The 4-Day Work Week, is it really attainable?

Over 70 firms took part in the trial which provides workers with 100% of their 5-day week pay, for 80% of their normal hours with the aim to maintain at least 100% productivity.

4-Day week has been campaigning for a four-day, 32-hour working week with no loss of pay which would benefit workers, employers, the economy, our society and the environment.

The pilot is made up of small companies with less than 500 members of staff, but 4-Day week are hoping that larger companies will follow in their footsteps and help to create a new norm of a 4-day working week. The two biggest companies that have signed up are Atom Bank and global marketing company Awin, who each have about 450 employees in the UK.

In September, approximately 86% of companies taking part in the trial said they were keen to keep the four-day week after the trial has ended. In most cases, businesses had reported that during the 4-day week their productivity levels had stayed the same and in some cases, had increased.

Despite these trials, research has shown that the UK workforce seems to work less productively than any other G7 country. So, is productivity ‘staying the same’ a good enough reason to be in favour of the 4-day week? Or should we be judging the success of a 4-day week off an increase in productivity only? Is there something else that is a key contributor to Britain’s lower productivity levels that is yet to be discovered?

Many companies that have signed on to become an official 4-Day Week employer hadn’t taken part in the initial trial. Most of the companies that have officially adopted the four-day week are in the services sector such as technology, events or marketing companies. Although, manufacturing, construction, solicitors, banks, charities and many other types of companies have also signed up.

However, the 4-Day week cannot be attainable for all. The trial has caused some issues and concerns with some companies, including communications company Utility, their Managing Director reported that being involved in the current trial, has complicated processes by causing some difficulties with handovers due to different employees taking different days off.

If employers are still wanting to hit the same performance targets as they have on a 5-day week but in less days, then the alternative might be that the workforce could be made to work four longer days in order to make up the time. Does this mean the benefits of the 4-day week offering employees “more free time”, will quickly disappear?

Businesses considering a move from a 5-day to a 4-day week would need to make the decision to close the business for one working day a week or have split rotas with different employees taking different days off. This is a move which is extremely unlikely to suit every business model.

It’s clear that the 4-day week has some benefits for some businesses, but it’s not as straightforward as it seems for the majority.

4-Day Week are running an accreditation scheme for employers to become a 4-Day week accredited employer. ​There are two different levels at which you can become an accredited 4-Day week employer:

Gold Standard

This is where your business permanently operates at a 32 hour (or less) four-day week, which provides a reduction of hours and no loss of pay from the standard 5-day week (37.5 – 40 hours). Businesses who operate 32 hours or less per week but spread this across 5-shorter days rather than 4 can also gain this accreditation.

Silver Standard

Silver standard is for businesses that operate at a permanent 35 hour (or less) four-day week, with a reduction of hours and no loss of pay.

You can search for 4-Day week accredited employers here.

The likelihood of the 4-day work week being adopted by the masses is still uncertain. It’s clear that this working pattern will likely be more attainable for some sectors and not so much for others. However, some businesses have already embraced the shortened week.

The UK’s pilot scheme has been the biggest scheme globally to-date. The trial ended earlier this month, with the final results due to be published sometime during 2023.

Want to read more about the 4-Day working week trial? Check out these updates:

• Could a four-day working week become the new normal?
• The UK’s four-day working week trial: How’s it going?
• 4-Day working week trial: 86% to keep the shortened week