Businesses Test Out 4-Day Work Week

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Red means don¡¯t 1disturb. This 2traffic light system is just one of the ways this London 3PR firm is trying to squeeze five days work into four.

¡°That was the single most 4transformative thing for us. People put the light on red, you have to 5respect it.¡±

70 companies across the UK are now more than two months into this experiment moving staff to a four-day week but keeping their pay the same in the hopes that they get the same amount of work done as before. Here at Unity, there are now clear limits on meeting times and 6strict 7handovers required so that half the team can get Mondays off and half get Fridays.

¡°Why did you take part in this experiment?¡±

¡°It was really, really simple, in fact. We were in the middle of the pandemic. I was so afraid for myself but also for the team that we were just 8burning out really, really quickly. And I started thinking about ways to help with this.¡±

It was a 9rocky start.

¡°We missed things. People didn¡¯t sort of communicate well with each other. Things got dropped and it felt like what have I done?¡±

For the team though, those early 10challenges were worth it.

¡°I¡¯m really, really enjoying it. I think my mental health is honestly so much better. I feel like a better friend on my fifth days so I, I feel I have a more space to be there for my friends and be there for my family.¡±

Critics though have previously argued the four-day week would end up raising costs for business, especially public services like healthcare.

¡°Is this gonna be a sort of perk for the elite, do you think?¡±

¡°No, I don¡¯t believe so. This isn¡¯t going to happen all at once, but we believe that we are at the beginning, even though the five-day work week and the 9 to 5 is the most common work arrangement today. It¡¯s not the only work arrangement, so different versions of reduced work time will need to be put in place for different sectors of the economy.¡±