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Last year, 61 companies in the UK took part in the world's largest test of a four-day work week. The results were so positive that 92% of the companies were planning to keep the new schedule. worried that they would get less work for their money, or that it could cause other problems. But the results of last year's experiment suggested the move might be good for both businesses and workers.
Last June, 61 UK companies agreed to try giving their workers a four-day work week. In return, they asked their workers to try to do as much in four days as they usually did in five days.
Many different kinds of businesses took part, including online stores, computer technology companies, advertising companies, and even a fish restaurant. Some companies were small, while others had around 1,000 workers
The companies found different ways of giving workers one more day off. Most companies simply gave workers Fridays off., Others chose Mondays, or had different workers take different days off. The experiment ran for six months, and turned out to be good for most businesses.
The number of days when workers were out sick dropped by 65%. On average,57% fewer people quit their jobs during the four-day work week trial. What's more, the companies made more money--about 1.4% on average.
How did workers do more in less time? Some companies cut meetings, or made sure they were shorter.0thers used technology to help workers get more work done quickly. Some companies created a "focus tie" so workers could work on just one thing without being disturbed.
In general, workers said the four-day work week made them feel less tired. About 71% said they felt less "burnt out‘' with their new work hours, and 39% said they felt less stressed. Most of the workers were more satisfied with the time they spent working.
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