The global trend toward a 4-day workweek has gained significant momentum, with trials in countries like the UK demonstrating that productivity remained stable or increased, company revenues rose by an average of 1.4%, and absenteeism decreased, showcasing the model's viability across diverse industries and organizations of varying sizes.

Microsoft Japan's experiment with a 4-day workweek highlighted the potential for operational efficiencies, as productivity increased by 40%, while energy consumption and printing costs were reduced, demonstrating additional environmental benefits.

Research from Iceland and other countries has shown that shorter workweeks reduce stress, anxiety, and burnout among employees, leading to higher productivity and fewer sick days, emphasizing the positive impact on worker well-being.

The UK’s largest 4-day workweek trial revealed significant improvements in employee well-being, including reductions in stress and burnout, better sleep, and increased life satisfaction, with 91% of participating organizations planning to continue the model after the trial.

A New Zealand company reported a 20% increase in productivity and reductions in employee stress after adopting a 4-day workweek, while also enhancing work-life balance and fostering positive workplace dynamics such as leadership and accountability.

In Iceland, trials of a shortened workweek demonstrated that employees experienced less workplace stress and exhaustion, which contributed to improved happiness and productivity, further reducing sick days.

Despite these benefits, one of the primary barriers to implementing a 4-day workweek is the challenge of meeting customer demands, particularly in industries requiring continuous operations, as 75% of surveyed companies in the UK expressed concerns about this issue.

Operational complexity is another significant hurdle, with 70% of employers citing difficulties in managing workflows and adapting schedules to ensure business continuity, especially in sectors with diverse job roles or seasonal demands.

Industries reliant on hourly billing or client-driven schedules, such as marketing agencies, face unique challenges in adopting a 4-day workweek, as reduced availability can conflict with client expectations and revenue models.

For sectors like healthcare and service functions, where continuous operations are essential, reducing workdays may lead to increased overtime or staffing difficulties, undermining the intended benefits of the model.

Equity challenges in implementing a 4-day workweek include the potential exclusion of hourly workers, part-time employees, and those in low-wage jobs, as these groups may face reduced income if working hours are cut without wage adjustments.

Small and medium-sized enterprises may struggle with increased costs if they cannot pass them on, potentially leading to wage reductions for low-wage workers and exacerbating financial inequities.

Essential workers and those in industries requiring physical presence, such as retail or healthcare, may not benefit from the flexibility of a 4-day workweek, highlighting disparities in access to this model across different job types.

In Iceland, the 4-day workweek was implemented by reducing working hours to 35-36 hours per week while maintaining full pay, leading to improved worker well-being, optimized work processes, and sustained or increased productivity.

Belgium introduced a flexible 4-day workweek policy allowing employees to condense their hours into fewer days without reducing total weekly hours, though this model excludes shift workers and requires longer daily hours.

In Spain, the government supported a pilot program for a 32-hour workweek across 200 companies, with full pay, to explore its impact on stress reduction and productivity, though challenges such as decreased retail sales were noted.

The 4-day workweek has shown particular effectiveness in industries such as professional services, non-profits, and construction, where employees reported significant improvements in physical and mental health, reduced burnout, and better work-life balance.

Fields with high burnout rates, such as healthcare, teaching, and retail, have also demonstrated potential benefits from a 4-day workweek, though implementation challenges remain due to the nature of these roles.

Conversely, industries requiring continuous operations, such as healthcare and customer-facing roles, often find the 4-day workweek less feasible due to staffing complexities and the need to meet customer demands.

Workers often perceive reduced working hours as a trade-off between improved work-life balance and potential financial drawbacks, with concerns about wage reductions and limited career progression opportunities.

Critics argue that reduced working hours may increase work intensity and stress, particularly if productivity expectations remain unchanged, as noted by the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development.

Labor unions and advocacy groups play a critical role in promoting the adoption of a 4-day workweek by advocating for policies that prioritize worker well-being, such as maintaining wages and ensuring equitable implementation.

Unions also resist poorly implemented 4-day workweek models that could harm workers, such as those that reduce wages or increase daily working hours, emphasizing wage preservation as a key condition for acceptance.

In some cases, unions have facilitated pilot programs to test the feasibility of a 4-day workweek, such as the German trade unions' experiment aimed at improving worker health and productivity while addressing labor shortages.

Environmental benefits of a 4-day workweek include reduced commuting, as a study in Barcelona found that remote work for four days a week could lower nitrogen dioxide levels by 10% and traffic emissions by 15%.

Research from the World Economic Forum indicates that implementing a 4-day workweek, combined with hybrid work systems, can contribute to environmental sustainability by reducing energy consumption in offices and carbon emissions from employee mobility.

The 4-day workweek aligns with broader labor policy trends like flexible work arrangements and remote work, emphasizing employee well-being and adaptability, as demonstrated during the pandemic.

Flexible work policies, including the 4-day workweek, reflect a shift toward prioritizing mental health and work-life balance, with experiments in countries like Iceland showing reduced stress and improved productivity.

The UK’s largest 4-day workweek trial demonstrated significant benefits, including improved employee well-being, reduced stress and burnout, and increased revenue by 35% compared to the previous year.

Iceland’s pioneering trial of a 4-day workweek revealed that reduced working hours led to enhanced worker happiness and productivity, with employees experiencing less stress and anxiety.

The Scottish Government’s ongoing public sector pilot aims to assess the feasibility of a 4-day workweek, with early results indicating improved mental health and stable or increased company revenues.

Cultural attitudes toward work-life balance significantly influence the acceptance of a 4-day workweek, as seen in Iceland, where the model aligns with societal values that prioritize leisure and well-being.

In countries like Australia, where long working hours are common, the push for a 4-day workweek is gaining momentum as workers increasingly prioritize work-life balance.

The long-term impacts of a 4-day workweek on employee retention and recruitment include improved hiring outcomes and reduced turnover, as evidenced by Atom Bank's 500% surge in job applications after implementing the model.

Global trials, such as those conducted by 4 Day Week Global, demonstrate that the 4-day workweek fosters employee loyalty and reduces absenteeism, with participating companies reporting a 25% decrease in sick days.

Organizations transitioning to a 4-day workweek can leverage technological tools like AI to maintain productivity, as automation enables employees to focus on higher-value activities.

Economic factors like inflation and cost-of-living differences significantly influence the feasibility of a 4-day workweek, as higher living costs may drive employees to seek additional income through side hustles.

Voluntary adoption of a 4-day workweek often leads to positive outcomes, as demonstrated by trials where companies reported increased productivity and improved employee well-being.

The global trend toward a 4-day workweek has gained significant momentum, with trials in countries like the UK demonstrating that productivity remained stable or increased, company revenues rose by an average of 1.4%, and absenteeism decreased, showcasing the model's viability across diverse industries and organizations of varying sizes.

Title:

Content: How about four days a week instead of five?
Here are the results of an exciting experiment involving 60 companies around the world.
More than 60 companies participated in the experiment, allowing around 3,000 employees to work one day less per week while retaining the same salary.
Rates of stress, burnout and fatigue all fell, while problems with sleep declined, the study shows.
Source: AAP / Mick Tsikas
MAIN POINTS
• The study found that more than 9 out of 10 companies will continue to shorten the work week or plan to do so
• Productivity was not affected by lighter work weeks, with the company ’ s revenue increasing by an average of 1.4 per cent over the trial period
The study also found that employment increased and absenteeism decreased.
A four-day workweek is more productive for most employees and businesses than the traditional five-day workweek, and is one of the largest trials ever conducted in the UK.
More than 60 companies in the UK participated in the trial over a six-month period, allowing around 3,000 employees to work one day less per week while retaining the same salary.
The trial was conducted between June and December and was organized by a nonprofit group called 4 Day Week Global in collaboration with the Autonomy Research Center, the University of Cambridge, and Boston College in the United States.
The experience is described as the largest in the world around working four days a week.
The survey released on Tuesday found that more than nine out of 10 companies would continue to adopt or plan to do so, while only 4 percent chose not to extend it, regulators said in a statement.
Juliette Shore, a professor at Boston College, said: “The results are largely the same across workplaces of all sizes, demonstrating that this innovation has proven to be effective in many diverse organizations.
Productivity was not affected by shorter working days, with the company ’ s revenue increasing by an average of 1.4% over the trial period.
Revenue jumped 35% on average when compared to similar periods in previous years.
The study also found that employment increased and absenteeism decreased, while the number of resignations dropped sharply during the trial.
In addition, the researchers concluded that overall health and staff well-being improved.
"Significant" increases were also observed in physical and mental health, time spent on exercise, public life and job satisfaction.
Stress, fatigue and fatigue rates have decreased, while sleep problems have decreased.
"Really positive."
Cambridge University professor Brendan Burchell told AFP: “In terms of employees, their mental health improved, they slept better, and they became less stressed.
“But at the same time, companies have stated that if there are changes in their profits or in their performance, they are more likely to go up rather than down. ”
“A lot of people were very happy, people really enjoyed it; and they found it good to have three-day weekends instead of two days. ”
Environmental consultancy Tyler Grange in the UK was among 18 companies that decided to permanently adopt a four-day work week after participating in the trial.
Nathan Jenkinson, customer manager at Tyler Grange, told AFP: “My experience has been really positive, you can see it in people ’ s work and they ’ re more active.
“Employees come to work at the beginning of the week on Monday, after three days off, feel more positive about work and have a lot of energy. ”
Tyler Grange said performance improved slightly despite reduced working hours.
In recent years, studies of the four-day workweek have spread globally as employers explore the nature of post-pandemic work, including the concept of a co-working place that allows more work from home.
Short-week experiments were conducted across Europe, the United States and Canada, as well as in Australia and New Zealand.
However, when asked whether the UK government might adopt the test as a national policy, Prime Minister ’ s spokesman Rishi Sonak sounded cautious and stated, “There are no plans for that. ”
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Published at 22 / 02 / 2023 1: 59pm
Presented by: Nassif Khoury
Source: AFP
Available in other languages
The subject.

Microsoft Japan's experiment with a 4-day workweek highlighted the potential for operational efficiencies, as productivity increased by 40%, while energy consumption and printing costs were reduced, demonstrating additional environmental benefits.

Title:

Content: 16 +
More news
More surveys
With the advent of new technologies and the introduction of digitalization, labor relations should be accompanied by processes of reducing labor time.
Why it is difficult to make predictions about the introduction of the “four-day ” in Russia
Chairman of the State Duma Committee on Labor, Social Policy and Veterans Affairs Yaroslav Nilov said that the transition to a four-day working week is “a matter of the near future. ”
Candidate of Economic Sciences, President of the Association of Managers and Specialists in Human Resources Management of the Sverdlovsk Region, Head of the Department of Labor Economics and Human Resources Management of USUE Svetlana Dolzhenko explained what work schedule is optimal for most people, and why it is difficult to make predictions about the introduction of a “four-day ” in Russia.
In the Labor Code of Russia, the schedule of work is regulated by 91 articles, according to which the normal duration of the working week cannot exceed 40 hours.
This is due, among other things, to numerous scientific studies on the organization of work and the formation of a balance between work and personal life.
The logic is simple: time to rest should be enough to restore strength for subsequent effective activities.
At the same time, there are several options for working hours: for example, two after two, five-day and six-day working weeks or an incomplete one.
The idea of a four-day work week is not new.
Back in the twenties of the last century, Henry Ford, the founder of the automobile company, realized that well-rested workers work more productively.
At the moment, a reduced work schedule is successfully practiced abroad.
For example, Perpetual Guardian insurance company in New Zealand introduced a 32-hour work week a few years ago.
According to the results, workers not only manage to do the same amount of work in four days as in five, but also become more motivated (by 24%), and productivity increases by 20%.
Another example is Microsoft Japan.
There, with the introduction of a four-day work week, productivity increased by 40%.
For enterprises in Japan, this case is especially important, since it is in this country that the term “karoshi ” means death from processing.
Since the 1950s, Japan has become a benchmark for hard work around the world.
Japanese companies offered workers a lifetime job guarantee and high wages in exchange for irregular working hours and loyalty to superiors.
And business leaders got what they wanted — incredible productivity gains.
But over time, these conditions led to the opposite effect, people were too tired and could not perform their work qualitatively.
In Russia, the proposal to switch to a four-day working week was first put forward in 2019 at that time by the Prime Minister of the Russian Federation Dmitry Medvedev.
At the moment, making predictions about the reduction of the working week is quite difficult.
While the deputies did not present the bill, it is not clear how exactly it is proposed to change the regime: an 8-hour working day from Monday to Thursday or a weekly workload of 40 hours will be distributed over four days - a 10-hour working day will be introduced.
And in addition, it is not clear what will happen after the innovations with the salary - will be reduced in proportion to a decrease in the amount of time worked or will remain at the same level?
It is only obvious that with the advent of new technologies and the introduction of digitalization, labor relations should be accompanied, as they were centuries ago, by processes of reducing labor time.
This requires more flexible labor legislation, which in turn will definitely lead to an increase in labor productivity.
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Research from Iceland and other countries has shown that shorter workweeks reduce stress, anxiety, and burnout among employees, leading to higher productivity and fewer sick days, emphasizing the positive impact on worker well-being.

