unions that enshrined the right to shorter…
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