This is what happens when you switch to a four-day working week
3 years, 7 months ago

This is what happens when you switch to a four-day working week

The Independent  

The best of Voices delivered to your inbox every week - from controversial columns to expert analysis Sign up for our free weekly Voices newsletter for expert opinion and columns Sign up to our free weekly Voices newsletter SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy After a successful 18-month trial, our organisation Stopaids has decided to permanently implement the shorter working week for all our staff. I had read with great interest about the growing number of organisations that had successfully introduced the four-day working week and I was eager for our small team of 16 to see whether it would work for us too. Back in October 2019, we began a pilot to try and find out whether a shorter working week would result in greater wellbeing among our workforce, whilst still allowing us to remain a high-impact organisation that punches above our weight. The four-day week is generally understood as a reduction to a 32-hour working week with no loss of pay but as we already worked a 35-hour week, we decided to reduce to 28 hours a week and keep flexibility for staff to work that amount of time across four or five days.

Work Working Pilot Ngo Organisation Our Staff Staff Wellbeing Stopaids Charity Sector  staff  wellbeing  shorter  voices  switch  working  week  happens  fourday  organisation  pilot  work

History of this topic

Four-day work week: An idea whose time is all but sure to come
1 week, 4 days ago

Four-day work week: An idea whose time is all but sure to come

Live Mint  

In the old days, when a formal job usually meant a sarkari one, work flexibility meant something else. This week, the administration of Tokyo said that from April next year, it would give its staff the option of a four-day work week, with a full three days off. “We will review work styles," said the city’s governor Yuriko Koike, “with …

Angela Rayner has struck the wrong note on a four-day week
1 month, 2 weeks ago

Angela Rayner has struck the wrong note on a four-day week

The Independent  

Angela Rayner’s department has dropped its opposition to a local council experimenting with a four-day week for its staff. But Ms Rayner, who is local government secretary as well as deputy prime minister, accused the Tories of “micromanaging” local authorities. Now her department says: “Although it is not government policy to support a general move to a four-day working week …

Four-day working week under Labour: How it could work and who is supporting it
1 month, 2 weeks ago

Four-day working week under Labour: How it could work and who is supporting it

The Independent  

Get the free Morning Headlines email for news from our reporters across the world Sign up to our free Morning Headlines email Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. But, speaking to LBC, she added that flexible working was …

There’s nothing to fear from the four day week – and employers know it
3 months, 3 weeks ago

There’s nothing to fear from the four day week – and employers know it

The Independent  

Opponents of the government’s proposals for a four-day week – part of its “Make Work Pay” initiative, which will be unveiled in Parliament this autumn – have been busy conjuring up images of France. First of all, it’s worth pointing out that the government has flatly denied any plans to impose plans for a four-day week upon employers – or …

Independent readers divided over the four-day working week
4 months ago

Independent readers divided over the four-day working week

The Independent  

Sign up for the View from Westminster email for expert analysis straight to your inbox Get our free View from Westminster email Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Here’s what you had to say: ‘There’s more to life …

A four-day work week won't be on the horizon for decades
8 months, 1 week ago

A four-day work week won't be on the horizon for decades

Live Mint  

Billionaires and Senator Bernie Sanders agree on at least one thing: They see a four-day work week in America’s future. Some big technological innovations promise to make people more productive, but a four-day work week will not be the norm anytime soon. The Sanders bill also stipulates that employers can’t reduce pay if people work fewer hours as a result, …

4-day working week: How does it work and could we see it in our lifetimes?
10 months ago

4-day working week: How does it work and could we see it in our lifetimes?

The Independent  

Get the free Morning Headlines email for news from our reporters across the world Sign up to our free Morning Headlines email Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Please try again later {{ /verifyErrors }} Most of the …

Four-day week council reports improvements amid Government pressure
1 year, 1 month ago

Four-day week council reports improvements amid Government pressure

The Independent  

Get the free Morning Headlines email for news from our reporters across the world Sign up to our free Morning Headlines email Sign up to our free Morning Headlines email SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy A council under fire from the Government for piloting a …

I've started my first 9-5 job and the schedule is so crazy - I don't have the energy to cook dinner or see friends
1 year, 1 month ago

I've started my first 9-5 job and the schedule is so crazy - I don't have the energy to cook dinner or see friends

Daily Mail  

A college graduate broke down in tears as she revealed her struggle to adjust to her new nine-to -five work schedule in her first proper job. Brielle, who lives in New Jersey, shared that she was struggling to find time to have a life outside of her four-hour round commute and her long work days. Brielle, who moved to New …

Is the four-day week the future of work?
1 year, 6 months ago

Is the four-day week the future of work?

