At this current point, people are talking about the four-day working week like it’s a Nandos ‘black card’ in c.2014. Does it really exist? Have you or your company got one? How did you get it? Is there a way for me to get one? You get the picture.
As it turns out, the four-day working week does exist, and you’ll remember there was plenty of talk about the trial that took place back in 2022. Around 70 companies took part in the scheme, with the majority (92%) opting to stick with the four-day week, citing greater productivity levels, employees taking fewer sick days, and above all, a greater work-life balance for employees.
So – there are companies out there that operate this way (with reports of more that have implemented it separately from the trial, or carried out their own spells of four-day work weeks – such as during the summer), and there are about to be more. Another trial is set to take place in the UK, carried out by 4 Day Week, who were behind the 2022 scheme.
This time, they hope for around 50 companies and approximately 3,000 employees to benefit from the four-day working week. The trial will take place in the autumn (from November 4), and hopes to push the newly-elected Labour government towards making it a more widespread practice.
4 Day Week campaign and Timewise, the flexible working consultancy, have joined forces to enable this second trial to exist across the country, and they have the backing of research support from the University of Cambridge, Boston College and Autonomy Institute.
Speaking on the news, Joe Royle, who is the campaign director, said: “Hundreds of British companies and one local council have already shown a four-day week with no loss of pay can be a win-win for workers and employers.”
Who knows? Maybe your company will be next to sign up for a trial or implement their own four-day working week. ‘Til then? Keep on putting the pressure on for that honour (and your Nando’s ‘black card’ – the push for that has never and will never stop) if you are passionate about the longer weekend.
You can find out more about the four-day working week trial and (pressure your boss to) sign up to put your company forward for it here.