Title:

Content: Since June 1 this year, more than 3,000 employees from more than 60 companies in the United Kingdom have conducted a social experiment with a six-month “four-day work ”.
Since 2018, the non-profit organization of "4 Day Week Global" wants to test whether the public interest of "80% working time - 100% wages - 100% productivity" and "three days off a week, labor and management win" really exists.
Due to the COVID-19 outbreak so far in 2020, many enterprises have adopted the method of “working from home, diverting work ”, and in the long process of the epidemic, working from home and working from home has become an emerging work style.
Since the end of the epidemic this year, many countries have returned to their original or new jobs, whether they are blue-collar and white-collar workers who have left or changed jobs.
However, in more than two years, the transformation of various workplaces in the enterprise to survive, and the labor compromise of "unpaid leave + retained work" have made more and more pioneer projects of "four days a week", and the industry category has become more and more diversified, becoming a new opportunity to promote.
Among them, the most representative is Iceland.
According to media reports in the middle of last year: “The three-day weekend experiment in Iceland has been a success, and workers ’ happiness and productivity have improved ”; the reason for this is:“ Employees face less workplace stress, anxiety, depression and exhaustion, and therefore work harder and take fewer sick days; workers feel more leisure time, and therefore are more committed to their work. ”
This conclusion, in addition to the ethical questions of the willingness of enterprises and workers to participate, and whether or not to remain anonymous, also requires the testing of more rigorous research methods, such as the length of the experiment, whether the industry type and size of the experiment is consistent, and the working tolerance of the workers involved in the experiment, are worthy of further investigation.
On the other hand, the three-day experiment, the success stories of Iceland, New Zealand, and British Columbia, Canada, did not clearly describe the type of industry, the development of the industry in each country, and whether the size of the enterprises in the industry varies greatly.
In addition, across all continents of the world, countries have different levels of economic development, industrial structures have their own characteristics, and the government originally conferred statutory labor rights and interests, are also different.
In addition to industries that are not suitable for at-home work, the sense of alienation of human relationships, the synergy of face-to-face communication, and whether innovation requires teamwork have become the focus of discussion.
On the front page of the “Four Days a Week Worldwide ” website, the home page shows where the current pioneer projects are located on every continent around the world. Surprisingly, Central and South America, Africa, and Southeast Asia each launched at least five projects, but in Canada and the United States, there is only one pilot project.
Moreover, the website reveals that “working four days a week makes 78% of employees feel happier and less stressed. ”
It can also be seen that not only developed countries are promoting, in fact, more developing countries are also conducting experiments.
While there is a lack of a more convincing description of the experimental design, it is clear that this is indeed a possible new type of workplace.
Because of this, in addition to the pilot of national enterprises to cooperate with international non-profit organizations, there are also governments taking the lead in responding.
Spain ’ s leftist political party, once launched a “three days off ” policy in 2021, and the Spanish government agreed to test the new work system of“ 32 hours per week (8 hours per day) ” on a limited scale. 200 companies are willing to participate, and 3,000 to 6,000 workers benefit.
The result of such a trial gives more room for imagination to "take three days off every week, and employees will win both."
The social experiment of "80% of working hours - 100% of wages - 100% of productivity" has important policy significance for the harmony of labor relations and the long-term development of the economy.
"High working hours" does not mean "high productivity", which is the general consensus of the current society.
"Shorten working hours, wages unchanged", helps companies retain employees, perhaps without controversy; but whether it can also maintain 100% of the work output is questioned by the business community.
After the epidemic, "three days off a week, labor and management win" is applicable to some specific industry categories, and the nature of the work of individual employees may also be more widely distributed in various industries.
And the flexibility of working hours, the heterogeneity of the workplace, the universalization of work dispatch, and even the high expectations of the young generation for "enterprise decentralization" are all the help of "working four days a week", which may be a major challenge for enterprises in the future.
# Work # Employee # Business # Home # 4 Days

What did  the trial of 4-day workwee in New Zealand show?

What did surveys conducted in London before and after the experiment of 4-day workweek  find?

What has a Gallup Poll found out about the prospect of 4-day workweek?

77% of American employees believe that it will have a positive impact on their health

What has the implementation 4-day wrokweek in Dubai, UAE indicated?

Increase in productivity
Increase in work quality indicators

The UK’s largest 4-day workweek trial revealed significant improvements in employee well-being, including reductions in stress and burnout, better sleep, and increased life satisfaction, with 91% of participating organizations planning to continue the model after the trial.

Title:

Content: Ina Opperman
Business Journalist
3 minute read
26 Feb 2023
10:00 am

Largest 4-day week trial results good news for future of work

Ina Opperman

Will a 4-day workweek work? It seems that employees and employers are happy.

The results of the world’s largest 4-day week trial is good news for the future of work, with new research showing that these results are largely in line with existing global evidence, further demonstrating the benefits of reduced-hour, output-focused working.

The pilot programme conducted in the UK by non-profit 4 Day Week Global, the UK’s 4-Day Week Campaign and think tank Autonomy, guided over 60 companies and almost 3 000 workers through a six-month trial of a 4-day week, with no loss of pay for workers.

This brings the global campaign’s total number of completed pilot participants to 91 companies and approximately 3 500 employees. Lead researcher, professor Juliet Schor of Boston College, says overall results show that almost every organisation will stick to a 4-day week after the trial, with 91% definitely continuing or planning to continue and another 4% leaning towards continuing. Only 4% of participants are definitely not continuing.

Participating companies rated their overall experience of the trials at an average of 8.5/10, with business productivity and business performance each scoring 7.5/10. Revenue increased by 35% over the trial periods when compared to similar periods from the previous year, while hiring increased and absenteeism decreased.

ALSO READ: 28 SA companies to implement 4-day work week on 1 March

Improved employee wellbeing and health

During the trial it was also found that the health and wellbeing of employees also improved, with significant increases observed in physical and mental health, time spent exercising and overall life and job satisfaction. Rates of stress, burnout and fatigue all decreased along with problems with sleep.

Even the environmental outcomes were encouraging, with commuting time falling across the full sample by a half hour per week.

Schor says she observed an encouraging consistency in the data, with results largely steady across workplaces of varying sizes, demonstrating this is an innovation which works for many types of organisations.

“There are also some interesting differences. We found that employees in non-profits and professional services had a larger average increase in time spent exercising, while those in construction and manufacturing enjoyed the largest reductions in burnout and sleep problems.”

Behavioural scientist and new CEO of 4-Day Week Global, Dr Dale Whelehan, explained the sample produced interesting differences in gender outcomes. “While men and women benefit from a 4-day week, women’s experience is generally better for burnout, life and job satisfaction, mental health and reduced commuting time.”

ALSO READ: 4-day work week pilot so successful, all participating companies sticking to it

4-day workweek also balances home tasks

Encouragingly, the research also showed that the burden of non-work duties appears to be balancing out, with more men taking on a greater share of housework and childcare.

Co-founder and MD of 4-Day Week Global, Charlotte Lockhart, says her team is delighted to be expanding the arguments in favour of a 4-day week with this new world-class academic research. “We look forward to adding our Australasian pilot results to this data set in the coming weeks and our European, South African, Brazilian and North American results in the coming months.”

4-Day Week Global was founded in New Zealand by entrepreneurs and philanthropists, Andrew Barnes and Charlotte Lockhart, following the world-renowned success of their pioneering trial of the 4-day week in Perpetual Guardian.

Their approach is based on the 100-80-100™ model designed by Lockhart alongside the Perpetual Guardian trial in 2018. That means 100% of the pay, for 80% of the time, in exchange for a commitment to deliver 100% of the output.

4-Day Week Global’s ambition is to make a 4-day week the new default and reduced working time the new standard.

A New Zealand company reported a 20% increase in productivity and reductions in employee stress after adopting a 4-day workweek, while also enhancing work-life balance and fostering positive workplace dynamics such as leadership and accountability.

Title:

Content: New Zealand company employees' productivity is 20% higher than 4 days off
Reporters Pan Yi / Comprehensive Report
Recently, a public participation platform in the Public Policy Network proposed "Let Taiwan become the first country in Asia to take a three-day holiday". The proposal was successfully signed, and the government must respond by June 26.
This proposal also aroused different views from all walks of life. In this regard, Dr. Huang Xuan collated the research of various countries, and found that a New Zealand company experiment "week off 4 days" was successful, and the complete results were also exposed one by one.
This is an advertisement, please continue reading.
Critical care physician Huang Xuan shared on Facebook that the day off was created after the Industrial Revolution in 1900, and the day off was founded in 1926 by the founder of Ford Motor Company "Henry Ford" and has even more influence today.
The 40-hour workweek rule was enacted in 1938 in the United States.
In recent years, Western countries such as the United Kingdom, France, Iceland, Belgium and other countries have begun to conduct “three days off ” experiments, including Perpetual Guardian, a financial services company in New Zealand, which began in November 2018, its founder Andrew Barnes began to implement a more advanced“ four days off ” experiment.
Perpetual Guardian has 240 employees working just three days a week with no pay.
After a period of time, the researchers found that “employee productivity increased by about 20% ” and“ employee stress decreased from 45% to 38% ” after switching to three days of work per week.
The score for work-life balance also increased from 54% to 78% ” and also improved employees ’ “all positive related scores for leadership, excitement, confidence, and sense of responsibility ”
After the data was shared, Andrew Barnes decided to officially change the company to “four days off ” and founded the organization“ 4 Day Week Global ” to promote the benefits of the holiday and hope to make an impact internationally.
This is an advertisement, please continue reading.

What did  the trial of 4-day workwee in New Zealand show?

The employees were happier
The productivity  increased

In Iceland, trials of a shortened workweek demonstrated that employees experienced less workplace stress and exhaustion, which contributed to improved happiness and productivity, further reducing sick days.

Despite these benefits, one of the primary barriers to implementing a 4-day workweek is the challenge of meeting customer demands, particularly in industries requiring continuous operations, as 75% of surveyed companies in the UK expressed concerns about this issue.

Title:

Content: Four-day workweek’s popularity grew during the pandemic — survey

As companies scrambled during the COVID-19 outbreak to reorient their workplace procedures and processes, one idea that gained ground was a shorter workweek.

More businesses adopted a four-day week during the COVID-19 pandemic as the shift to remote working spurred a major rethinking of work practices, according to a poll of senior leaders at 500 UK businesses by the University of Reading’s Henley Business School.

The survey, an update to research from 2019, showed that 21% of respondents adopted a four-day workweek for all staff in 2021, up from 18% in 2019. The majority of respondents (65%) said a four-day workweek is in place for at least some of their workers, up from 50% who said that in 2019. A four-day workweek is defined in the report as involving a reduction from five to four workdays for the same pay or a compressed workweek with the same hours across four days instead of five.

Though a four-day workweek has gained popularity, the UK numbers are perhaps higher than expected; job posting site Indeed told Computerworld that less than 1% of job postings on March 11 included the term “four-day week,” for example. A Gallup survey of full-time U.S. employees in March 2020 — prior to the pandemic — indicated that only 5% put in four days a week, with the vast majority (84%) working five days (and 11% working six days each week).

That said, numerous organizations have adopted or trialled a shorter workweek for staff since the start of the pandemic, including firms such as Atom Bank, Bolt, Buffer, and Kickstarter. And pilot projects are under way in several countries, including the US, UK, and Spain.

Such projects are not new, of course; Microsoft launched a trial at its Japan offices in 2019 that resulted in higher productivity, for example, while the UK’s Wellcome Trust ran into issues around complexity with its own project the same year.

A shorter workweek has been talked about for decades, but a shift from the five-day, 40-hour week that has been the standard for over a century has so far failed to gain momentum.

What’s behind the recent interest in the idea? One reason is that the widespread, and largely successful, shift to remote work during the pandemic showed the benefits of a more flexible approach to work, said Rita Fontinha, associate professor in Strategic Human Resource Management at the University of Reading’s Henley Business School.

“The pandemic led to a situation where most firms were forced to implement remote work and this has accelerated previous discussions that we have been having over the last two decades on flexible working,” said Fontinha. “Working from home led to increased trust [between employers and employees] and awareness of other ways of measuring performance that go beyond presenteeism. The pandemic showed that flexibility works.”

Report highlights four-day week advantages

The Henley Business School survey pointed to several advantages for businesses that implemented a four-day workweek, including costs savings (66%), improved productivity (64%), better quality output from staff (64%), and  less-stressed workers (78%).

Improved employee wellbeing is connected to business outcomes too, said Jack E. Gold, founder and principal analyst at research firm J. Gold Associates.

“Keeping employees happy and motivated makes for far more productive employees, no matter what hours they work,” said Gold. “Maximizing employee productivity is a much more important way to gain business value than hours worked.”

Another benefit, noted by 68% of survey respondents that had adopted a four day week, involved hiring and retention. “People were less likely to take sick leave, people were more productive, and it was easier to attract new staff, and to retain them,” said Fontinha.

The so-called Great Resignation is also likely contributing to interest in a shorter workweek.

“What’s different now than prior to the pandemic is that we’re seeing a temporary spike in the difficulty that firms are having in hiring and retaining workers, and the four-day work week is a relatively easy benefit to extend to help ease the challenge in the short term,” said David Brodeur-Johnson, principal analyst at research firm Forrester.

A shorter workweek can mean challenges

The survey also highlighted several challenges around implementing a shorter workweek, though employer concerns have softened during the pandemic.

Among companies that did not offer a four-day week, 65% said they were worried staffing costs would outweigh any productivity benefits (though that number was down from 80%). The biggest challenge cited by employers was meeting customer demands (75%), while 70% thought a shorter week would be too complicated to manage.

Some companies may find a switch to a four-day week easier than others, said Fontinha. IT-focused firms are more likely to switch, she said, largely due to the relative ease with which tech worker output can be tracked in comparison with other roles. “Areas where we were less likely to see the four-day week were sectors that involve contact with customers, or healthcare, for example,” she said.

