In June, the UK embarked on the biggest trial of a four-day work week in the world. More than 3,300 employees at 70 companies agreed to work one day less, for full pay and a commitment to keep up their usual productivity levels.
The pilot, which is being monitored by academics from Oxford and Cambridge universities and Boston College in the US, runs for six months. “It has been almost 100 years since the transition from a six-day week to a five-day week, so we are long overdue a change,” says Joe Ryle, the campaign director with the study’s partner, 4 Day Week UK. “The UK has an unhealthy culture where it is seen as a badge of honour to be working all the time, yet our productivity levels are low and younger generations increasingly don’t want to be defined by a lifestyle of burnouts.”
