The notion of the ‘four-day work week’ has become a hotly contested topic for the past few years. Amid growing numbers of burnt-out, overworked employees, campaigners have been fighting to bring the four-day working week to the UK. 

A new pilot programme that will trial the four-day working week will begin this autumn. “The pilot will include organisations that would like to experiment with other forms of flexibility such as a shorter working week, flexible start and finish times, a nine-day fortnight or compressed hours,” reads the campaign description. “These organisations will also be able to take part and benefit from the support, guidance and insight provided through the pilot.” Findings from this trial will be presented to the government next summer.

The news of this upcoming trial comes after numerous other successful trials. Earlier this week, a trial held in South Cambridgeshire by the local Liberal Democrat authorities reported a massive decline in staff turnover and significantly increased productivity. 

Additionally, last year, a similar four-day week trial was held by the 4 Day Week Campaign in the UK and was heralded a “breakthrough,” with employees saying they were 39% less stressed, 40% were sleeping better and 54% said it was easier to balance work and home responsibilities. Despite these results, the call for a four-day week was rejected by the Conservative government at the time. This year, campaigners are hoping that the incoming Labour leadership will look on the idea a little more favourably.

According to career experts, there’s already plenty of evidence to suggest the benefits of the 32-hour working week. “It’s very telling that, amongst the companies that took part in the first UK trial, conducted in 2022, the vast majority kept a four-day week in place once it ended,” Molly Johnson-Jones, CEO and co-founder of Flexa, told Stylist. “The results are a really clear indication of how empowering staff, enabling them to access work-life balance, and creating a working week that works for everyone, unlocks big benefits for employers too.”

The benefits of the four-day week

The UK is burnt out. We are all, it seems, working too much and too hard. In fact, a recent study of UK employees found that by the end of the five-day working week, more than half of us feel burnt out.

The four-day working week could offer a greater sense of balance. “For employees, an extra day off means more time for personal life,” says Tuesday Digital’s co-founder Emma Bruce. “It can reduce stress, increase job satisfaction, and in turn, increase happiness in and out of work.” 

A shorter working week can also have a positive impact on the environment. “One day a week without commuting can lead to a significant decrease in emissions; if you drive to work four days a week instead of five, you could essentially produce 20% less carbon emissions over the year,” she says. 

For employers, it can, paradoxically, increase productivity. “Studies have shown that a shorter workweek can lead to higher levels of productivity, as staff are more focused and efficient during working hours,” adds Bruce. 

The new pilot programme promises to offer flexible working options, too. “Flexible work has always been important, it’s just been hard to come by,” says Johnson-Jones. “All the evidence shows that employees are happy and more productive when they work for flexible employers – and employers who can offer the flexible working conditions that staff need will, in turn, be rewarded with better retention, more productive times, and greater operational efficiency. It’s a win-win.”

Bruce notes that in some cases, a four-day work week might have some cons. “To maintain the level of productivity in fewer days, employees might face a more intense workload on the days they are working,” she says, adding, “Transitioning to a shorter workweek requires careful planning to make sure the business can still be efficient, and that can come with some teething problems and hurdles at first.”

Could this really be the future of work?

It is possible that the new Labour government will be more receptive to the 4 Day Week Campaign’s new pilot than their Tory counterparts were last year. “With a new Labour government, change is in the air and we hope to see employers embracing this change by signing up to our pilot,” Joe Ryle, director of the 4 Day Week Campaign, said.

Prime minister Keir Starmer did not include the four-day work week in his manifesto for this year’s election, however a number of Labour MPs, including Angela Rayner and Ed Miliband, have voiced their support of the scheme.

The first step is the latest trial. “It’s really important that we conduct these trials and gather data on the impact of flexible working,” says Johnson-Jones. “Without clear data on outcomes, it can be hard for companies to have the confidence to embrace change. These trials provide a great opportunity for everyone to think differently about productivity and working structures, as well as highlighting the huge benefits change can bring.”

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