A shorter workweek is also more suited to companies with a relatively homogenous workforce in terms of job roles, she said, meaning large businesses with a diverse workforce may find a short workweek complicated to roll out. At the same time, the smallest companies might not have the resources to support the shift, said Fontinha, adding that there are steps all businesses can take to implement a four-day week, even if they are more gradual.

“Having this overnight shift to a four-day working week will be hard for smaller firms,” she said. “What we suggest is a progressive reduction in working hours, moving towards a four-day working week by assessing how things are going and how needs are being met, how productive people are.”

Even if the benefits outweigh the costs for many, businesses should consider their reasons for moving to a four-day week. While a shorter week provides clear benefits to work/life balance and employee wellbeing, Brodeur-Johnson warns against adopting a four-day week as a shortcut to improving employee experience. “[T]he science is clear that what really engages people is being able to make progress in meaningful work every day; to know that they can and are succeeding,” he said.

“Employee experience peaks when we can leave work knowing that we made a difference, and had a really good day," he said. "It also comes from having a supportive manager, a supportive team environment, and feeling recognized and seen uniquely for the work that we do.

“All of these things are much harder for businesses to do for their people, because it involves behavior changes, manager development, culture changes, deeper resourcing and more that a four-day work week won’t solve on its own.”

Copyright © 2022 IDG Communications, Inc.

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Operational complexity is another significant hurdle, with 70% of employers citing difficulties in managing workflows and adapting schedules to ensure business continuity, especially in sectors with diverse job roles or seasonal demands.

Title:

Content: Manager of an Estonian company about a four-day work week: experience shows that it is doable
Over time, more innovative ways of working begin to penetrate the Estonian work culture.
Today, the most attention is paid to the shortened working week: for example, a four-day working week or a six-hour working day.
These approaches seem exciting to many, but the fear that they will negatively affect the organization of work, often becomes an obstacle in their implementation in practice.
Elisa manager Joosep Põllumäe noted that while the fear of innovative working methods is understandable, with the right organizational culture, proper pre-planning and strong support systems, confusion resulting from overtraining can be avoided in most cases.
For example, a four-week workweek has been successfully tested twice in Elisa ’ s technology department, which has more than 200 employees.
From now on, it will become a permanent summer mode for IT teams.
“If in recent decades everyone has known that there are forty hours a week to do work, and you can ask for help from colleagues every day from nine to five, then one day off can be a real shock, ” he said.
You just need to know which problem areas to focus on. ”
According to Põllumäe, in order for the introduction of new ways of working to go as smoothly as possible, it is first of all important to focus on establishing clear rules of the game, clear communication and the most accurate measurements.
Expectations should converge
Working four days a week, one weekday is free for the employee.
However, the details associated with this basic thesis may vary from company to company.
Therefore, according to Põllumäe, it is important that all parties involved in the organization of work understand these details equally.
For example, you should establish whether the day off is completely free, or it will be a day of study, a day of concentration or something else.
It is also important to determine who can be disturbed on the fifth day and on what issues, what changes will be made to the organization of work in the remaining four days, so that the work continues to be carried out.
“Employees need to clearly understand what is expected of them and what means are at their disposal to achieve their goals – whether they can cancel meetings, refuse additional tasks, work more from home.
Similarly, employers need to understand what employees expect.
For example, if a four-day work week includes one completely free day, you need to understand that employees do not want to be covered with working letters on this day, ” Põllumäe said.
Work must be measurable
Since expectations of attainable results do not decrease when working hours are shortened, one of the secrets to the success of the new organization of work is clear measurements and a concrete understanding of when the work is done.
According to Põllumäe, the more abstract someone ’ s role or the wider the range of tasks, the more likely it is that some important topics will go unnoticed, or people will always feel that they have to do more, and therefore will not dare to take a day off.
“Employees usually want to exceed expectations.
Try to do as much as possible in five working days.
However, if the employer suddenly allows an employee to take a day off in the case of work performed, then without clear measurements, it is difficult for some employees to understand whether they have completed their tasks or not, - he explained. - That is why very clear measurements are important - thing X should be developed within a month, analysis Y should be completed within a quarter, no "ticket" should "hang" longer than Z days. "
The better people understand their expectations, the better they can plan their work and deliver results in less time.
Communication is important
Since no team or branch of a company operates in a vacuum, clear communication and listening to feedback are also critical to implementing innovative work practices.
For example, departments ordering work from the development department should understand that one day a week from the development department should not wait for answers.
The sales team should know that marketing will not launch new ads on a certain day, and management should understand that one day a week should not expect quick reports from employees.
“If everyone knows how others work, they adjust their work accordingly.
Knowing that the data sphere teams are not working on Friday, the necessary data will be requested on Thursday, he explained. – It is also important to ask for constant feedback – if it begins to seem that the absence of someone from the team is causing real damage to the business, or customers begin to feel their absence, something needs to be adjusted, for example, to change the day when they are absent, or alternate absent employees to always provide some cover. ”
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What challenges will the companies with diverse workforce have for implementing 4-day workweek??

Complicated to roll out for large companies

Industries reliant on hourly billing or client-driven schedules, such as marketing agencies, face unique challenges in adopting a 4-day workweek, as reduced availability can conflict with client expectations and revenue models.

Title:

Content: Marketing

Is the four-day workweek inevitable? Maybe not for agencies

Some agencies are making it work. But hourly billing models—not to mention client demands—present challenges.

· 4 min read

For many, the pandemic turned workplace norms like daily commutes and desk salads into relics of the past. Now, with higher burnout rates and increasing calls for greater work-life balance, many believe the five-day work week is the next to go. The 32-hour week is even gaining support in Congress.

But in agency settings, where business is often subject to client whims and schedules, it’s less a question of why the need for a four-day week and more a question of if it’s even possible.

Happy Friday, indeed

Lisa Kribs, founding partner of social impact marketing firm TGW Studio in Rochester, New York, told Marketing Brew the eight-person agency went to a four-day schedule almost two years ago and will never look back.

Kribs said giving employees that extra day to travel, catch up on chores, or pick up a hobby has been great for morale and productivity. “This is about mental health. This is about family. And this is about taking care of yourself,” Kribs said. “Rolling something like this out, it’s more than a perk. It’s just a way of being.”

Kribs calls TGW Studio a “social impact” marketing firm, working with clients like Planned Parenthood and 1% for the Planet. She said that while most of TGW’s clients do not operate on a four-day schedule, the agency’s decision has been respected overall. “Sometimes there’s a little bit of sarcasm around it,” she said. “You know, ‘Oh, I know you guys are off today.’” But she’s also seen clients pitch their own C-suites on why they should do a four-day week, too.

Calls for less demanding work hours are not just restricted to the US, which is known for its blurry lines between work and leisure. Brandish, a 30-person creative branding and marketing agency in Winnipeg, Canada, decided to cut out Fridays this November. Some of the company’s past clients include MIG Insurance and Birchwood Automotive Group.

Derek Elliott, partner and engagement director, said he’s seen a boost in both morale and in operations since the switch. “People approach meetings with more energy. People are more efficient with their time on days that aren’t Friday. And certainly from a work perspective, I think we found that the collaboration increases and the output of the work also gets better.”

Both TGW and Brandish operate partly on a project-based billing model, which Elliott and Kribs both said was key to being able to switch to a four-day week. Making the switch was about streamlining meetings, launching campaigns earlier in the week, and replacing what Kribs calls “water cooler talk” with more focused work time—all while maintaining the same workload as before.

“We just tried to trust each other that we’re going to get done what needs to get done,” Kribs said.

No way, four-day

For agencies that operate on an hourly billing model, moving to a four-day week is not impossible, but can present more challenges. Barry Lowenthal, CEO of Media Kitchen, remains skeptical that a four-day week could ever work in a large agency setting with billable hours. For it to happen, he told Marketing Brew that clients would need to make the first move.

“Clients and service people would need to hold hands and say, ‘This is how we want to view work moving forward.’ I haven’t seen that really happen yet,” he told us.

Until an alliance happens or regulation gets passed, Lowenthal said it will be difficult for agencies to scale back and reduce their output and availability (aka revenue). According to Lowenthal, that’s why he pushed for Media Kitchen’s other employee benefits, like unlimited time off and the ability to work wherever.

Some agencies, like B2B marketing agency RedSprout Media in London, tried the four-day week and realized it wasn’t a fit. As a result, business publication Raconteur reported that the company opted for a 30-hour, “anytime, anywhere” policy where employees work where and when they want throughout the week.

Ultimately, the pandemic has revealed that employees around the world have realized the need for better work-life balance. The push for a four-day week is a sign, and a signal to employers, that the nine-to-five, in-office norms of pre-pandemic life may not fly once this is all over.

For sectors like healthcare and service functions, where continuous operations are essential, reducing workdays may lead to increased overtime or staffing difficulties, undermining the intended benefits of the model.

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4 days a week, depending on the occupation, some of the advantages of recruitment, some afraid of being forced to work overtime.
Increasingly, companies are trying to work four days a week, but employees and bosses who have tried this are divided about how effective it is to work one day less per week.
The Wall Street Journal reported on the 25th that Brian McNaboe, a consultant at Harvard Business School, said he found that reducing the weekly hours can maintain overall efficiency.
He was previously CTO at Volt Athletics, a Seattle-based startup that provides virtual personal training, and the team successfully adopted the “Flexible Friday ” approach, where employees can choose to work or not work on Fridays.
“From a productivity standpoint, it was very successful and very popular, and the company decided to make it permanent and a recruiting advantage, ” Mr. McNabb said.
However, for some industries, reducing the number of working days per week may not be worth it.
Among them, Jennifer Newman, a former employee who worked for large advertising companies, said that former employers switched to four eight-hour shifts a week during the epidemic, but most employees had to work overtime to meet the deadline.
“I ’ m a little skeptical of those who say it ’ s ‘ employee benefits, ’ ” Newman said.“ It ’ s basically a five-day workload into four days. ”
Advertisers may think, like Newman, that it is very difficult to cut time and do the job well, and even more impossible for the consumer-facing service industry.
Mike Groves, CEO of Federal Lock & Safe in Arlington, Virginia, said, “It ’ s hard for the service industry to do that.
Groves was adamant that the company had to open five days a week, but he allowed employees to strike a more work-life balance: the company worked seven hours a day, with employees arriving at 6 a.m. and leaving around 1 p.m.
Shorter working hours per day, while improving retention and productivity.
According to the Wall Street Journal, based on their experience of receiving hundreds of shortened working days, although many workers believe that "productivity" should be the only important indicator, many bosses still stress that "hours of work" is an important measure of productivity.
Roy Eriksson, president and CEO of engineering firm Alickson in Tampa, Fla., says measuring work is hard to move away from hours.
Wages and productivity must be combined, he said, and the current representation is the number of hours worked.
“You can ’ t casually reduce the number of hours your employees work, ” he said.“ Working hours translate into productivity, which is needed for pay and benefits. ”
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What did Labor economist Jonathan Boys say about 4-day workweek?

Healthcare industry may face more problems.

What has the implementation 4-day wrokweek in Dubai, UAE indicated?

Equity challenges in implementing a 4-day workweek include the potential exclusion of hourly workers, part-time employees, and those in low-wage jobs, as these groups may face reduced income if working hours are cut without wage adjustments.

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Content: Work life

Summer Fridays walked so the four-day workweek could run

Employees are now in favor of flexibility over temporary time off.

· 3 min read

Level up your career and your life with Sidekick

Career advice, productivity hacks, entertainment, and more. If it’s worth your time, it’s in here.

What’s top of mind at the water cooler.

The legend of the Summer Friday: Once upon a time, for three sacred months every year between Memorial Day and Labor Day, employees were allowed to clock out after lunch every Friday and head immediately to the bar.

It’s said that the tradition started in NYC in the ’60s as companies searched for ways to boost employee productivity and morale during the summer months. (There’s even a brand named after it!) If you were lucky enough to work somewhere that offered this perk (usually publishing or advertising), your weekend started with midday happy hours and early bird beach days while friends at less generous corporations smoldered with jealousy.

But with the push toward remote work, Summer Fridays have become a ghost of workplace past as they may have ushered in something even better: the four-day workweek.

As companies scrambled to deal with office closures during the pandemic, most work suddenly became remote. Facing Covid variant after variant and a resistance to returning to the office, some employers like tech companies Bolt and Buffer opted to permanently remove a day from the workweek to better suit employee needs. A jumbo Summer Friday! Perfect, right?

Unfortunately, the exact logistics of the four-day workweek have been tricky. Who can and can’t participate? Does the four-day workweek mean longer working hours? What happens if there’s still work to be done once Friday rolls around?

To get some insight, Sidekick spoke with Alicia Garcia, chief culture officer at MasterControl and Jes Osrow, diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) expert and founder of The Rise Journey consultancy, who had these thoughts to share:

  • Fixed schedules ≠ productivity. While a five-day, nine-to-five workweek has worked for most US-based companies, that doesn’t mean employees produce their best work during that time.
  • Flexibility is king. “The biggest issue with policies like the four-day workweek or Summer Fridays is that they’re still rigid. Whether it’s a four-day or five-day workweek, the exact days and times employees are required to work are fixed…When approached by employees, the most common request is ‘flexibility,’” said Garcia.
  • Flexibility isn’t an option for everyone. “We’re not thinking about essential workers, we’re not thinking about folks on the ground, and we’re not thinking about grocery store owners. It’s important to recognize that even though we do talk the big talk about a four-day workweek, it only applies to a small fraction of workers in the US and/or globally,” Osrow explained.

As the highly discussed ✨future of work✨ continues to develop, employees are looking for more flexibility. Whether that means working remotely from far-flung corners of the world or logging off a little early to go pick your children up from daycare—employers should take notes, not dictate them.—MW

Level up your career and your life with Sidekick

Career advice, productivity hacks, entertainment, and more. If it’s worth your time, it’s in here.

