More than 3,300 staff at 70 UK companies will begin trialling a four-day week from today with no pay cut.
In what is understood to be the world’s largest experiment of the new working pattern, participating employers will continue to pay their employees 100% of their wages on the understanding that they maintain maximum productivity.
The trial will last 6 months and includes employers from sectors as broad as banking, hospitality, care, workplace consultation, housing, skincare, building and construction recruitment services, food and drinks and digital marketing.
The initiative has been organised by 4 Day Week Global, in collaboration with the thinktank Autonomy, the 4 Day Week Campaign, and researchers from Cambridge University, Oxford University, and Boston College.
The four-day working week trial is based on ‘100:80:100’ model, with workers receiving 100% pay for 80% of the time, in exchange for a pledge to maintain 100% productivity.
Researchers will work with each participating organisation to assess the impact on corporate productivity and employee well-being, as well as the environment and gender equality.
Joe O’Connor, chief executive of 4 Day Week Global, said Britain was at “the crest of a wave of global momentum behind the four-day week”, as people got used to being away from the office during the pandemic.
Professor of sociology at Boston College and lead researcher on the pilot, Juliet Schor, said: “The four-day week is generally considered to be a triple dividend policy – helping employees, companies, and the climate.”
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Gill Laing is a qualified Legal Researcher & Analyst with niche specialisms in Law, Tax, Human Resources, Immigration & Employment Law.
Gill is a Multiple Business Owner and the Managing Director of Prof Services - a Marketing Agency for the Professional Services Sector.
