The 4-day week pilot programme in the UK is just over halfway through. This is 6-month trial which is also taking place in the U.S., Canada, Australia and New Zealand. Participants work 4 days but get paid for 5 days. It’s a way of combatting overwork and presenteeism, reducing stress and improving productivity. Initial results are very encouraging:
88% of respondents stated that the four-day week is working ‘well’ for their business at this stage in the trial; 46% of respondents say their business productivity has ‘maintained around the same level’, while 34% report that it has ‘improved slightly’, and 15% say it has ‘improved significantly. 86% of respondents stated that at this juncture in the trial, they would be ‘extremely likely’ and or ‘likely’ to consider retaining the four-day week policy after the trial period.
Is the 4-day week right for you? It depends on your responsibilities and what you want or need to get out of the working week. For parents with very young children, this may give an opportunity to keep a vital second income and/or keep building a career plus having a precious day at home to do toddler activities and just be a parent. For parents with school-age children it doesn’t solve the drop-off and pick-up timings, therefore part-time, flexitime or term time remains more attractive. However, it does relieve a little bit of the summer holiday headache, because it effectively means that you have extra 6 days when you’re home and still getting paid. It’s an extra day a week for Easter, Christmas and half term holidays too. Given the cost of childcare and activity camps, that is not to be sneezed at.
Generally, we perceive it as a move in the right direction because it is based on productivity rather than hours. Outcome-based jobs are a rarity but this highlights the waste of time and money spent commuting and in meetings.
In our Wednesday Webinar - 10 Ways to Find a Flex-Friendly Employer we mentioned the campaign as another way to locate the right sort of employer for you. The companies involved in the pilot are all named on the campaign website - https://www.4dayweek.com/. Why not take a look?