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Well-being watch – four-day working week

Published On: March 20th, 2023By

If we told you that you could have a team that is less stressed, takes fewer sick days, and is more productive, you’d jump at the chance, right? Well – the results of the world’s largest trial say a four-day working week is the key!

The trial 61 UK companies trialled the “100:80:100” model for six months – that’s 100% pay, 80% hours, 100% productivity. Of those 61 companies, 56 have extended the trial period, including 28 who have made it a permanent arrangement.

Well-being wins – 71% of employees reported lower levels of burnout and 39% said they were less stressed than at the start of the trial period. The trial found a 65% reduction in sickness absence and a boost to retention with a 57% drop in the number of employees leaving compared to the same period the year before.

Poor productivity? – the trial saw a 1.4% increase in revenues with participants (across a wide range of sectors) seeing healthy growth during the trial. Employees were found to be more proactive through their own improved efficiency, whether through technology, fewer meetings, or simply a lower inclination to kill time.

Employment law implications – we are lawyers, after all! If you want to trial a four-day week you’ll want to think about how you’ll treat fairly those already working part-time, what the impact will be on holidays and benefits, and how you’ll give the business flexibility if it doesn’t work out (to name a few).

Get in touch if you’d like to discuss the employment law impact of trialling a four-day week in your business. 

This update is accurate on the date it was published, but may be subject to change which may or may not be notified to you. This update is not to be taken as advice and you should seek advice if anything contained within affects you or your business.