All 17 companies participating in the recent UK four-day working week trial have chosen to continue with the model or a variation of it, after observing benefits in staff wellbeing, mental health, and productivity.
The six-month trial was organised by the 4 Day Week Foundation and monitored by researchers at Boston College in the US. It involved nearly 1,000 employees across various organisations, including housing associations, professional bodies, sports associations, and student unions.
During the trial, participating businesses reduced employees’ working hours without reducing their pay. Following the pilot, 12 companies adopted a permanent four-day week, while five opted for a “nine-day fortnight”, essentially giving every other Friday off.
Among the organisations making the shift permanent is Bron Afon Community Housing, employing over 400 staff. Chief Executive Alan Brunt reported success with no decline in performance or customer satisfaction. “We’ve closely monitored our performance and customer satisfaction. We’re happy with the results so far and will continue to make sure we’re delivering for our customers,” he stated.
Other participants included the British Society for Immunology, the National Union of Students, and the Scottish Sports Association. Company sizes ranged from under five employees to over 400, with most being small businesses with 1–25 staff.
The trial’s outcomes mirrored previous findings from the four-day week movement. According to the 4 Day Week Foundation, 62% of workers reported experiencing burnout less frequently, 41% noted improved mental health, and 45% reported increased life satisfaction.
Joe Ryle, campaign director at the 4 Day Week Foundation, commented: “With greater knowledge, expertise, and experience of what it takes to successfully implement a four-day week, we’re really pleased to see such a high success rate. People are happier, businesses are thriving, and there’s no turning back.”
To date, the Foundation has accredited more than 235 UK companies that have permanently moved to a four-day week without cutting salaries, representing over 6,000 workers.
While the previous Conservative government dismissed the idea as “part-time work for full-time pay”, the Labour government has shown signs of being more receptive. Deputy Prime Minister Angela Rayner has stated that a four-day week is “no threat to the economy”, although the policy is not currently included in the upcoming Employment Rights Bill.
Advocates argue that momentum is building and public interest is growing. Businesses point to improvements in recruitment, retention, and morale as further reasons for embracing the change.
With growing adoption across sectors, the four-day working week may soon transition from experimental to expected, especially as more firms seek to enhance productivity while boosting work-life balance.
Read more:
https://bmmagazine.co.uk/news/four-day-week-trial-success-uk/
