Seventeen British companies, including Crate Brewery in Hackney and the British Society for Immunology, are launching a six-month trial of the four-day working week involving more than 1,000 employees.
This trial, organized by the 4 Day Week Campaign, will allow employees to keep full wages while working just four days a week.
This follows a successful trial in 2022, where 56 of 61 participating companies permanently adopted the shorter week after reporting improved staff morale, reduced stress and no negative impact on performance.
The trial will run until April, with data on employee wellbeing, productivity and burnout collected by researchers from Cambridge University, the Autonomy Institute and Boston College. The findings will be presented to the government next summer and provide further insight into the feasibility of a four-day working model.
Labor has shown interest in flexible working options, with Deputy Prime Minister Angela Rayner saying this poses “no threat to the economy”. Joe Ryle, director of the 4 Day Week Campaign, defends the model for offering “50 percent more time off and no lost wages,” promoting a happier and more fulfilling life.
For companies like Crate Brewery, the trial offers a unique advantage in the catering industry. Georgia Pearson, the company’s people manager, noted that this “game-changing” change not only supports employee wellbeing, but also provides a competitive advantage. BSI CEO Doug Brown expressed optimism about better work-life balance among staff, while underlining the importance of maintaining high service standards.
Nearly 200 UK companies have already introduced the four-day working week, and a recent survey by Owl Labs found that 1.5 million British workers are working four-day working weeks, demonstrating growing interest in this approach within the workforce.