200 UK companies adopt a permanent four-day work week

Two years after participating in a groundbreaking four-day work week experiment, 200 companies in the UK have chosen to adopt the policy permanently, marking a significant shift in workplace norms.

By continuing the policy, as many as 5,000 employees at those companies will work one day less a week with no reduction in pay.

The pilot program was conducted by the nonprofit 4 Day Week Global, the UK’s 4 Day Week Campaign and Autonomy, a think tank. It guided the companies and their workers through a six-month test of a 32-hour, four-day week. Including a previous study of companies in US and Ireland.

Boston College Professor Juliet Schor, the lead researcher in the 4-Day Work Week study, said she was not surprised the companies continued their truncated schedules, as almost all of the firms in the study reported positive results.

“They are continuing because it is successful,” Schor said. “There are a few reasons for this. Employee well-being goes up a lot. Self-reported productivity goes up even more. So, the companies are getting happier, healthier employees who are typically as productive (or more) than on a five-day schedule.”

The companies that participated in the UK experiment and chose to continue include charities, marketing and technology firms.

Many US and Canadian companies have also adopted four-day work weeks, Schor said. Companies worldwide, including in Ireland, Australia, NZ, Germany, Portugal, and Brazil, have seen similar positive results from trials.

A number of new countries are planning trials and research, as well. Italian, Nordic, French and Belgian trials are already in process, according to Schor. “And I think there are a few more that people are trying to organize,” she said.

In the US, the concept of a four-day workweek is also beginning to germinate. A 2024 Harris Poll for the American Psychological Association found that 81% of 2,027 employed adults believe they could be as effective working four days a week — and 67% think a four-day work week will become the norm in the US during their lifetime.

Additionally, the study found the percentage of US employers offering four-day work weeks rose from 14% in 2022 to 22% last year.

Iceland was among the first nations to pilot large-scale field trials that reduced the workweek to 35 hours with full pay in large-scale, and it saw “extremely encouraging results,” said Nora Keller, a senior researcher at the University of St. Gallen in Switzerland.

Keller, who has studied workplace productivity and organizational change, said despite reductions in working hours, productivity and performance remained steady or even increased in Iceland’s trials. Additionally, reducing working hours can cut carbon emissions, reduce traffic, and lower company electricity costs as offices remain open less and fewer employees spend time in traffic.

“The effects had staying power, not just measured in productivity; employees were healthier and less stressed,” she said. “This is good for companies — healthy, happy employees are more engaged, creative, and loyal.”

Joe Ryle, campaign director of the 4 Day Week Foundation, argues that the traditional 9-to-5, five-day work week, introduced by Henry Ford in 1926 and which became the office norm by the mid-20th century, is outdated. Initially, the five-day, 40-hour schedule was seen as a balance between productivity and leisure. However, over time, many have criticized it, calling for more flexibility and better work-life balance.

In fact, the 40-hour workweek, introduced by Ford, is an example of boosting productivity by reducing hours without lowering pay; Ford reduced hours from 48 to 40 a week in his factories.

Over the past century, both the nature of work, work norms, and the priorities of employees have continued to change significantly, Keller said.

“The 40-hour work week has its origins in assembly-line work, not office work in a fast-paced information age,” she said.” Working 40 hours a week assumes that you have a partner at home, doing the lion’s share of the care work. Shortening the working week can contribute to equalizing the care work burden between men and women. Finally, Gen Z puts more emphasis on work-life balance, and it’s a key factor in choosing an employer.”

A survey by UK-based Spark Market Research found that 78% of 18- to 34-year-olds expect a four-day workweek to become common in the next five years, while 65% oppose a return to traditional full-time office work.

“This group also say[s] that mental health and improving their overall wellbeing are their top priorities, so a four-day week is a really meaningful benefit and a key enabler of their overall quality of life,” said Lynsey Carolan, managing director of Spark Market Research.