Thousands of workers are moving to a four-day working week as part of a new trial that begins from this month.
The pilot will run for six months from June 6 and won’t reduce employees’ pay, all while giving them a permanent three-day weekend every week.
It works on the basis that everyone involved in the scheme will get 100% of their salary for 80% of hours but with 100% productivity.
More than 60 firms with around 3,000 members of staff have signed up to take part in the pilot, which is being run by campaign group 4 Day Week Global.
During the trial run, the businesses will work with researchers to record the impact on productivity.
They will also track worker wellbeing and the impact on the environment and gender equality.
A wide range of businesses and charities will participate in the study, including online marketing company Adzooma and the Royal Society of Biology.
But some UK firms have already introduced a four-day working week.
Has your business introduced a four-day working week? Let us know: mirror.money.saving@mirror.co.uk
Atom Bank made headlines late last year when it moved to a permanent four-day week without reducing pay by a penny.
Instead of reducing employees' hours, it made the four working days longer.
Some companies have also trimmed hours down to give workers permanent 32-hour weeks with no loss of pay.
Outside of the UK, four-day working week arrangement have been trialled across a number of countries including Iceland, New Zealand and Spain.
According to a Microsoft Japan study conducted in 2019, productivity of employees went up by nearly 40% when it trialled a four-day working week.
The company said meetings were more efficient, and workers - who were also happier - took less time off.
Which companies are offering a four-day week as part of the trial?
More than 60 firms based in the UK will participate in the trial but not all of them have agreed to be publicly named.
The employers that have been named so far include:
- Hutch - game developers
- Yo Telecom - telecoms services
- Adzooma - online marketing company
- Pressure Drop Brewing - brewery
- Happy - workplace consultancy services
- Platten’s Fish and Chips - chip shop in Norfolk
- Eurowagens - car parts retailer
- Bookishly - online book and gifts shop
- Outcomes First Group - education and foster care services
- NeatClean - eco cleaning products firm
- 5 Squirrels - skincare branding consultancy
- Salamandra - animation studios
- Girling Jones - recruitment firm
- AKA Case Management - case management firm
- IE Brand & Digital - marketing company
- Helping Hands - at-home care services
- Trio Media - marketing agency
- Literal Humans - marketing agency
- Physiquipe - rehabilitation tech firm
- Tyler Grange - landscape planning consultancy
- Timberlake Consultants – software engineering firm
- Royal Society of Biology - professional body
- Everledge - tech firm
- Scotland's International Development Alliance - industry body for Scottish charities
- Amplitude - tech firm
- Stemette Futures - education organisation
- Comcen - computer supplies retailer
- We Are Purposeful - activism organisation