Small and medium-sized enterprises may struggle with increased costs if they cannot pass them on, potentially leading to wage reductions for low-wage workers and exacerbating financial inequities.

Title:

Content: If you take three days off the week, the financial regulatory commission: 30 billion yuan of annual tax on securities
The Ministry of Labor held a research and discussion meeting on the 7th, and the representatives of the four parties of labor and government all agreed that although the general direction is good, the impact on the people 's situation, the shift system, the education system, wages and labor force at this stage is too big, "too early for Taiwan." Tax revenue will be reduced by $30 billion a year.
On the public policy network participation platform, more than 5,000 people jointly signed a proposal to “make Taiwan the first country in Asia to take a 3-day weekend off ” and“ amend Article 30 of the Labor Base Law to reduce working hours ”, and the government has to respond by June 26 and July 2.
Due to the wide range of involved, the Ministry of Labor invited 10 national labor groups, 7 management groups, 6 government scholars, the first line of local authorities, and including the Ministry of Economic Affairs, Ministry of Education, Ministry of Communications, Ministry of the Interior, Ministry of Health, Ministry of Culture, Ministry of National Defense, Council of Agriculture, National Development, National Science Council, Financial Management Council, and other relevant units.
Director of the Department of Labor Conditions and Employment Equality of the Ministry of Labor, Huang Weichen, explained the meeting.
"The consensus between the employers and employees is very consistent, everyone believes that this direction is good, but now it is difficult to implement." Huang Weichen said that the management representatives believe that the implementation of the current situation in the industry will encounter some conditions, such as lack of work at the current stage, if the weekly working hours are further reduced, it will cause the problem of manpower shortage. However, this takes into account the differences between different industries and the nature of the work.
Labor representatives believe that small and medium-sized enterprises may increase costs, if the cost can not be passed on, it may reduce wages, which will actually affect labor wages.
In addition, the representative of the FSC said at the meeting that the average daily stock market turnover is about 200 billion yuan, if the weekend 2 becomes 3 days, the Securities and Exchange Commission will be less than 30 billion yuan in one year, and the current world countries do not officially implement the weekend 3 days, the national markets are linked, if Taiwan alone 3 days off, it will affect trading.
Three days off a week will also affect the school system, a representative of the Ministry of Education pointed out that due to the number of hours required for primary and secondary schools, "if you do not lengthen the daily class time, you must shorten the winter and summer vacation."

What are the views that object 4-day workweek?

It may lead to a large increase in labor costs

What challenges will the companies with diverse workforce have for implementing 4-day workweek??

Lack of resouces to support shift for sall comppanies

Essential workers and those in industries requiring physical presence, such as retail or healthcare, may not benefit from the flexibility of a 4-day workweek, highlighting disparities in access to this model across different job types.

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Content: Whether to implement the four-day work week can be decided by the employer.
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Faced with a tight labour market, the Ministry of Manpower has called on employers to implement flexible working arrangements and to decide for themselves, as appropriate, which work arrangements best meet the needs of business and employees, including whether to implement the four-day work system, but the government has no intention of piloting the four-day work system in the public sector at this time.
Yan Xiaofang, Minister of Education and Minister of Manpower, said Tuesday (September 13) in response to an oral question from Yang Yicai, a member of the Latin Maersk region, that the four-day system is one of the forms of flexible working arrangements, and that reducing the number of working days may be effective for some employers and employees, while others are not.
The Ministry of Manpower and the Labour and Management Tripartite Partners encourage employers to be open to all forms of flexible working arrangements in order to identify and adopt the most suitable form.
The Ministry noted that a number of countries, such as Ireland, Japan and Spain, had experimented with the four-day system.
In Belgium, on the other hand, employees are entitled to work four days a week, but the working hours are extended each day, and the total number of hours worked per week remains the same, and so far the results appear to be mixed.
Stakeholder concerns include the impact of the four-day system on productivity, business costs and employee well-being.
While there are examples of productivity gains, it depends on the field and type of work.
In other cases, reduced working hours mean employers need to hire more people.
At the same time, there are also concerns that wages may be reduced, and some people may face greater pressure by working longer hours per day.
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What did Labor economist Jonathan Boys say about 4-day workweek?

Healthcare industry may face more problems.

In Iceland, the 4-day workweek was implemented by reducing working hours to 35-36 hours per week while maintaining full pay, leading to improved worker well-being, optimized work processes, and sustained or increased productivity.

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Content: The 4-day work week: Who is trialing it and does it work? | World | Breaking news and perspectives from around the globe | DW | 17.02.2022

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World

The 4-day work week: Who is trialing it and does it work?

Belgium will now offer employees the opportunity to work a four-day week. Various countries and companies have experimented with the idea, which is gaining traction in many parts of the world.

Who doesn't dream of less time spent at work?

Four days working, three days relaxing with friends and family. And all this for the same money. What's not to like? Surely most employees would jump at the chance. Advocates for the four-day work week suggest that when it is implemented worker satisfaction increases, as does productivity.

Belgium will now be introducing four-day work weeks for those who want it. However, employees will not be working less. They will simply condense their hours into fewer days, if they want to. They will be allowed to decide flexibly on whether to work four or five days a week.

Belgian Prime Minister Alexander de Croo hopes that the model will help to create a more dynamic economy and will make it easier for people to combine their family lives with their career. But some full-time employees will be working very long days if they choose to condense their hours. Others, like shift workers, will simply not have the option of that flexibility.

DW explores which countries and companies have already experimented with the four-day working week.

Iceland: Fewer hours at full pay

Iceland tested a similar model from 2015 and 2019. However, it reduced the working week from 40 to 35 or 36 hours and maintained pay levels. Some 2,500 people took part in the test phase.

A study by the Icelandic non-profit Alda (Association for Democracy and Sustainability) and the British think tank Autonomy found that the well-being of participants had improved significantly, working processes had been optimized and there was closer collaboration between colleagues. Productivity either stayed the same or improved.

After the test phase, trade unions and associations negotiated permanent cuts in working hours. Some 86% of employees now have the right to a four-day week.

The shorter work week is a success in Iceland, whose prime minister is Katrín Jakobsdottir

Scotland and Wales: An expensive experiment

Scotland is also currently testing the four-day work week, with the state supporting participating companies with about £10 million (ca. $13.6 million). In Wales, Sophie Howe, the future generations commissioner, has also called on the government to introduce a similar four-day working week trial, at least in the public sector.

Mixed results in Sweden

In Sweden, a four-day working week with full pay was tested in 2015, with mixed results. Even left-wing parties thought that it would be too expensive to implement this on a large scale. But some companies chose to keep reduced hours for their workers. The car firm Toyota had already decided to do this for mechanics 10 years ago and has stuck with its decision.

Watch video 02:25

Working less for the same money

Fake news from Finland

Finland also hit the international headlines for a brief moment, after reportedly cutting working hours dramatically. The northern European country allegedly wanted introduce a four-day working week, as well as a six-hour day. But it turned out that this was fake news, which the government then had to put straight.

Spain struggles to start trial phase

In Spain, the four-day working week will also be tested on request of the left-wing party Mas Pais. Some 6,000 employees of 200 small and medium-sized companies will be able to extend their weekend by one day, with full pay. The trial phase is due to run for at least one year, but it is not yet clear when it will begin.

From start-ups to corporate giants

In Germany, it is mainly smaller start-ups that are experimenting with a shorter working week. But in other countries, such as Japan, it is bigger companies that are venturing into this territory: For example, the tech giant Microsoft has experimented with the model by offering employees three-day weekends for a month.

In New Zealand, the consumer goods giant Unilever is currently trialing a four-day work week at full pay. If the experiment turns out to be a success, it will reportedly be extended to other countries.

This article was originally written in German.

Belgium introduced a flexible 4-day workweek policy allowing employees to condense their hours into fewer days without reducing total weekly hours, though this model excludes shift workers and requires longer daily hours.

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Which European countries have implemented a system of four days a week with employees keeping their salaries?
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By: Euronews
Which European countries have implemented a four-day working week with employees retaining their salaries - Copyright Frank Cilius / AP
When the Coronavirus epidemic spread across Europe, many organizations adopted more flexible work plans through telecommuting, and other countries were quick to consider reducing working days, in order to give employees the flexibility to combine work and family life, by conducting experiments and studies that go hand in hand with the demands of the labor market and to motivate employees to be more productive in their workplace.
What do advocates say about working four days a week?
Advocates of the idea of working four days a week, an important way to enable employees to focus on their family and private lives, considering that employee comfort contributes to improving the quality of work and achieving satisfaction.
Trade unions across Europe have called on governments to work four days a week.
Which European countries have adopted a four-day working week or are planning to adopt it?
Belgium
In Belgium, workers will soon be able to work four days a week instead of the current five, provided the 38-hour working week does not change.
Last month, the country ’ s coalition government agreed that the new “labor market ” deal would include a series of measures that would provide more flexibility for employees to do their jobs.
Employees who want to work four days will be given the possibility to work more hours a day in exchange for an extra day off during the week.
In this case, the weekly rest days are limited to three days.
Belgian Prime Minister Alexandre De Croo hopes the measure will help “make the Belgian labor market more flexible, where employees will be able to reconcile their family and professional lives ” and explained that the new model should create a more dynamic economy.
"The goal is to give individuals and companies more freedom to arrange their work times," he said, adding that "if we compare our country to other countries, we will see that we are often less dynamic."
Sweden
In Sweden, a four-day work week with full pay was tested in 2015.
The proposal was to try out six-hour workdays instead of eight hours while keeping the salary the same, but not everyone was thrilled with the idea of spending money on the aforementioned experiment.
Even left-wing parties believe that implementing this plan on a large scale would be too costly for the state treasury.
But positive results were observed within the orthopaedic unit of a university hospital, which turned 80 nurses and doctors to work six hours a day and hired new staff to make up for the remaining time.
The response of the medical staff was positive, but the experiment also faced much criticism, however, some companies, such as automaker Toyota, chose to keep reduced working hours for workers.
Germany
The average working week in Germany is 34.2 hours.
Most jobs in Germany require working seven or eight hours a day, five days a week.
Last year, IG Metall, the country ’ s largest trade union, called for fewer work weeks, arguing that it would help keep jobs and avoid layoffs.
According to a survey by the Forsa survey institute, 71% of workers in Germany would like to apply the option of working four days a week.
SPAIN
In March 2021, the Spanish government approved the launch of a pilot project for companies interested in implementing the four-day (32-hour) week.
Earlier last year, Spain ’ s left-wing Mas Pais party announced that the government had accepted its proposal to test the idea, and has held talks since then.
Party leader Enigo Erijón said the debate on the four-day week had begun, adding: “It ’ s an idea whose time has come. ”
“Spain is one of the countries where workers work more hours than the average in Europe. ”
The pilot phase is set to last at least one year, but it is not yet clear when it will begin.
United Kingdom
In the UK, a six-month pilot programme was launched in January, where companies are looking at the impact of shorter working hours on the productivity of companies and the well-being of their workers, as well as the impact on the environment and gender equality.
So far, about 30 companies have signed up for the program, which starts in June this year and is overseen by researchers at the universities of Cambridge and Oxford.
Under the reform, employees will be allowed to work up to 9.5 hours a day, that is, from 9 a.m. to 6: 30 p.m., meaning the employees involved will be able to work four days a week and keep the salary the same without the slightest change.
Scotland
In Scotland, the experience associated with working four days a week is set to begin in 2023.
The government cited a recent survey conducted by the Public Policy Research Institute (IPPR) in Scotland, which showed that 80 per cent of people who responded to and participated in the survey gave very positive impressions of the initiative.
Respondents said the program would significantly boost their health and happiness.
Some Scottish companies have already started working four days a week, with Glasgow ’ s UPAC Group recently saying its employees will soon start working four days a week with the same salary and benefits after running a “successful pilot program, ” company officials said.
Iceland
Icelandic and British think tanks say the world ’ s biggest weekly workday reduction experiment has been a huge success.
More than 2,500 Icelanders participated in the experiment, which reduced their weekly working hours to between 35 and 36 hours (four days of weekly work) between 2015 and 2019 without reducing their salaries.
The researchers said the experiment improved workers' productivity and well-being, or at least kept it at normal levels at work five days a week.
According to the results of the study, approximately 90 per cent of the working population now perform their jobs on reduced hours.
The researchers found decreased levels of worker stress and burnout, and reported improvements in work-life balance conditions.

In Spain, the government supported a pilot program for a 32-hour workweek across 200 companies, with full pay, to explore its impact on stress reduction and productivity, though challenges such as decreased retail sales were noted.