Al Jazeera  

Trials have shown that more flexible work hours benefit employees and companies. It’s possible to work fewer hours and keep the same level of pay and productivity, according to results of the largest-ever trial of a four-day workweek held in the United Kingdom. Traditional work routines were upended by the COVID-19 pandemic, and there’s increased demand for more flexible schedules. …

Britons expect four-day week to be ‘the norm’ by 2030, new poll shows
1 year, 7 months ago

Britons expect four-day week to be ‘the norm’ by 2030, new poll shows

The Independent  

A majority of British people expect a four-day week to be the norm in workplaces by 2030, new polling has found. Some 65 per cent of people said they would support the government “exploring the introduction of a four-day working week, with no loss of pay for workers”, with just 10 per cent opposed to the idea. “We have no …

SCIENCE NOTEBOOK | Four-day work week is good for employees, organisations: study
1 year, 9 months ago

SCIENCE NOTEBOOK | Four-day work week is good for employees, organisations: study

The Hindu  

Published : Mar 23, 2023 10:45 IST - 2 MINS READ The world’s largest trial of a four-day work week was conducted in the UK recently. The 61 organisations that took part in this pilot study cut working hours by 20 per cent for all staff, with no fall in wages, for a six-month period starting in June 2022. Many …

4-day week: 'Too short-staffed to work'
1 year, 9 months ago

4-day week: 'Too short-staffed to work'

BBC  

Four-day workweek trial: The firms where it didn’t work Getty Images Nearly all firms that took part in the UK pilot are keeping reduced hours – but not all are fully embracing the new set-up. Getty Images Many businesses need to operate five days per week, which means it's harder to reduce staff days, or they need to hire extra …

4-Day Week Trial in UK: What 'Largest Study' Says on Productivity, Work Stress
1 year, 10 months ago

4-Day Week Trial in UK: What 'Largest Study' Says on Productivity, Work Stress

The Quint  

Largest study of its kind: The study involved 2,900 workers from 61 companies across industries in the UK. What the study found: Compared to before the trials, of all the participants that were interviewed, 71 percent reported less burnout 39 percent reported less stress 48 percent found their job more satisfying 62 percent said they had better work and social …

World’s largest four-day work week trial finds few are going back
1 year, 10 months ago

World’s largest four-day work week trial finds few are going back

Live Mint  

The largest-ever trial of the four-day work week found that most UK companies participating are not returning to the five-day standard, and a third are ready to make that change permanent. Most companies adopted four-day schedules, although a small percentage opted for shorter five-day arrangements or, in the case of seasonal businesses like restaurants, an annualized four-day week model in …

Four-day week liked by UK employers in world's largest trial
1 year, 10 months ago

Four-day week liked by UK employers in world's largest trial

India Today  

Dozens of British employers trialling a four-day working week have mostly decided to stick with it after a pilot hailed as a breakthrough by campaigners for better work-life balance. READ | 100 British companies to move to a permanent 4-day working week The Autonomy trial covered 2,900 staff in total across different sectors, ranging from finance company Stellar Asset Management …

4-day workweek trial: Shorter hours, happier employees
1 year, 10 months ago

4-day workweek trial: Shorter hours, happier employees

Associated Press  

LONDON — Work less, get more. A trial of a four-day workweek in Britain, billed as the world’s largest, has found that an overwhelming majority of the 61 companies that participated from June to December will keep going with the shorter hours and that most employees were less stressed and had better work-life balance. “We feel really encouraged by the …

Most companies see mental health benefits and profits increase in four-day week trial
1 year, 10 months ago

Most companies see mental health benefits and profits increase in four-day week trial

The Independent  

Get the free Morning Headlines email for news from our reporters across the world Sign up to our free Morning Headlines email Sign up to our free Morning Headlines email SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy The world’s biggest trial of a four-day working week has …

We're talking about the 4-day workweek — again. Is it a mirage or reality?
1 year, 10 months ago

We're talking about the 4-day workweek — again. Is it a mirage or reality?

