UK Four-Day Workweek Trial, Both Companies and Employees 'Satisfied'... "Will Continue Going Forward"

Experiment of 4-Day Workweek for 6 Months
Improved or Maintained Management Productivity
Expected to Help with New Employee Recruitment

Most companies in the UK that experimented with a four-day workweek for six months reported positive effects and decided to continue it in the future. Office workers walking in front of a bank in the UK.
[Photo by Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Bora Lee] According to the British daily The Guardian, most companies in the UK that experimented with a four-day workweek for six months reported positive effects and decided to continue this practice.

On the 21st (local time), The Guardian reported that the New Zealand nonprofit organization '4 Day Week Campaign' concluded from this experiment that "employee well-being dramatically improved across a wide range of sectors, and management productivity either improved or was maintained."

The organization, together with think tanks and scholars, conducted a four-day workweek trial on 61 companies in the UK starting from June last year. Participating companies reduced the workweek from five to four days without cutting wages, and also provided workshops and psychological counseling.

As a result, 56 out of the total companies decided to extend the four-day workweek, and among them, 18 companies chose to adopt the four-day workweek permanently.

The media also reported that employee evaluations were positive. Among the 2,900 participants in the trial, 39% responded that their stress levels decreased. Additionally, 40% said their sleep quality improved, and 54% found it easier to balance work and family life.

Furthermore, the number of sick leave days taken by employees decreased by about two-thirds, and employee turnover dropped by 57% compared to before.

One robotics company said that the shorter workweek "makes us somewhat different from ordinary companies" and anticipated that it would help in recruiting new employees in the future.

In this experiment, the company established a culture prioritizing welfare and guaranteed work-life balance by allowing employees to enjoy a three-day weekend from Friday to Sunday. Instead, working hours were extended from 8 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. over four days.

However, there were some difficulties. A small startup with only eight employees experienced delays in production schedules while launching its main product at an exhibition.

The company also anticipated that employees would still need to be contacted on Fridays. It is known that some employees still prefer a five-day workweek, and adjustments are ongoing.