Nearly a thousand British workers are set to adopt a permanently shorter working week following a successful trial of a four-day week and similar adjustments to traditional work schedules. This decision comes after 17 British businesses participated in a six-month trial where they agreed to continue with arrangements consisting of either four days a week or nine days a fortnight. All employees maintained their full salaries throughout the trial. The initiative was led by the 4 Day Week Foundation, an organization advocating for more businesses to adopt shorter working weeks.
The trial follows a larger, six-month pilot in 2022 that involved almost 3,000 employees and resulted in 56 out of 61 companies reducing their working hours from a five-day week to a four-day week. The 4 Day Week Foundation aims to build on the historical shift towards shorter working weeks at the end of the 19th and the start of the 20th centuries, when trade unions campaigned for the two-day weekend. Previously, the norm for many people in Britain and other Christian countries was a six-day working week with Sundays as the only day off.
Supporters of the four-day week argue that it offers numerous benefits to workers, including reduced mental strain, and to businesses, such as increased staff motivation and improved recruitment and retention rates. Research from Boston College found that 62% of workers reported feeling less burned out during the trial, and 45% of those polled felt more satisfied with their lives. The foundation has run successive trials to gather data and demonstrates how companies can make the switch, with over 5,000 people starting the year with a permanent four-day working week.
The latest trial, which began in November, included charities and professional services firms with the number of employees at each employer ranging between five and 400. Campaigners hope to build momentum for the change and have called for the government to establish a working time council to coordinate policy between businesses, industry leaders, and trade unions. The concept of the four-day week faced opposition from the previous Conservative government but has received more support from Labour, although they have not offered formal recognition since coming to power in 2024.
Source: https://www.theguardian.com/business/2025/jul/03/nearly-1000-britons-adopt-permanently-shorter-working-week-after-trial
