Starting on the 6th of June 2022, the four-day working week trial undertaken by 70 UK companies came to an end last month.
Believed to be the world’s biggest pilot scheme of its kind, the trial sought to determine whether being paid a full salary to work four days a week instead of five would be beneficial to the worker and their levels of productivity.
The study has been conducted by researchers from Oxford and Cambridge Universities, and Boston College, and organised by a group campaigning for a shorter working week where staff will not be financially penalised. The results are due to be published in February.
Of the firms trialling this new system, 86% of them said that they liked it and were likely to keep it that way. Managing Director of one of the trial firms, Simon Ursell, stated:
“It’s worked so well I’d be pretty crazy not to keep it. We’re 101% productive in 80% of the time.”
“We look at an individual’s productivity and as a consultancy we charge clients by the hour. So we’ve been measuring how much our staff are able to charge for their time…and it’s been a fairly dramatic rise.”
One of the other upsides was that he also experienced an increase in the number of job applications he was receiving as a result of this new shift, though conversely he lost two members of his existing team at the onset because they didn’t want to work those hours.
Since the end of the trial, the 4 Day Week Campaign Group made a separate announcement that it had signed up over 100 companies and organisations to trial the scheme, whilst ensuring that those working the new hours would receive 100% of their pay.
Our thoughts
From a stress at work perspective, we can see this idea working in a few different days depending on the job. The people who can prioritise their time and fit all their responsibilities into four days instead of five may love the extra day’s break, but then there are those that simply don’t have enough hours in the day as it is who it may not work so well for.
Similarly, it may negatively affect those who struggle to switch off outside of work or are often bombarded with or compelled to respond to emails and queries in their own time. It would very much be down to the individual and the role in question as to whether this is a great idea or a not-so-great one.
On the other hand, will employees have the guarantee that they will always be paid in such a way, or will more strict targets and expectations be enforceable as such an idea became the norm, from a business and shareholder perspective? Time is money, and it’s an unfortunate truth that employee wellbeing can often be neglected in favour of growth and results.
What do you make of this idea, and would it work in your role, business or organisation? We would love to hear your opinion.
Further reading
Stress at work – Oakwood Solicitors
Source article – BBC
WHAT TO DO NEXT
Get in touch today for a no-obligation consultation. Choose one of the methods on the right-hand side of this page, or call us on 0113 200 9720 to find out how we can help you with your enquiry.
Jessica Rowson started as a Paralegal at Oakwood Solicitors in July 2010, qualifying as a Solicitor in September 2013. Following her qualifying as a Solicitor, Jessica established a niche department …
Are Any of Your Staff Close to ‘Breaking Point’ Because of Stress?
Most of us assume that we’re pretty switched-on when it comes to colleagues at work. Many of us have good relationships with co-workers, exchanging chatter, jokes and what …
View
Can I make a claim for stress at work?
You may have heard about claiming for stress at work, but what does this mean and how do you know if you can claim?
Each of us experience symptoms of stress at work at some time or…
View
Stress Awareness Day – Signs of stress and how to combat it
We can all feel overwhelmed with life at times, particularly as we are living in an age of ever-escalating prices, worldwide political instability and intermittent fuel and energy uncertainties he…
View
