The world’s biggest four-day work week pilot project is in the U.K

In what’s being called the world’s biggest four-day work week pilot, thousands of U.K. residents on Monday kicked off their first shortened week.

The test program, will continue for six months, according to 4-Day Week Global, the non-profit group behind the experiment. The workers participating in the trial have promised to maintain 100 percent of their productivity while working just 80 percent of their usual hours, the group reports. In exchange, they’ll receive 100 percent of their normal salaries, according to 4-Day Week Global.

“The pandemic has made us think a great deal about work and how people organize their lives,” says Sienna O’Rourke of Pressure Drop Brewing, one of the companies participating in the pilot. “We’re doing this to improve the lives of our staff and be part of a progressive change in the world.”

More than 3,000 workers across a range of companies, like restaurants, banks, health care, retail, and others, will go from five to four work days. A number of different organizations and universities will analyze the results. Researchers want to analyze how employees respond to having an extra day off, in terms of stress and burnout, job and life satisfaction, health, sleep, energy use, travel and many other aspects of working life.

Now I have questions…If this change comes to the U.S., are we all taking Friday or Monday off? Will it change depending on the industry? How about Saturday/Sunday off plus Wednesday? Hmmmm. I can see how manufacturing or giant industries could get on board for this, but the world of media never stops, so I’m probably never going to benefit from this idea, but that doesn’t mean I don’t love it!

Susan Saunders 6/7/22