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Content: The authorities of Germany and the Dominican Republic from February 1 launched a pilot program to transfer employees to a reduced working week.
In 2019, such an idea was put forward by the then head of the Russian government, Dmitry Medvedev.
What they think about the transition to four-day in Russia and the world - in the material RTVI.
In Russia
Yaroslav Nilov, Head of the State Duma Committee on Labor, Social Policy and Veterans Affairs
Commenting on the possibility of transferring Russians to a four-day working week, Yaroslav Nilov recalled that this initiative in 2019 was made by the then Prime Minister of Russia Dmitry Medvedev.
The deputy called the initiative implemented, but not in the near future and not for all spheres and industries.
“For someone there is already a four-day period, especially after the pandemic, after the practice of remote, mixed employment, we have workers who have not a five-day period, but a four-day period, and someone has a three-day period.
The most important thing is that there is no need to impose anything hard in the sphere of labor, no need to introduce strict regulations, no amendments.
Everything should be natural, synergistic and evolutionary.
This is a multifaceted issue, and the labor market should itself line up - taking into account new technologies, artificial intelligence, optimization solutions, "he said.
According to him, the task of reducing the working week is to make people rest more without reducing labor productivity and wages.
“It should be beneficial for both the employee and the employer.
If you shift the four-day period to the employer, this will lead to higher prices, to the closure of enterprises, and an increase in unemployment.
We don't need that.
If you do not shift, then this can lead to a loss in the salary of employees, especially since there is a piecework form of employment - payment depends on the volume of services provided or goods produced, "Nilov explained.
Dmitry Medvedev, Deputy Chairman of the Security Council
In 2019, former Russian Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev announced the possibility of switching to a four-day working week during his speech at the International Labour Conference in Geneva, timed to coincide with the 100th anniversary of the International Labour Organization.
“Technological progress leads to a reduction not only of jobs, but also of working time, to the expansion of leisure.
It is very likely that the future lies in a four-day working week as the basis of a social and labor contract, "Medvedev said.
Tatyana Golikova, Deputy Prime Minister
After Dmitry Medvedev ’ s statement, Tatyana Golikova said that the government is “analyzing the situation ” in the labor market as part of a discussion of the possible introduction of a four-day working week.
“These four days are just a possible response to the changing world of challenges, when some professions will die, others will come to replace them, ” she said.
According to Golikova, as a result of global digitalization in the future, the need for a large number of labor resources to be occupied “in a particular workplace ” may disappear.
She also noted that in implementing the transition to a shorter working week, it will be necessary to take into account the level of wages and social guarantees.
“What kind of salary they will receive: the same as when they were occupied for five days or a little more, or in a reduced form, the question remains open here, ” she explained.
Anton Kotyakov, Minister of Labour and Social Protection
Speaking about the possibility of shortening the working week, Anton Kotyakov said in 2021 that he considers the idea of switching to a four-day schedule irrelevant.
“Given the flexible forms of employment that we have now provided in the Labor Code, the need to switch to a four-day working week is mandatory for today is irrelevant, ” he said.
According to the minister, thanks to the spread of remote employment, employers have the opportunity to form a flexible schedule.
“And if necessary, you can do four-day work in the office, and three-day, and a couple of days with a certain mode of remote work, you can work because of the city, ” he said.
Valery Fadeev, Head of the Presidential Council on Civil Society Development and Human Rights
In 2021, Valery Fadeev said that he has nothing against reducing the working week, but recalled that the salary of more than half of working Russians is about 27 thousand rubles per month, and urged to think about increasing this amount.
“Work has come to be seen as a burden and as a yoke.
But in fact, work is almost the main thing in a person ’ s life.
A person should live for the sake of family, for the sake of children, for the sake of doing something in life.
Work should bring joy to man.
I can ’ t say that we have such a situation now in our country that everyone can find a job in joy.
Unfortunately, this is not the case, ” he stressed.
Mikhail Shmakov, Head of the Federation of Independent Trade Unions
Answering a question about the transfer of companies to a four-day schedule, Mikhail Shmakov said in 2023 that representatives of the trade union movement supported the idea of reducing the working week in Russia to 36 hours only while maintaining wages for employees.
At the same time, he suggested that in the conditions of a shortage in the labor market, this idea may not be relevant.
Svetlana Bessarab, member of the State Duma Committee on Labor, Social Policy and Veterans Affairs
In November 2023, Svetlana Bessarab promised to make a proposal to switch to a 36-hour working week after the completion of the military operation in Ukraine.
“I can promise that after the end of the SVO and our victory, I will make a proposal to reduce the working week to 36 hours without reducing wages.
This is how rural women now work: they have the right to a shorter working week with the same salary.
And, as practice has shown, we do not lose anything in productivity, ” she said.
In August 2023, Bessarab called for “talking seriously ” about the transition to a four-day working week.
In particular, she drew attention to the fact that labor productivity has increased many times thanks to the introduction of digital technologies, while workers continue to be treated the same way as 50 years ago.
In the world
Iceland
In 2021, the British research center Autonomy called the results of an experiment to shorten the working week in Iceland a “stunning success ”.
As part of this experiment, the working week of 2.5 thousand municipal employees was reduced by 4-5 hours, and those who worked five days a week had another day off.
Autonomy, in particular, praised performance and service delivery in most of the workplaces tested, where employees began to show a higher level of enthusiasm and also began to get more pleasure from the work process.
“As a result, about 86% of the working population will be able to switch to a reduced working schedule or demand a reduction in working hours, ” the study says.
Belgium
Belgian Prime Minister Alexander de Cros said in 2022 that citizens of the country can require their employers to transfer to a reduced working week.
In case of refusal to provide them with such an opportunity, the employer must justify his decision in writing.
“The goal is to allow people and companies to more freely manage their working hours.
If you compare our country with other countries, you will notice that we often act much less dynamically, ” he said.
Britannia
The largest experiment on the transfer of workers to a reduced working week began in Britain in June 2022.
As part of the experiment, 3,300 employees from 70 companies were given the opportunity to work four days a week with full pay.
For the participants of the experiment, a “100: 80: 100 ” model was developed, according to which 80% of working time is paid at 100%, and employees in return agree to show 100% productivity.
“We will study how project participants respond to the extra day off in terms of stress and burnout, life and work satisfaction, as well as overall health, sleep quality, energy expenditure, range of movements and a host of other aspects, ” explained Boston College sociology professor Juliet Shore, who leads the project ’ s research team.
In 2023, sociologists at the University of Cambridge recognized the results of the experiment as successful.
In their study, they pointed out that employees who worked four days a week had significantly reduced levels of stress and illness, as well as increased levels of loyalty to employers.
At the same time, the revenues of the companies that decided to take part in the experiment did not show a significant decrease, and 23 of them even noted a slight increase, the average figure of which was 1.4%.
Spain
In October 2023, a commission of independent experts evaluated the results of a test experiment for the introduction of a four-day working week in the Spanish city of Valencia, in which 360 thousand employees took part.
Experts pointed to a reduction in stress levels, as well as an improvement in the atmosphere by reducing the number of vehicles on the streets of the city.
Representatives of the tourism sector reported that during the experiments, they had increased the flow of customers, while retail chains noted a decrease in sales.
“We want the city to be friendly, healthy and take care of people.
We want people to work to live, not to live to work, ” said the mayor of the city, Joan Ribeau, at the start of the experiment.
Dominican Republic
The Dominican Republic was the first Latin American country to experiment with a four-day work week.
The experiment, which began on February 1, 2024, will last six months.
According to the government, it will last six months – for three months, employees will work on a reduced schedule and receive 100% of their wages, and for the next three months a special commission will collect and analyze information to understand how this change has affected the country ’ s economy.
The experiment was initiated by the Minister of Labor Luis Miguel de Camps.
He stressed that he considers the reduction of the working week not only an innovation in the labor market, but also a significant step towards a more harmonious and humane society.
“Priority is given to people, improving health and well-being, and promoting sustainable and environmentally friendly productivity, ” the official added.
Germany
In September 2023, Germany opened the reception of applications from organizations ready to take part in the experiment to shorten the working week.
Despite the statement of the Minister of Finance of the country Christian Lindner, who questioned the possibility of switching to a four-day working week, 45 companies in test mode transferred their employees to the new schedule from February 1, 2024.
German authorities have agreed to an experiment with a shortened working week amid a crisis associated with rising inflation and a shortage of trained personnel.
As Bloomberg notes, these factors led to the fact that German workers began to actively seek higher wages, as well as to fight for the flexibility and independence that they received during the pandemic.

The 4-day workweek has shown particular effectiveness in industries such as professional services, non-profits, and construction, where employees reported significant improvements in physical and mental health, reduced burnout, and better work-life balance.

What did  the trial of 4-day workwee in New Zealand show?

What did a survey on 4-day workweek conducted in Hong Kong show?

61% of respondents said employers could implement a four-day workweek to improve employees' mental health.

What did surveys conducted in London before and after the experiment of 4-day workweek  find?

54% of employees had better balance of work and home responsibilities

Fields with high burnout rates, such as healthcare, teaching, and retail, have also demonstrated potential benefits from a 4-day workweek, though implementation challenges remain due to the nature of these roles.

Title:

Content: news

81% of workers say a 4-day week would make them more productive—especially in these fields

A majority, 81%, of workers say they'd be more productive if they were given the chance to work a four-day workweek, and it could be an even bigger boost for those facing high rates of burnout, according to new research.

The poll was conducted on Fishbowl by Glassdoor and considers more than 12,000 responses from U.S. professionals.

Workers in fields with notoriously high rates of burnout were the most likely to say they'd get more done if they were able to shift to a four-day schedule: health-care workers, teachers, and retail and hospitality professionals.

"There's an extensive body of research confirming a tight link between burnout and declines in labor productivity," Aaron Terrazas, chief economist at Glassdoor, tells CNBC Make It.

The burnout-productivity cycle is "vicious," he adds. Left unchecked, burned out workers are more likely to look for work elsewhere, and "when they do quit, that leaves more work for their remaining teammates who then risk further burnout."

Participants in global four-day workweek experiments say the new arrangement led to reduced burnout, as well as benefits for their health, finances and relationships. A majority of bosses rated their overall experience well, saying business performance and productivity remained high, revenue increased and turnover dropped.

So far, many conversations around the viability of a four-day week tend to center around office workers, though the Glassdoor data shows how scheduling flexibility — and in particular reduced working days — could benefit front-line workers.

"We should also keep in mind that, particularly for health care, we should not conflate a workday with an eight-hour 9-to-5 schedule," Terrazas says. "Many health-care workers are accustomed to working longer continuous hours from their medical training."

Meanwhile, those in legal, accounting and finance roles say a shortened week would not boost their productivity.

By gender, women (88%) were more likely than men (75%) to say they'd get more done from a shorter workweek.

"For many women, the expectation to juggle family and child-care responsibilities alongside their careers forces a rigorous focus on making the most out of every moment of their day," Terrazas says. "I suspect we're seeing a similar phenomenon here: Time constraints often force a ruthless prioritization of what matters most."

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What did Labor economist Jonathan Boys say about 4-day workweek?

Education industriy may face more problems.

Healthcare industry may face more problems.

Conversely, industries requiring continuous operations, such as healthcare and customer-facing roles, often find the 4-day workweek less feasible due to staffing complexities and the need to meet customer demands.

What did Labor economist Jonathan Boys say about 4-day workweek?

Healthcare industry may face more problems.

Workers often perceive reduced working hours as a trade-off between improved work-life balance and potential financial drawbacks, with concerns about wage reductions and limited career progression opportunities.

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A Psychologist Explores The ‘Shorter Workweek Paradox’

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Have you ever wished you never had to work on a Monday? Your dream might be closer than you think. The concept of reduced working hours is gaining traction globally as organizations and governments recognize the detrimental effects of long hours on employees and employers.

This perspective is catalyzing a shift toward rethinking and reducing work hours to promote healthier life practices. For instance, the post-pandemic adoption of hybrid work models contributed to the understanding that a healthy work-life balance boosts employee satisfaction and productivity. Shorter workweeks can be achieved in different ways. For example:

  • Four-day week. Apart from the weekend, you are also given a day off on Monday or Friday.
  • Fewer daily work hours. You still have to work a five-day workweek, with a reduction in your daily working hours.
  • Half-days off. You are given two afternoons off in a five-day workweek.

What Are The Benefits Of Reduced Working Hours?

In several countries, including the United States, United Kingdom, Germany, Sweden and Spain, trials have been carried out to test the efficiency of shorter workweeks, highlighting the following benefits:

  1. Improved work performance. Shorter workweeks might encourage you to finish your work quicker and with fewer distractions. In 2020, Buffer, an American company, introduced four-day weeks. Based on their extensive trials, 34% of their employees felt more productive, resulting in Buffer permanently shifting to a four-day workweek in 2021. The reduced hours also incentivize you to be creative with your time and encourage efficiency. In their 2019 four-day workweek project, Microsoft Japan initiated collaborative online communication, reduced meetings to 30 minutes and limited meeting participants. Not only were the workers happier, they also experienced a 40% increase in productivity.
  2. Improved health and well-being. Having more time to recuperate from work can positively influence your well-being. A 2022 study found that upon reducing work hours to 30 hours per week, individuals experienced reduction in stress and sleep problems. A four-day week trial conducted in the USA and Ireland showed that employees experienced a 9% reduction in fatigue and 67% also experienced a drop in burnout levels.
  3. Higher life satisfaction. Shorter work hours and more free time tend to improve one’s perception of their life situation. A study in Sweden examined the effects of reduced work hours and canceled lunch breaks for nurses while retaining their wages. The participants reported greater life satisfaction and higher energy levels. “You get a life. I can say as much. You do get it, actually—it is unbelievable what a big difference these two hours make,” a participant explained.
  4. Better work-life balance. Reduced work hours can foster a healthy balance between work and leisure activities. A study found that reducing employees’ work hours while retaining their full pay led to positive work-life balance. They experienced more positive emotions before work, reduced work-related worries and improved relationships with partners, colleagues and their children.

While reduced working hours might seem like a revolutionary idea from afar, reality may be more complex up close. Which brings us to:

What Are The Potential Pitfalls Of Reduced Working Hours?

