4-Day Work Week Pilot in the UK

COVID-19 reshaped our understanding of the workplace, pushing businesses to adopt lasting trends such as flexible hours and hybrid work environments. The pandemic forced companies to rethink productivity, the nature of work, and how employees maintain a healthy work-life balance. With remote work now a normalized option across many industries, attention has shifted to the next major evolution in how we work.

One of the most prominent experiments in this area has been the UK’s large-scale pilot of a four-day workweek. Although the trial has since concluded, its results continue to influence discussions globally. The question remains: can this model help address labour shortages triggered by factors like Brexit, and what long-term impact might it have on workplaces around the world?

What is the Four-Day Work Week Programme?

More than 70 companies and over 3,300 employees joined the pilot of testing a 4-day work week in the UK. The pilot covered over 30 sectors, and employees were working from Monday until Thursday while being fully compensated.

The purpose of the 4-day week programme was to measure the productivity and well-being of the workforce over six months and understand whether that is delivering similar results as a regular work week. The idea that the pilot was based on is the 100:80:100 model, where employees receive 100% of their salary whilst working 80% of their time and being 100% productive.

Besides the UK 4-day work week, over 150 companies across the USA, Canada, Ireland, Australia, and New Zealand have decided to join the programme.

Benefits of a 4-day Work Week 

The UK four-day work week has its benefits both for employees and employers. Although benefits may vary depending on the industry, these are the most common ones:

Productivity

The main reason the project was launched was to increase productivity. The idea is that employees will be more motivated to complete their work efficiently and deliver higher-quality results to their employer.

Wellbeing

A four-day work week will affect employees’ work-life balance and their mental and physical well-being in a positive way. With the current labour shortage and the war on talent, this is a huge benefit that your organization can offer to attract/retain employees.

Engagement

With a shorter work week, employees will focus more on tasks, performance, and productivity rather than just the time they spend at work.

Recruitment

The key to retention since COVID-19 started was to attract talent by showing care for employees and their well-being. Conducted research reported that the lowest level of job burnout was found in employees that were practicing a 4-day work week.

Sustainability

A shorter work week leads to fewer commutes, which is a positive outcome when it comes to the environment.

Challenges of a 4-day Work Week

Although there are benefits of a four-day work week, there are also some challenges that need to be considered as well to ensure successful outcomes:

Inadequate coverage

For B2C businesses might be challenging to find adequate coverage for customers. This raises the question of whether a 4-day work week is suitable for all industries.

For example, in hospitality, retail, and other customer-facing industries, employers might be forced to choose between taking more staff or reducing business hours. 

Scheduling conflicts

Another challenge is related to internal scheduling, which might cause problems. If you have to organize all of your meetings and brainstorming sessions in a four-day work week, that might be challenging.

Risk of reduced work

Ideally, the 4-day work week should improve productivity, but it might go in the wrong direction. For companies that embrace this model, it is important that employees find this model comfortable to make sure it is a perk for everyone.

Added stress

Employees will love a 3-day weekend, but on the other hand, it might be stressful organizing your four-day work week. Some employees might feel pressured to finish everything that is on their plate in fewer hours, which can lead to more burnout.

It is not for everyone

This model is not for everyone because the pace of work is not the same for all your employees. Companies will have to keep an eye out for overtime and the performance of their employees to ensure that everyone is on track with what needs to be done.

4-day Work Week Influence On the Future of Work and HR

For many British employees, working eight hours a day, five days a week, is hard for maintaining a good work-life balance. And considering that the UK is facing the biggest labour crisis in recent history, it’s a good move for employers to see whether this benefit can help them attract talent.

Employees in the UK for sure have an appetite for better work-life balance, and although flexible working is not a new initiative after the pandemic, more businesses are open to testing different strategies.

Businesses worldwide should be prepared for the upcoming workplace shifts and adjust their strategies accordingly because if the UK 4-day work week pilot is successful, we shall see other countries adopt it as well. 

Key Takeaways On a 4-day Work Week

Competition in the UK market is fierce, and it is hard to attract and retain talent. Employers should do everything they can to contribute to employee satisfaction since it seems that a competitive salary is no longer a number one priority, and a 4-day work week already sounds tempting.

With remote working and workplace flexibility becoming a norm in the business world, UK employers can also open the opportunity for themselves to expand the talent pool. Hiring abroad might be more difficult after Brexit, but it is certainly not impossible.

If you would like to learn more about hiring through PEO/EOR services in the UK, you are in the right place. Reach out to EuroDev, and we would be more than happy to assist you with our HR Outsourcing solutions.

Sources: The Economic Times, Guardian, Workest, PeopleHum