The trial four-day work week resulted in reduced stress, better health, and higher profits, the companies said.

The world’s largest attempt to introduce a four-day work week has been hailed as a “major breakthrough” after nearly all participating companies said they would stick with the shorter week following the pilot.

About 61 companies signed up for the trial, which began in June 2022 and lasted six months. Importantly, companies had to ensure that their employees’ wages were not cut.

It was attended by about 2,900 employees of various companies, from chips shops to large corporations. Of those, 56 (92 percent) continue to operate the four-day week, and 18 have made permanent policy changes. Only three temporarily suspended the four-day work week.

Activists will now call on lawmakers to give every British worker a 32-hour workweek.

The program, which was run by the 4-Day-Week campaign, the Autonomy think tank, and researchers at the University of Cambridge, Oxford University, and Boston College, reported that employees reported reduced levels of anxiety, fatigue, and sleep problems, as well as improved mental and physical health. About 39% said they experience less stress, and 71% said they burn out less.

Employees added several measures to improve their work-life balance and said they found it easier to manage their household finances and nurture relationships.

“A four-day work week has made me more relaxed”

Louise, 49, is a consumer consultant for Citizen’s Advice Gateshead, one of the organizations that signed up to participate in the study.

She says the four-day pilot allows her to be a more caring partner and mother.

“Personally, a four-day work week means that I have free time and I do my job. I travel to Scotland every weekend and my daughter is going to have surgery soon, so if I invite her to an appointment on Thursday, I can go with her. This means that I feel more relaxed and can return this benefit to charity.

“In terms of work, we are in a good position because we have a fairly large team, around 30 people, and this has not negatively affected our team performance or productivity in any way. In fact, all of our goals are being met and each team member currently helps 30-35 people daily as an experienced consultant.

“Our customers benefit from an even higher quality of service because we are all fresh. It’s a stressful role and you get tired by the end of the week, so you can always be at your best on that extra day off.”

For many, the benefits of a shorter work week outweigh the financial benefits: 15% said no amount of money could tempt them to go back to the five-day plan.

By now, most companies have been satisfied with performance and performance. Revenue was broadly flat, up 1.4 percent on average by company size, or 35 percent, year-over-year.

The CEO of one participating consulting company said, “When you feel relaxed and rested that day and ready to give it your all for the remaining four days, you begin to realize that you need to get back to work.” Friday will seem very wrong – very stupid.”

Employees were less likely to leave their jobs (57%) and sick leave was also reduced by 65%.

Joe Ryle, director of the four-day workweek campaign, said the study’s success marks a “big breakthrough” for the move to a four-day workweek.

“These incredible results show that the four-day work week with no pay cuts is indeed working across a wide variety of economic sectors. Now is the time to spread it across the country.

Dr David Frain, a research fellow at the University of Cambridge and one of the campaign’s researchers, said: “We are very encouraged by the results, which show how companies have turned the four-day workweek from a dream into a reality with multiple benefits. .

“We think there’s something here that should motivate other companies and industries to give it a try.”

However, the arrangement was not without problems. Several employees of a large company were concerned about the increase in workload, felt that their work was becoming more intense, or that they were struggling to complete long to-do lists in the allotted time.

The results also showed that some managers and employees feel that the focus on efficiency makes the workplace less social, which is of particular importance for involved creative companies.

One of the criticisms of the change was that it would be more difficult for some industries to make the transition to a shorter work week, especially in manufacturing or those who already work in shifts.

“We welcome change”

Consulting firm Tyler Grange is one of the companies transferring its 100 employees. Its chief executive, Simon Ursell, said the company was “delighted” to do so following a successful trial that saw employees complete 102 percent of their five-day workload in a shorter work week.

“There is an unhealthy culture in Britain in which full-time work is treated as a badge of honour, but our productivity levels are low and young talent, as well as the brilliant talent we aim to attract at all levels of our business, do not want to come off as burnt lives identified,” he added.

Ursell said employees used their day off not only to take care of family and see friends, but also to work on personal projects.

Talent coordinator Ellie Mason wrote a book called Adventure guide for autistic people Over the weekend, environmentalist Nathan Jenkinson took up carpentry work, while senior environmentalist Becky Freeman used her free weekends for humanitarian work in Ukraine.

Tyler Grange also found an unexpected advantage: in six months, his employees made 21% fewer car trips.

Activists and academics will present the full outcome of the process today at an event in the House of Commons.