Here’s why ditching the time-tested five-day workweek needs to be considered carefully:

  1. Monetary issues. Some companies provide shorter workweeks with salary deductions. Employees might also face issues in wage regulations and overtime pay. These can adversely impact their living standards and savings. A 2022 study found that working reduced hours left 45% of individuals worried about having low future retirement income and 33% of individuals found it harder to make ends meet.
  2. Reduced employee bonding. The time crunch to complete tasks in less time can impede social aspects of the job. Some companies also shorten lunch breaks to compensate for missed hours. In such cases, employees rarely get to meet their colleagues and miss out on social interaction.
  3. Higher work pressure. Reducing work hours can increase strain on employees when implemented without foresight. A four-day workweek trial conducted in the UK found that work felt more intense for 36% of the employees. Forty-five percent of employees also felt that their productivity either remained the same as before or decreased in comparison.
  4. Short-term effects. Extensive research on reduced working hours has yet to establish its effectiveness in the long run. A 2022 Gallup survey revealed that the high well-being once associated with four-day workweeks leveled out to match that of the five-day workweek. Four-day workweeks also led to greater burnout than five-day workweeks.

Your desire for a shorter workweek is well-founded. However, initiating a conversation about reduced work hours with your team requires tact and consideration. You must engage in open dialogue, highlighting the potential benefits and addressing concerns to ensure a healthy consensus and eventually, a smooth transition to a work environment that accommodates diverse work styles.

Working less can improve your quality of life. It’s also important to find a “psychologically safe” workplace. Learn if your employer is meeting your needs by taking the evidence-based Psychological Safety Scale.

What are the views that object 4-day workweek?

What did surveys conducted in London before and after the experiment of 4-day workweek  find?

54% of employees had better balance of work and home responsibilities

Critics argue that reduced working hours may increase work intensity and stress, particularly if productivity expectations remain unchanged, as noted by the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development.

Title:

Content: Rise of the four day week? Bank becomes largest British company to slash hours for staff

DIGITAL bank Atom has become the largest company in the UK to introduce a four day week without cutting pay for any of its staff.

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Home working is ‘regressive’ for women claims Rachel Johnson

The app based bank has confirmed it introduced the new four day week on November 1 for all of its 430 employees with the majority choosing to adopt it. Previously Atom employees worked a 37.5 hour week across five days but this will now reduce to a 34 hour week spread over four days. Staff taking up the reduced hours option will see their shifts lengthen slightly, working 8.5 hours instead of 7.5. It is expected most employees will take Monday or Friday as the default day off apart from those in operational or services roles whose days will vary to allow seven day a week customer support. Mark Mullen, CEO of Atom, explained experiences during the pandemic had "exploded many of the myths of the modern workplace" with changes not needing to stop at working from home.

Mr Mullen said: “A four-day week will provide our employees with more opportunities to pursue their passions, spend time with their families, and build a healthier work/life balance.

"We firmly believe that this will prove beneficial for our employees’ wellbeing and happiness and that it will have an equally positive impact on business productivity and customer experience."

Ben Willmott, Head of Public Policy at the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development cautioned a shorter working week would only be sustainable by smarter working to improve productivity.

Mr Willmott explained: "“It is undoubtedly a positive move for employers to seek to reduce people's working hours without compromising pay.

"However, the challenge of simply reducing people’s working hours without other changes is that you can increase exposure to work intensity and stress, which is already one of the main causes of working time lost to sickness absence."

Workers will see hours cut but not salaries (Image: Getty)

Atom CEO Mark Mullen (Image: Atom )

Atom points to the evolving history of working patterns as evidence for the need to change.

The standard five day working week was first popularised by US carmaker Henry Ford in the 1920s and subsequently taken up by Boots in the UK in 1934.

From there most other companies began to follow suit whereas previously a six day week had been more common.

In Iceland a trial was run by Reykjavik City Council this year to introduce four day weeks to workplaces such as preschools, social services and hospitals.

The five day week was introduced by carmaker Henry Ford in the 1920s (Image: Getty)

Widely reported to be a success trials are also now taking place by consumer giant Unilever in New Zealand.

The idea of a four day week has not always worked for all sectors though.

In 2019 the Wellcome trust shelved its plans to try out four day working after concluding it was "too operationally complex to implement."

Mr Mullen commented: “While we appreciate a four-day working week will not be right for all workplaces, the move to working from home has proved that working practices that may have seemed years away can be introduced rapidly."

"We are proud to be one of the first businesses to introduce a four-day week for all our employees, and we hope many others follow suit."

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Iceland has been trialling a four day week (Image: Getty)

As well as benefits to employee welfare Atom also believe a shorter working week could reduce the environmental impact of companies.

The group cites a 2021 study by environmental organisation Platform London which found a UK wide switch to four day working by 2025 could lower CO2 emissions by over 20 percent.

Atom was launched in 2016 as the UK's first app based bank offering savings accounts, mortgages and business loans.

Labor unions and advocacy groups play a critical role in promoting the adoption of a 4-day workweek by advocating for policies that prioritize worker well-being, such as maintaining wages and ensuring equitable implementation.

Unions also resist poorly implemented 4-day workweek models that could harm workers, such as those that reduce wages or increase daily working hours, emphasizing wage preservation as a key condition for acceptance.

Title:

Content: The FNPR called the main condition for the introduction of a 4-day working week
The main condition for the introduction of a 4-day working week was named in the FNPR.
According to the head of the Federation of Independent Trade Unions of Russia Mikhail Shmakov, the most important thing is the preservation of wages.
In an interview with the newspaper “Izvestia ” he said that employers are not ready to take such a step.
“I just got back from Udmurtia.
There, a four-day period was introduced at the largest enterprise.
All employees are dissatisfied, because such a working week eats up 20% of their salary, ” said Shmakov.
He is sure that, first of all, the problem is not the number of working days, but the number of working hours per week.
The head of the federation added that the Constitution prescribes a 40-hour working week.
In his opinion, it is necessary to talk about 35 or 36 hours of work in seven days or otherwise build production schedules.
Earlier, former Minister of Economy Yevgeny Yasin called Russia a relatively poor country and said that the government needs to create conditions so that people can earn extra money.
In turn, the Minister of Economic Development Maxim Oreshkin called two main factors for the transition of Russia to a four-day working week: an increase in household incomes and an increase in labor productivity.
The timing of the transition to a possible new working schedule, the head of the department did not announce.
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In some cases, unions have facilitated pilot programs to test the feasibility of a 4-day workweek, such as the German trade unions' experiment aimed at improving worker health and productivity while addressing labor shortages.

Title:

Content: In Germany, began an experiment with a four-day work week
People are sitting in a cafe.
Featured image: saliraparis
In Germany, they decided to conduct an experiment with a four-day work week.
It started today, February 1 and will last six months.
This is reported by Bloomberg.
Read also:
Four-day work week in Germany
The purpose of this experiment is to test in practice the assertion of trade unions that an additional day off will make workers healthier, happier and more productive.
It is known that 45 companies take part in the experiment - their employees will work four days a week with the preservation of wages.
At the same time, such a solution is seen as one way to solve the problems caused by the acute shortage of skilled labor.
Since the factor of shortage of specialists is often used by trade unions to demand higher wages for workers.
For example, the construction workers ’ union is demanding a wage increase of more than 20% for 930,000 workers.
According to economists, this may lead to a jump in inflation in the country.
Preliminary experiments on shortened workweeks in the US and Canada showed that employees had improved physical and mental health and reduced burnout.
Recall that in the Spanish Valencia for a month tested a four-day working week.
As a result, researchers and city authorities found that this approach is useful for the city.
We also wrote that recently Germany is gaining more and more popularity among Ukrainian refugees.
And all because the conditions in the country are becoming more attractive.
Topical on the topic

Environmental benefits of a 4-day workweek include reduced commuting, as a study in Barcelona found that remote work for four days a week could lower nitrogen dioxide levels by 10% and traffic emissions by 15%.

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Content: 15: 57 GMT24 September 2021
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A recent study revealed that working from home has environmental benefits and can save the planet, at a time when many companies around the world are preparing to return their employees to work from their offices, after the spread of vaccines for the new coronavirus.
Employees who work remotely four days a week can reduce nitrogen dioxide levels by as much as 10 percent, the study said.
Researchers from the Institute of Environmental Science and Technology of the Autonomous University of Barcelona found that after testing for remote work two, three or four days a week, nitrogen dioxide levels dropped by 4, 8 and 10 percent, respectively.
In their study, published in Urban Sustainability, they found that if 40 percent of service sector employees worked remotely four days a week, it would not only reduce nitrogen dioxide levels by 10 percent, but also reduce traffic emissions by 15 percent.
The authors of the study also noted that the duration of work-related travel would be reduced by rates of 12.5%, 25% and 37.5%, if working remotely two, three or four days a week, respectively.
They also found that online education would reduce the use of private vehicles by 20 percent, and shopping would decrease by 30 percent.
The researchers based their findings on mobility and air quality data obtained in Barcelona during the coronavirus shutdown last year.
The authors of the study advise prioritizing remote work, promoting it as an effective contribution to reducing urban air pollution in the long term and peak pollution in the short term.
As the lead author of the study, Alba Badiaa, suggests resorting to the option of working remotely 4 days a week during periods of heavy pollution, because it is simply based on maximizing remote work and reducing work-related travel and shopping.
The findings of the new study are supported by another study published by NASA in June, which found that global NOx levels have fallen by 15 percent since June 2020, the peak of COVID-19.
See also:
7 Habits That Affect You While Working From Home
Violent burglary of Di Maria's house and player switch during the match
Work from home thwarts thieves in Germany
An employee who is absent from work for 15 years and receives $650,000 while at home.
8 Tips to Achieve High Productivity at Work from Home
Keywords:
Coronavirus

Research from the World Economic Forum indicates that implementing a 4-day workweek, combined with hybrid work systems, can contribute to environmental sustainability by reducing energy consumption in offices and carbon emissions from employee mobility.

Title:

Content: -- >
Friday, 01 December 2023 08: 36 GMT
eanad to implement 4 days a week in the UAE
(MENAFN- Al-Bayan)
iAND announced the introduction of a four-day work week in three of its departments in the UAE, becoming the first technology group in the country to adopt a global model that allows flexibility in the work environment.
The pilot initiative reflects EAND ’ s leadership in shaping future policies and models for the work environment, recognizing that the well-being of its employees is directly linked to enhanced productivity and innovation. The new work programme supports employees and enables them to achieve work-life balance.
Dina Al Mansouri, Chief Human Resources Officer at E & D, said: “We are pleased to launch this pilot initiative, as we understand that as we strive to innovate new services and technology solutions, we must also update our work environment strategies to keep pace with development.
It is essential to revisit and update existing standards, learn through experience, and align internal business policies to create a more efficient and productive work environment, while at the same time achieving business prosperity and growth. ”
Employees who join the initiative are entitled to a three-day weekend from Friday to Sunday, and EAND applies a hybrid work system where employees work remotely two days a week, one on Friday, to focus on sustainability by reducing energy consumption in offices and reducing carbon emissions from mobility.
The new work week model is proving to improve employee well-being and productivity, and significantly contribute to protecting the environment by reducing carbon emissions from mobility, according to research published by the World Economic Forum.
“We believe that the well-being of our employees is one of our top priorities to shape and lay the foundations for a more sustainable future. By reducing travel times and resource consumption, we reflect the UAE ’ s ambition for well-being and sustainability, and we support the Group ’ s commitment to achieving its carbon neutrality goals, ” Al Mansouri said.
The launch of E & T ’ s pilot initiative is in line with the federal government ’ s announcement of a four-day reduced work week for government employees and underscores the success of Sharjah, which has recorded a 90% increase in job performance, happiness and mental health following its introduction in 2022.
E & E views these employee-focused initiatives as key factors that have helped it win several international awards, including “Best Employer in the MENA Region ” by Global Brand and“ Best Employer in the Private and Government Sectors ” by the GCC Human Resources Award, demonstrating E & E ’ s efforts in creating a work environment where everyone can succeed and excel.
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The 4-day workweek aligns with broader labor policy trends like flexible work arrangements and remote work, emphasizing employee well-being and adaptability, as demonstrated during the pandemic.

What did a survey on 4-day workweek conducted in Hong Kong show?

61% of respondents said employers could implement a four-day workweek to improve employees' mental health.

Flexible work policies, including the 4-day workweek, reflect a shift toward prioritizing mental health and work-life balance, with experiments in countries like Iceland showing reduced stress and improved productivity.

What did surveys conducted in London before and after the experiment of 4-day workweek  find?

54% of employees had better balance of work and home responsibilities

The UK’s largest 4-day workweek trial demonstrated significant benefits, including improved employee well-being, reduced stress and burnout, and increased revenue by 35% compared to the previous year.

How much did some companies' revenue increaseby implementing 4-day workweek?

Iceland’s pioneering trial of a 4-day workweek revealed that reduced working hours led to enhanced worker happiness and productivity, with employees experiencing less stress and anxiety.

The Scottish Government’s ongoing public sector pilot aims to assess the feasibility of a 4-day workweek, with early results indicating improved mental health and stable or increased company revenues.

Title:

Content: Scottish public sector workers have started working a four-day week to test whether the practice could be rolled out country-wide.

The Scottish Government confirmed a pilot was underway involving around 140 staff at South of Scotland Enterprise doing a 32-hour week without loss of pay.

Although this represents only three hours less per week, the shift to four day working is seen as key to changing people's work-life balance.

The move follows Humza Yousaf announcing the experiment as part of his Programme for Government last September.

It was confirmed in a written parliamentary answer by economy secretary Neil Gray.

He said: “Work has commenced on the 4 Day Working Week Public Sector Pilot to assess the wellbeing, environmental and productivity benefits a 4 Day Working Week could bring.

“We have appointed [think tank] Autonomy as our expert partner to support the pilot.

“The team involved in this project have previous 4 Day Working Week pilot experience including from the Valencian Government pilot, and the Icelandic public sector pilot.

