A FOUR-DAY working week is now being tested in the UK in the wake of changes in working practices brought about by the pandemic.
So how does it work and will you be paid the same?
What is the four-day week pilot?
A six-month trial of a four-day working week has been launched across the UK, which will see more than 30 companies taking part in the pilot scheme.
It will test whether workers can operate at 100 percent productivity for 80 percent of the time.
The pilot is being led by 4 Day Week Global in partnership with the think tank Autonomy, the 4 Day Week UK Campaign and researchers at Oxford University, Boston College, and Cambridge University.
The companies involved in the pilot, including tech firm Canon, will be offering a package of support including workshops, mentoring, networking and access to world-class academic research.
Researchers will work with each organisation to measure the impact on productivity, the wellbeing of workers, and the impact on the environment and gender equality.
The UK pilot will run alongside other trials across the US, Ireland, Canada, Australia and New Zealand.
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Are you paid the same for a four-day week?
Several countries have successfully trialled a four-day system in the last six years including Iceland and Spain, and now the UK is giving it a go.
The pilot scheme aims to measure the workers productivity when they work for a smaller amount of time, but for the same pay.
As seen in the previous trials, employees will be paid the same amount as if they were working five days a week.
Why is the pilot scheme taking place?
With traditional work patterns disrupted by the Covid pandemic and people paying more attention to their work-life balance and wellbeing, some believe a four-day work week is more logical than ever.
New research shows 78 per cent of employees with four day working weeks reported being happier and less stressed.
It can also be an attempt for companies to raise efficiency and attract the best talent, according to a number of Scottish firms that have moved to a four-day week.
Many have also pointed to the "overwhelming success" of the biggest ever four-day workweek trial in Iceland in 2015 to 2019.
Workers were found to be less stressed and had a better work-life balance while employers saw no drastic fall in productivity or provision of services, analysis found.
Joe O’Connor, pilot programme manager for 4 Day Week Global, said: “More and more businesses are moving to productivity focused strategies to enable them to reduce worker hours without reducing pay.
“The four-day week challenges the current model of work and helps companies move away from simply measuring how long people are “at work”, to a sharper focus on the output being produced. 2022 will be the year that heralds in this bold new future of work.”
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