UK four-day week trial to cover 2,000 workers

At least 30 UK companies covering nearly 2,000 employees have signed up to trial a four-day working week from this summer.

The pilot programme, which will start in June, is set to be the largest of its kind in the UK and will be partly overseen by researchers from Oxford and Cambridge universities.

It will see workers at the companies involved given one extra paid day off a week, with no loss of earnings. It is set to last for an initial six months, but could be extended if it is considered a success.

Previous pilots in other countries have shown that a four-day week can improve productivity and wellbeing, and make it easier for companies to recruit and retain staff.

Organisations that have signed up to take part range from software companies to a fish and chip shop – a spread of industries that it is hoped will give researchers a wide range of data.

The pilot was established by not-for-profit 4 Day Week Global, in partnership with think tank Autonomy, and the 4 Day Week UK Campaign. Academics from Oxford, Cambridge, and Boston College will oversee the results.

Companies involved so far include mobile games developer Hutch, Yo Telecom, Pressure Drop Brewing, and Platten’s Fish and Chips.

Other firms include marketing agencies Trio Media and Adzooma, car parts company Eurowagens and cleaning product supplier NeatClean.

Outcomes First Group, a specialist education provider based in Bolton, is also set to take part.

David Leatherbarrow, the company's CEO said the firm was encouraged to join in by previous research showing the change could improve employees’ wellbeing and productivity at the same time.

“Our teams operate 24/7, working exceptionally hard to go above and beyond for the vulnerable children and adults we educate and care for,” he said.

"As a gold standard employer ranked in the UK’s Best Workplaces for Wellbeing 2022, the wellbeing of our teams is always front of mind.

"Research has shown that a four-day week can boost productivity and happiness as well as improve recruitment and retention. We look forward to seeing the impact of the trial as we continue to support our teams to achieve a work-life balance.”

4 Day Week Global founder Andrew Barnes said the pilot was "laying the foundation for the future of work", while Kyle Lewis, co-director of Autonomy, said: “The interest in the UK pilot is a clear indication that organisations across a variety of sectors are ready to adapt to the future of work.

"Among the real strengths of this pilot are how it embraces organisations of all sizes and models with a hugely diverse range of products and services, from hospitality to digital animation and everything in between."

He added: “This first-phase trial will connect businesses with training and mentoring support from international experts who have previously implemented similar programmes.”

The pilot programme is still open to new applications and its organisers say they have received dozens more expressions of interest on top of the 30 firms which have already signed up.

The Independent reported last year that the world's largest working hours reduction pilot, in Iceland, had been deemed by researchers to be an "overwhelming success".

There, unions in the country are following up the trial by negotiating agreements that cut hours on a permanent basis. More than 1 per cent of the country's workforce took part in the original trial, which which cut the working week to 35-36 hours with no reduction in overall pay.