“The South of Scotland Enterprise 4 Day Working Week pathfinder work is being folded into Autonomy’s methodology, and engagement will continue with other public bodies interested in participating in the 32-hour working week pilot.

“Autonomy will also provide support and evaluate organisations moving to a contractual 35 hour working week.

“This will capture valuable insights from a wider range of public bodies on different shorter work week models and be included in the 4 Day Working Week evaluation report.”

READ MORE: Jason Leitch confirms he wiped pandemic WhatsApp messages

The pilot is expected to run around 12 months to see if it can extended across the Scottish public sector and inspire the private sector to adopt it.

In 2022, a six-month pilot involving 61 companies employing 2,900 people in the UK ended with 56 of the firms reporting they would continue with the system, 18 permanently.

Employees reported feeling less stressed, anxious, fatigued and sleepless afterwards, while company revenues stayed broadly the same or higher.

Almost one in six employees said they would not accept a return to a five-day week.

Green MSP Ross Greer, whose question elicited the information, said normalising a four-day working week with no loss of pay would transform workers’ health and wellbeing.

Mr Greer, whose party has had a four-day week for staff since 2022, said: “The four-day working week has a transformative impact on work-life balance, health and happiness.

“It means people can spend more time with their families, friends and loved ones and it helps employers retain staff and boost productivity.

“We have seen the benefits for ourselves, including better job satisfaction and a reduction in stress. The Scottish Government is rightly leading by example with these pilots.

“They will provide a lot of useful evidence and lessons which will in turn help other sectors and businesses to make the shift.”

READ MORE: Sturgeon blasted Aberdeen FC  Covid statement ‘abomination’

Will Stronge, Director of Research at Autonomy, said: “We're very pleased to be working with the Scottish Government on this historic trial.

“Alongside those who are already underway with the pilot and others who have already expressed interest, we will be looking to sign up a number of public sector organisations as the year progresses.

“A four-day week with no loss of pay has been trialled extensively across the private sector and parts of the public sector to great success: it’s important that we find out if it can also work in public sector organisations in Scotland.”

Joe Ryle, Director of the 4 Day Week Campaign, added: “Numerous trials and pilots from across the world have shown that a four-day week with no loss of pay increases productivity and improves work-life balance.

“It is working extremely well for many businesses in the private sector so it's only right and fair to see if those benefits can be applied to the public sector.

“One hundred years ago we moved from a six-day week to a five-day week. It's great to see Scotland now leading the charge towards a four-day week."

Cultural attitudes toward work-life balance significantly influence the acceptance of a 4-day workweek, as seen in Iceland, where the model aligns with societal values that prioritize leisure and well-being.

In countries like Australia, where long working hours are common, the push for a 4-day workweek is gaining momentum as workers increasingly prioritize work-life balance.

Title:

Content: Is there any basis for subjective intent?
Nearly 70% believe ‘ working four days a week ’ will happen in Australia
The latest survey shows that nearly two-thirds of Australians surveyed believe that the five-day week pattern may soon end as calls for four-day work become normal.
The latest survey shows that nearly two-thirds of Australians surveyed believe that the five-day week pattern may soon end as calls for four-day work become normal.
Source: AAP / Mick Tsikas
Nearly half of the 42,000 workers surveyed in a recent poll by recruitment firm Hays believe that a four-day work week model will be achieved within five years, with another 16% saying it will be achieved within 12 months.
Another fifth said they thought it would take another decade to achieve, while the remaining fifth said working four days a week would never happen.
Nick Deligiannis, Managing Director of Hays Australia and New Zealand, told The Associated Press:
“The workers ’ subjective aspirations and positive emotions have become apparent … It ’ s clear from the workers ’ point of view that it ’ s their expectation to work four days a week. ”
Many employers are still hesitant to switch to a four-day week, he said, because they face a potential decline in productivity.
“They will think: One of the key factors is that they can still operate effectively after four days of work. ”
Can you still maintain high productivity? ”
Research has shown that three-day weekends are more like a small holiday to improve workers ’ health, while unions say Australians are working longer hours and finding it increasingly difficult to balance their work and personal lives.
Deligiannis said the move to four days a week could even improve employee attrition rates and affect the attractiveness of hiring.
A four-day week would also help alleviate the increased work pressure some employees are currently under due to skills and labour shortages during the pandemic.
Sally McManus, general secretary of the Australian General Workers Union (ACTU), said work-life balance was widely discussed but rarely achieved.
"Australians have the longest working hours in developed countries and it is definitely time for us to reduce our working hours and spend more time with important people," Mr McManus told the ANZ.
Working four days a week is a model that should be considered in Australia.
General Secretary of the National Workers Union (ACTU), Mike Manus.
A 13-month study by the University of South Australia also looked at the benefits of reducing working hours and found that with the right time off, employees were more likely to be more active, sociable and sleep more.
Research has also shown that labor gains increase with the length of the holiday, but positive results can be seen even on three-day weekends.
The senior researcher in charge of the research project, Mach, said:
Research provides empirical evidence that people have a healthier lifestyle during short breaks, such as a three-day weekend.
Senior Researcher Mach
Earlier this month, a parliamentary committee also called for a four-day working week to be piloted with government support to see how the arrangement could actually improve people's lives.
The trial will be based on the 100: 80: 100 model, whereby workers retain full wages and maintain the same productivity, performing 80% (four days) of work.
Many Australian companies have already made the switch, including Unilever, Bright Agency and FinTech Indebted.
After four days in New Zealand, Unilever decided to expand their trial to Australia.
The absenteeism rate of employees under the new arrangement has fallen by a third and income has increased in 18 months.
Nicky Sparshott, the company ’ s chief executive for Australia and New Zealand, said working four days a week could be a tool to give the company a competitive edge.
“It ’ s the result of trying new ways to remove possible constraints, create value, and slow down barriers. ”
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Published 15 April 2023 1: 52pm
By Ivan Leung
Source: AAP, SBS
Available in other languages

The long-term impacts of a 4-day workweek on employee retention and recruitment include improved hiring outcomes and reduced turnover, as evidenced by Atom Bank's 500% surge in job applications after implementing the model.

Title:

Content: Interest in the four-day week has been on the rise in recent years with the Covid-19 pandemic accelerating the shift in how businesses organise their teams while employees are looking a6t how to achieve a better work life balance.

Currently, more than 3300 workers at 70 companies are working a four-day week with no loss of pay in the biggest ever four-day week pilot to take place anywhere in the world.

They are more than half way through the six-month trial, which started on June 6. It is based on the principle of the 100:80:100 model - 100% of the pay for 80% of the time, in exchange for a commitment to maintain at least 100% productivity.

Joe Ryle, director of the 4 Day Week Campaign, one of the organisations behind the campaign, said: “Companies should embrace the four-day week as a way of boosting productivity, improving wellbeing and to help with job retention. The 9-5, 5 day working week is outdated and no longer fit for purpose.”

At BusinessLive, we've been covering the trend for a number of years and for this article, we check in with firms from right across the UK to see how it's going.

From early adopters to businesses that have made the change in recent months, we find out how things are working out from both a business and employee perspective.

The responses are honest and explain the pros and cons.

We firmly believe the four-day week is the future of working life

Atom Bank

Durham

Challenger bank Atom last November became the largest UK business to move all employees to a four-day working week, with no change of salary.
The Durham business, which now has 480 staff, made the shift in recognition of people having longer working lives, the positive impact of technology, flexible working and the need to live and work more sustainably.
More than six months on, Atom has seen a noticeable positive impact that the shift has had on employees, customer service, and operations.

Anne-Marie Lister, chief people officer at Atom, said: “Over six months on from introducing our new four-day working week, it’s clear that it has been a huge success for our business and our people.
“People are rightly looking for a healthier work/life balance, and despite warnings from some sceptics, our metrics and people surveys show that this has not had a negative impact on employees or customer service. In fact, it has been the opposite, with happier, more efficient, and more productive people who are even more driven to help us change banking for the better.
“We firmly believe the four-day week is the future of working life and it is encouraging to now see the range of businesses across the UK embracing the four-day week trials."

One objective was to attract and retain talent more effectively and data reveals this has been a success, having seen a 500% surge in job applications following its launch.
Headcount has grown from 461 in November 2021 to 480 in June 2022, thanks also to a reduction in the number of departures. Atom said this has been vital, with the fight for talent becoming fiercely competitive following the widespread adoption of hybrid working following the pandemic.
Productivity levels have also been measured by each department, with metrics specific to each of the 10 departments. Data collated for the six months to April reveals that across all of the 165 departmental metrics tracked, the success rate has improved.
Employees are also more motivated working a four-day week too. Almost all (92%) report that they look forward to work, and there has been a 13% increase in people engagement between February 2022 and 12 months earlier. Days lost to sickness have also declined since the introduction of the new working structure, dropping from 100 in the month of November 2021, to 72 in June 2022.
Meanwhile, in terms of Atom’s impact on customer service, its Trust Pilot score has risen from 4.54 at the start of the new working structure to 4.82 in June.

What do Atom employees say?

As to how staff members use their time off, Paul, contact centre team leader, said: “I’ve been using my extra day off to do an advanced motorcyclist course so I can volunteer for Northumbria Blood Bikes as a rider, transporting blood from surgeries to hospitals.”
Jonathon, telephone business development manager, said: “The four-day working week has allowed me to spend some quality time with my three year old son Jack. Spending our time in the best soft plays & swimming pools Sunderland has to offer, before dropping him off & picking him up from nursery. Without this day off, I would rarely be able to have this quality time together during the week.”

In short, I’ve been a dad

Merthyr Valleys Homes

Merthyr Tydfil

Merthyr Valley Homes adopted a 30-hour week in the four day working week pilot scheme without loss of pay.

Some staff member are working a four day week and some are working shorter hours over five days to ensure service provision over five days.

The biggest challenge for the firm has been finding ways to work differently while ensuring services aren’t impacted, however it has tried out new approaches during the pilot and says it has found “some very quick wins”.

A spokesperson said: “We have been working on how best to measure success and we are developing a number of new performance measures as a direct result of participating in the trial.”

A positive outcome has been the cooperation between teams and directorates.

“The conversations around how to work more efficiently have been really interesting and it has given everyone a reason to take the time to look at this collectively.”

The company has also seen support for the scheme from its stakeholders and the housing sector in Wales, and has attracted a wide range of candidates to apply for its job vacancies.

Of the advice it would give to other businesses thinking of moving to a four day week, the firm says: “Don’t be too prescriptive and set too many rules - our colleagues have been our greatest asset in designing their own solutions.”

The employee perspective

Ross Williams is the tenant engagement lead for Merthyr Valleys Homes.

The 42-year-old, who is married with 2 children, says the four day working week has hugely improved his work-life balance.

“I feel working 80% of the hours has increased my output. And I realise that a huge reason for this is because of what I choose to do with the other 20%,” he said.

During his non-working day on a Thursday, Mr Williams says he will fit in some early morning exercise or catch up with friends before picking up his 3-year-old son from nursery at 11am. He will also collect his daughter from school.

“In short, I’ve been a dad,” he said. “I’ve been guilty in the past of prioritising work over family and I’m determined to ensure this time remains a space where I get to enjoy some of the simple pleasures.”

During work hours, Mr Williams says the four day working week pilot has also provided some real work benefits and encouraged practical changes within the business.

In meetings, he says discussions are pertinent and decisions are reached “as quickly as possible saving time for myself and colleagues”.

He said: “I feel so much more productive knowing that my work is planned, my non-working day is factored in and my diary ensures my team can access me to ensure they are able to retain the same level of productivity,” he said.

“I think I am more productive, more focused and more content in my role. I have become much more well prepared for the time off that the four day week gives me.”

You couldn’t pay me enough to go back to five days

Marketing Signals

Altrincham

Marketing Signals, moved to a four-day working week in May with staff working 32-hours with no loss of pay.

When Managing Director Gareth Hoyle explained the reasons behind his decision on Linkedin, his post went viral and he was inundated with questions from other business bosses keen to do the same.

Mr Hoyle said he is excited to be part of a new model of work.

"It focuses on quality not quantity and will revolutionise the future of work. A good work/life balance is the key to a happy and healthy workforce which leads to loyalty, ultimately helping our business grow.

“My motto has always been ‘don’t live to work and don’t work to live’, and if COVID-19 has taught us anything, it’s that it’s important we look after ourselves first. It’s important that my staff feel valued and understand life outside of work is just as important."

What do staff say?

Web developer and dad to a newborn Jack Darracott says that a shift to a four-day working week has transformed his life and made him more productive at work.

He works smarter, not harder, and the extra day off allows him to spend more time with his newborn son.

He said: “Since moving to the four-day working week, I’ve been able to spend more quality time with my son, and experience all of the first milestones that I would have missed out on had I been working a full week.”

The catalyst for the move to a four-day week came from the rise in cost of living, which led to Jack asking for a change in working hours due to rising childcare costs.

Jack explains: “The new model has also helped save money as I now don’t have to spend more of my wages on additional childcare fees. This is especially important with the rise in the cost of living. The extra day off also offers breathing room for any curve balls that life may throw at me.”

The four-day trial was met with some scepticism as many people questioned whether it would actually work. However, Jack says it has improved his productivity and efficiency, and that he even feels more energised when he’s back in.

Jack said: adds: “Not only has it helped with my home life, but my work has also improved. My day off serves as a ‘reset day’, so when I’m back in I can look at work with a fresh pair of eyes and I feel more refreshed.”

“You couldn’t pay me enough to go back to five days.”

