UKs four-day week trial shows reduced burnout and stress
“is it true that Let’s begin with the strongest proof we have. Between June and December 2022, the UK ran the world’s largest four‑day‑week trial, involving 61 organisations and 2,900 workers. The results were published on 21 February 2023 by researchers from the University of Cambridge and Boston College. They found that: 71% of employees reported reduced burnout 39% reported lower stress levels Company revenue stayed broadly the same, even rising slightly in some cases”
Summary
The United Kingdom conducted the world’s largest four‑day‑week trial from June to December 2022, involving 61 participating organisations and roughly 2,900 workers, with results released on 21
Sources 57 searched
- New results from the world's largest trial of a four-day working week | Department of Sociology
The trial was organised by 4 Day Week Global in conjunction with the UK’s 4 Day Week Campaign, and ran between June and December 2022.
- Would you prefer a four-day working week?
Research for the UK trials was conducted by a team of social scientists from the University of Cambridge, working with academics from Boston College in the US and the think tank Autonomy. The trial was organised by 4 Day Week Global in conjunction with the UK’s 4 Day Week Campaign, and ran between June and December 2022.
- Four-day week liked by UK employers in world's largest trial | Reuters
Employees at 61 companies across Britain worked an average of 34 hours across four days between June and December 2022, while earning their existing salary.
- Thousands of UK workers begin world’s biggest trial of four-day week | Productivity | The Guardian
More than 3,300 workers at 70 UK companies, ranging from a local chippy to large financial firms, start working a four-day week from Monday with no loss of pay in the world’s biggest trial of the new working pattern.
- Four-day week made permanent for most UK firms in world’s biggest trial | Work-life balance | The Guardian
The four-day working week report, ... and Boston College in the US, found that “many of the significant benefits found during the initial trial have persisted 12 months on”, although they noted that it was a small sample ...
- 4-day work week trial yields overwhelming success in U.K., researchers say | PBS News
A trial of a four-day workweek ... to December will keep going with the shorter hours and that most employees were less stressed and had better work-life balance....
- Four-day workweek trial: The firms where it didn't work
But even with this bespoke four-day week model, Roderick says his firm quickly ran into problems. “As opposed to 10 normal workdays, we found that employees would have nine extreme ones – once they got to their scheduled day off they were exhausted. Once we factored in holidays, sickness and caring responsibilities, we also struggled to find cover for an employee on their rest day.” · As a result, Allcap abandoned its trial two months early at its three main trade sites (its warehouse and manufacturing centres have the resources to cope with a four-day week).
- The four-day week and reducing working time - Digital Futures at Work Research Centre (Digit)
The report of the trial – for which Professor Burchell, Dr Frayne and their team conducted the qualitative research – was published in February 2023 by Autonomy. This was complemented by a quantitative survey conducted by Juliet Schor and her team from Boston College.
- Making the case for a four-day working week – UKRI
Just under 3,000 workers took part in the pilot, and 90% wanted to continue with the four-day working week at the end of the trial. The results also showed: more than two thirds reported lower levels of ‘burnout’
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