Trial of World’s Largest Four-Day Workweek Has Completed
A trial of the world’s largest four-day workweek has been completed, with the organizations involved reporting increased revenue and decreased resignations. Of the 61 organizations that participated, 56 have elected to continue with the shorter week, and 18 of those companies have confirmed that the policy change will be permanent. Participating companies varied in size and spanned different sectors. The trial was conducted in the U.K. and lasted approximately six months, with around 2,900 workers participating.
The trial’s ethos dictated that employees would receive 100 per cent of their compensation while working 80 per cent of their typical hours, with no changes in productivity. As a result, each company designed its own strategy to transition to the reduced workweek. The report showed that staff departures dropped by 57 per cent over the trial period, and companies also reported increases in revenue and reductions in absenteeism.
The report found that the trial led to well-being improvements for employees who participated, with reductions in stress and burnout. Measures of work-life balance also increased across the trial period. However, the trial was not a randomized control trial, and not every organization would be able to achieve similar results with a shortened workweek.