There have been a number of lessons along the way

Tyler Grange

London, Birmingham, Manchester, Bristol, Exeter and Cirencester

The landscape planning, ecology and arboriculture consultancy became the first in its industry to sign up to the UK pilot in June. Its 80-strong nationwide team does not work Fridays with no loss of income.

The firm is reporting promising results producing the same amount of work so far during the pilot - from June to August – as it did in the same period last year. This is a measurement ratio of productive time versus direct costs, which means the company is, as planned, 100% productive in 80% of the time.

At the pilot’s halfway point, Simon Ursell, Managing Director at Tyler Grange, shares his seven key pieces of advice on how to make the transition from five to four as seamless – and successful - as possible.

Preparation is vital

I can’t stress enough how important it is to prepare for the switch from five working days to four. To enjoy a better work-life balance and to have more time to spend doing what we love. This just can’t be switched on overnight.

Talk to your clients and customers

The most common concern, of course, was ‘what if we need you on a Friday?’ but the vast majority congratulated us for showing such innovation, yet again, and are keen to be kept up to date on how it’s going.

Talk to your team and be ready to realise that a four-day working week isn’t for everyone

It’s essential to engage with your team but it’s also important to realise that working a four-day week isn’t for everyone.

Once the pilot began, and we became more accustomed to our new systems and way of working – which removed lots of lengthy admin and unnecessary meetings and reporting from our day - they soon got their heads around it.

Take different job roles and departments into consideration

Some of our work is very seasonal so, for those teams that are very busy during summertime, we’ve delayed the implementation of some new processes until the autumn.

You need to give people time to learn how to work differently – and it may not be the same for everyone.

If you’re looking to sell your business, a four-day week might not be for you

We used to receive a number of approaches by companies looking to buy us. But interesting, since trialling the four-day week, they’ve stopped.

So, for any potential owners who are sceptical that cutting hours could increase productivity, working a four-day week probably feels like too great a gamble to get locked into.

Bite the bullet and only have one company-wide day off

In some companies, the potential impact of the four-day week is being mitigated by covering all days but with reduced colleagues. We wouldn’t recommend this, despite it perhaps seeming to be an easier option at first.

It can sometimes be more intense and tiring

Most jobs are intense from time to time, and we know that working four days rather than five can exacerbate this on occasions. The adoption of our Alertness App – means we can get a real handle on any tiredness early and can react straight away.

Mr Ursell said: “I’d be surprised if we don’t adopt a permanent four-day working week post-pilot, but we still have three months to go.

“The UK has an unhealthy culture where it is seen as a badge of honour to be work all the time, the brilliant talent that we want to attract at all levels of the organisation - don’t want to be defined by a burnout life."

The worker's point of view

Helen Brittain, 54, is an administrator at Tyler Grange.

She lives with her husband, her son and daughter-in-law, and her two grandchildren - Henrietta, 5, and Florence, 7, - as well as their two dogs.

Helen said her productivity has improved enormously and the new working processes and systems encourage me help her to plan better.

She said: “In the past, work -life balance was always a bit of an issue for me. I felt like a two-day weekend didn’t enable me to enjoy enough of a homelife or to do necessary chores.

Now she is able to get on with chores and care for her grandchildren and find some time for herself.

She said: “I’ve also recently embarked on my own self-learning journey around mental health, as well as looking after my psychical health by working with a personal trainer and nutritionist.

“All of this is having enormous benefits on my personal health and wellbeing, which then has a real impact on my workplace performance and productivity.”

We're more productive and creative than ever before

Accu

Huddersfield

A Huddersfield-based tech-based firm that introduced a permanent four-day week to all 100 staff four months ago say the move has paid massive dividends.

Accu, which designs, manufactures and distributes engineering components worldwide, says it has seen a major boost in productivity, job applications, turnover, and orders from customers.

The firm's policy with no reduction in pay or obligation for staff to make the hours up.

From April-July, Accu has created 20 new jobs – a 25% increase in headcount. The number of applications per role has skyrocketed. One role, which previously got 40 applications, subsequently got 200 – a 400% increase. Similar numbers are being experienced across all vacancies.

Simultaneously, productivity is up, as the time it takes to respond to customer enquiries has improved by 46%. Order numbers and average values have increased by 15%, boosting turnover by 10% (quarter-on-quarter), meaning Accu is on track to hit £12m-plus turnover this year.

Company co-founder, Martin Ackroyd told YorkshireLive: "Giving people more personal time to enjoy the things they love has increased motivation, decreased the risk of burnout and has driven a renewed sense of purpose in our mission to help our customers build a better tomorrow. As a result, we're more productive and creative than ever before."

What do staff say?

Some staff have used their new spare time to pursue personal interests, such as home renovation and the arts, whilst others have used it to spend more time with their family or save on childcare costs.

Matt Ogden, community manager, said: "The longer weekends are very well received. With a longer break, it personally provides me with freedom to travel to London to enjoy and take part in the performing arts. In general, everyone feels more chilled, upbeat, happy, and refreshed.

"In terms of the business, we have seen a benefit across all areas – it was definitely a sound business decision."

Every Friday I enjoy not setting an alarm

Chilwell Products

Ilkeston, Derbyshire

Staff at the manufacturer of end bands for scaffold boards previously worked 39 hours over five days but this was reduced earlier this year by five hours, with all staff on duty Monday to Thursday.

Laura Clarke, managing director, said investment in new machinery improved overall capacity while giving back time to the team."

She said: "Initially, there were concerns around how our move would be received by customers but, when we ran our trial period, we managed to maintain lead times despite operating for five hours fewer.

"Many customers and suppliers have praised our move, even going as far to ask if they can have a job here.

She said the atmosphere at work had improved and there was something 'incredibly smug' about knowing you were halfway through the week on a Tuesday while team members had more autonomy over their lives and how they spent their free time, with some taking extra work elsewhere.

The hard numbers for the firm's manufacturing volumes and the first two financial quarters are positive despite the drop in hours.

She said: "I would advise others thinking of doing this to brainstorm, speak to various people within teams, gather information and look at the business from as many different angles as possible.

"It might not be something you can do in the next few months or even this year but you could start to make changes.

"Businesses need to think outside the box, we need to be innovative as we shape the working landscape moving forward."

How's work been?

Nicholas Wall is a 28-year-old toolroom assistant and press operator at Chilwell Products.

"It's nice to finish the working week on Thursday knowing you'll come in on Monday to a fresh slate.

"This also makes me feel like I'm giving something back to the company as I appreciate they've given us more time to spend however I want."

Nicholas said that, in previous roles with other employers, he felt he was rushing his evenings and weekends but had grown accustomed to it and had not noticed the effect this was having on him.

He added: "Only now that I'm more relaxed do I realise how frantic and pressured my personal life was.

"Every Friday I enjoy not setting an alarm, naturally waking up then heading to the gym to get a workout in and get it out the way."

It's not an easy process, but one we're proud we took the time to implement

City to Sea

Bristol

Bristol-based environmental organisation City to Sea has moved to a four-day working week without any reduction in pay for staff.

The community interest company employs 19 people, who are all now working a 32-hour week, but are being paid the same salary as when they worked for five days. The organisation, which campaigns to reduce plastic pollution, confirmed the move after running a four-day week trial over six months, and receiving positive feedback from staff. Now, every employee has Friday off.

Natalie Fee, chief executive and founder, said the top three challenges of implementing the four-day week were staff members feeling overstretched, managing work patterns and difficulties adjusting to reduced hours.

“We also found calculations around bank holidays and implications of those weeks being three days difficult to navigate,” she said.

However, she said the positives were staff motivation and increased wellbeing.

“It creates a much more balanced, healthier working environment and has resulted in increased staff engagement and staff retention. It's not an easy process, but one we're proud we took the time to test and implement.”

On the frontline

Steve Hynd, policy manager at City to Sea, who is 36 and is married with two children under five, says the move has been “completely transformative”.

“It’s not just the four days a week but also offering flexible working, having a really supportive line manager, and a host of other positive HR policies. This all combined is allowing me to spend more time with my two young kids, giving back to my community as a local district councillor and crucially (and very rarely) even having a bit of time for myself. It has removed the sense of being constantly over-stretched and has improved my mental and physical health significantly.”

Read more of our coverage on the four-day week:

Global trials, such as those conducted by 4 Day Week Global, demonstrate that the 4-day workweek fosters employee loyalty and reduces absenteeism, with participating companies reporting a 25% decrease in sick days.

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You can't die of hunger, you can't live a good life.
CNN analysis: Iran deliberately caused the attack to fail "one of the most spectacular plays"
4 days a week? 30% of U.S. companies are looking to retain talent
Four days a week seems to be the trend. The non-profit organization 4 Day Week Global has participated in pilot projects in a number of countries, including the United States, Ireland, the United States, Australia and New Zealand, and the results have proved to be good and have unexpected benefits.
Not only are office workers welcome, the boss is also considering the four-day work system.
A new survey of corporate CEOs by KPMG, the world ’ s top accounting and professional consulting firm, shows that nearly a third (30%) of large U.S. companies are exploring new work arrangements, working four or four and a half days a week.
Executives consider that in a hot workplace, many employees feel overworked and underpaid, and must find ways to attract and retain talent.
According to Gallup Poll, 77 percent of U.S. employees believe that working four days a week will have a positive impact on their health, with 46 percent saying it will have an "extremely positive" impact.
Last year, more than 40 companies in the United States and Canada participated in the "global four-day work" organization of four days a week pilot project, the results of the trial also satisfied the participating bosses that the four-day work system did not affect the company's income, employees' leave and sick days were reduced by 25%, and the company's internal time spent on administrative procedures was reduced by 15%.
But Paul Knopp, chairman and CEO of KPMG USA, said in an interview with CNN that it is too early to implement a four-day week, and that executives are working hard to find the best solution and will continue to experiment and adjust.
In addition, the shorter work week system is not applicable everywhere.
Knapp noted that while the four-day week might make sense for finance, marketing and some other office jobs, it doesn ’ t work for industries like health care.
He believes that a universal four-day workweek could take years, but that using artificial intelligence (AI) will make employees more efficient.
At present, AI can only automate daily tasks such as making presentations, emails, and writing reports, but in the future, generative AI may make four-day work a reality.
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Organizations transitioning to a 4-day workweek can leverage technological tools like AI to maintain productivity, as automation enables employees to focus on higher-value activities.

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The development of AI technology may accelerate the dream of a three-day weekend
After many companies in the Covid-19 era tried and achieved positive results, it began to be implemented in countries such as the United Kingdom, Iceland and Portugal; some experts point out that as artificial intelligence (AI) becomes more popular, it will help companies speed up the implementation of the three-day weekend.
Tech.co surveyed more than 1,000 U.S. business leaders at the end of last year to ask how technology will impact the workplace in 2024, the BBC reported.
The researchers found that 29% of companies that took a three-day break used AI extensively in their operations, relying on programs such as ChatGPT to streamline operations, compared with only 8% of companies that took a two-day break.
From another perspective, 93% of companies that apply AI are willing to let their employees work for only four days; less than half of companies that use AI less are willing.
Shayne Simpson, general manager of TechNET IT Recruitment, a British technology agency, said that AI is the foundation of the company ’ s success on a three-day weekend, and AI tools can save 21 hours per week per HR consultant by automating repetitive manual tasks such as data entry, email confirmation, resume screening, and candidate expansion.
Not only does this increase productivity and morale, Simpson says, but it also keeps talent: senior professionals are attracted to streamlined processes, while novices are eager to try new tools.
Digital design firm Driftime co-founder Abb-d Taiyo (Abb-d Taiyo) said that before the process was slow and wasted a lot of valuable time, now can give simple tasks to AI tools such as Modyfi, the production of graphics are real-time and modifiable, designers can create concepts and ideas more easily and faster, the workload of four days has not decreased, and the quality of work and employee satisfaction is high.
But advanced technology alone may not bring about institutional change.
Na Fu, professor of human resources management at Trinity Business School in Ireland, said that the key to the success of the three-day weekend is corporate culture and values, such as whether the company has a high degree of trust in its employees and is willing to try innovative work structures. Is the director supportive?
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What has the implementation 4-day wrokweek in Dubai, UAE indicated?

Economic factors like inflation and cost-of-living differences significantly influence the feasibility of a 4-day workweek, as higher living costs may drive employees to seek additional income through side hustles.

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Content: From education to employment

Side hustles and four day work weeks on the rise

60% of UK workers consider taking on a side hustle in 2023and the popularity of the four-day working week could see that numbers grow

The latest findings from leading independent job board CV-Library reveal that 58.2% of UK workers are planning to take on a side hustle in 2023, driven by the twin priorities of job security (62%) and earning more money (38%).

As the cost of living continues to bite, 76.6% of those considering taking on a side-hustle this year are doing so because they want/need more money. The remainder (23.4%) are looking for additional job security in these unpredictable times.

With the world’s biggest trial of a four-day working week hailed a breakthrough success (56 out of 61 of the companies involved say they would continue offering a shorter week), more companies are predicted to follow suit. Employees following this working pattern will gain an extra day a week, which could be used to turn passions into side hustles. This might also fulfil the aim of keeping a main job secure while providing new ways to scratch a creative itch and supplement income amidst the cost-of-living increases.

Lee Biggins, founder and CEO of CV-Library comments:

“As the economic uncertainty looks set to continue, it’s understandable that so many employees are considering new ways to supplement their income while prioritising their job security.”

Biggins continues:

“With unemployment levels at record lows, supporting employees’ side hustles could boost staff loyalty and help retain key talent. However, there are grey areas that businesses need to be mindful of, particularly for those operating a four-day week. The benefits of increased motivation, productivity levels, and mental health along with reduced sickness levels could be counterproductive if staff are dedicating their downtime and attention to a side hustle.”

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