NPR  

We're talking about the 4-day workweek — again. Enlarge this image toggle caption Christopher Furlong/Getty Images Christopher Furlong/Getty Images Welcome to a new NPR series where we spotlight the people and things making headlines — and the stories behind them. A 2022 Ernst & Young study into the "future of work" surveyed more than 500 U.S. C-suite and business leaders …

Four-day workweek trial in UK: Shorter hours, happier employees
1 year, 10 months ago

Four-day workweek trial in UK: Shorter hours, happier employees

Al Jazeera  

Findings show companies’ reported revenue largely stayed the same, or even rose, over the June to December trial period. That was all while revenue reported by the participating companies largely stayed the same over the June to December trial period and even grew compared with the same six months a year earlier, according to the findings released this week. “We …

Who gets a four-day workweek?
1 year, 10 months ago

Who gets a four-day workweek?

BBC  

How widespread could the four-day workweek really be? But such cultures can change, believes O’Connor: “We're starting to see examples of law firms moving to four-day weeks by switching from billing by the hour to billing by project value, or by reducing their non-billable overheads so that their teams are more focused on client work.” The viability of this shortened …

Four-day work week could help avoid burnout and boost productivity
1 year, 11 months ago

Four-day work week could help avoid burnout and boost productivity

Live Mint  

Boosting flexibility at work through changes such as a four-day week may both raise productivity and reverse the growing trend toward burnout, according to a panel of experts at the World Economic Forum in Davos. A four-day workweek for everyone may also help to make women, who often work two or three days, more financially independent and lead men to …

Will a 4-day work week be successful in India? Here is what experts think
2 years ago

Will a 4-day work week be successful in India? Here is what experts think

Live Mint  

The four-day workweek seems a novel idea. But in a country like India where a lot of organizations are yet to accept the 5-day week format, a 4-day workweek sounds like a distant dream. Experts have weighed-in the pros and cons 4-day workweek work in India Sushma Sharma, Director - Career Success Solutions, LaunchMyCareer said workplace happiness is a combination …

UK: 100 Firms Back Permanent Four-Day Work Week With No Loss Of Pay
2 years ago

UK: 100 Firms Back Permanent Four-Day Work Week With No Loss Of Pay

ABP News  

In a move that may bring about a change in Britain's approach to work, a total of 100 UK companies have signed up for a permanent four-day working week with no loss of salary payments to their employees. One of the two biggest companies to have signed up for the four-day week campaign include Atom Bank and Awin. Globally, more …

Full list of 100 companies pledging switch to 4-day week with no pay cuts
2 years ago

Full list of 100 companies pledging switch to 4-day week with no pay cuts

The Independent  

Get the free Morning Headlines email for news from our reporters across the world Sign up to our free Morning Headlines email Sign up to our free Morning Headlines email SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy Over a hundred companies in the UK have signed up …

Council planning to introduce four day working week – but with no cut in pay
2 years, 3 months ago

Council planning to introduce four day working week – but with no cut in pay

The Independent  

Get the free Morning Headlines email for news from our reporters across the world Sign up to our free Morning Headlines email Sign up to our free Morning Headlines email SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. open image in gallery Council leader Bridget Smith said she hoped the scheme would …

Bosses unsure if UK’s four-day week trial can continue
2 years, 4 months ago

Bosses unsure if UK’s four-day week trial can continue

The Telegraph  

Companies involved in the world’s biggest four-day week pilot are struggling with rota chaos and staff confusion, with bosses reporting that the policy may not survive beyond the trial. Over 3,000 people working for 70 businesses, ranging from the Royal Society of Biology to a fish and chip shop in Norfolk, have been working a four-day week with no loss …

The five-day work week might be fading away
2 years, 5 months ago

The five-day work week might be fading away

The Hindu  

A three-day weekend is not beyond anyone’s dream, and it may soon be a reality. Most trials of a four-day work week seem to increase or at least keep constant worker productivity. On the four-day work week, the new codes stipulate the requirement of a minimum of 48 hours per week; hence the employee will have to work for 12 …

Nearly three-quarters of employees support a four-day working week, says study
2 years, 5 months ago

Nearly three-quarters of employees support a four-day working week, says study

The Independent  

Stay ahead of the curve with our weekly guide to the latest trends, fashion, relationships and more Stay ahead of the curve with our weekly guide to the latest trends, fashion, relationships and more Stay ahead of the curve with our weekly guide to the latest trends, fashion, relationships and more SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about …

Four-day work week, lesser take-home salary: The changes under the new labour laws
2 years, 5 months ago

Four-day work week, lesser take-home salary: The changes under the new labour laws

Firstpost  

If the new labour codes are implemented from 1 July, the work culture in India is likely to change. Four-day work week The proposed new labour codes provide companies with the flexibility of having four working days instead of five or six. Leaves As per the new labour codes, the eligibility requirement for leaves has been reduced from 240 working …

Inside the 'chaotic' first week at the UK's first four-day week mass trial
2 years, 6 months ago

Inside the 'chaotic' first week at the UK's first four-day week mass trial

The Telegraph  

A shorter week with no loss of pay seemed like a great idea during the strains of lockdown, when Samantha Losey was working “soul-destroying” 80-hour weeks. But after her communications company Unity was picked out of 500 applicants to join the world’s biggest four-day working week pilot, which kicked off last Monday, the managing director began to get cold feet. …

Belgium gives workers the right to request a four-day week
2 years, 10 months ago

Belgium gives workers the right to request a four-day week

The Independent  

For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy Belgian workers have been given …

The 4-Day Week Is Flawed. Workers Still Want It
2 years, 10 months ago

The 4-Day Week Is Flawed. Workers Still Want It

Wired  

When New York-based digital consultancy Elephant Ventures switched to a four-day workweek in August 2020, client partner Eric Harkrader got way more efficient. He and his colleagues joked that their condensed workdays felt like a 1990s soda commercial: “It’s extreme!” By the end of his four-day week he felt shattered. Employees generally approved; some saw it as a mixed blessing, …

Is the four-day week too good to be true?
2 years, 11 months ago

Is the four-day week too good to be true?

The Telegraph  

Watching closely is a couple some 11,000 miles away in a penthouse apartment in Auckland. Together, Andrew Barnes and Charlotte Lockhart run 4 Day Week Global, a not-for-profit campaign to encourage the world to move to the shorter working model – and they won’t rest until we’re all resting three days a week. “But there we are…” He is confident …

Is a four-day week enough to reduce work stress?
3 years, 3 months ago

Is a four-day week enough to reduce work stress?

The Independent  

Stay ahead of the curve with our weekly guide to the latest trends, fashion, relationships and more Stay ahead of the curve with our weekly guide to the latest trends, fashion, relationships and more Stay ahead of the curve with our weekly guide to the latest trends, fashion, relationships and more SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about …

Editorial: What if every week was a four-day workweek?
3 years, 3 months ago

Editorial: What if every week was a four-day workweek?

LA Times  

It’s Labor Day and many workers are enjoying a rare long weekend. There’s a small but growing movement in the United States dedicated to making that happen by encouraging companies to try scaling back work hours while maintaining worker pay. That wasn’t specifically a study of a four-day workweek, as many of the workers just clocked less time on the …

Scottish government urged to expand four-day week trials
3 years, 3 months ago

Scottish government urged to expand four-day week trials

The Independent  

For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. But IPPR Scotland said the Scottish government should expand …

Without careful design, a four-day work week could make inequality worse
3 years, 5 months ago

Without careful design, a four-day work week could make inequality worse

The Independent  

The best of Voices delivered to your inbox every week - from controversial columns to expert analysis Sign up for our free weekly Voices newsletter for expert opinion and columns Sign up to our free weekly Voices newsletter SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. With these benefits and challenges in …

Iceland’s shorter work week trials an ‘overwhelming success’
3 years, 5 months ago

Iceland’s shorter work week trials an ‘overwhelming success’

CNN  

CNN Business — Trials of a shorter working week in Iceland have been hailed as an “overwhelming success” by researchers. Public sector employees taking part in two large trials between 2015 and 2019 worked 35-36 hours per week, with no reduction in pay. Will Stronge, director of research at Autonomy, said the public sector trial “was by all measures an …

World’s largest ever four day week trial in Iceland ‘overwhelming success’
3 years, 5 months ago

World’s largest ever four day week trial in Iceland ‘overwhelming success’

The Independent  

Sign up for the View from Westminster email for expert analysis straight to your inbox Get our free View from Westminster email Get our free View from Westminster email SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy The world’s largest ever trial of a four-day working week and …

From reducing carbon footprint, to easing pandemic woes, how four-day working week is gaining ground
3 years, 6 months ago

From reducing carbon footprint, to easing pandemic woes, how four-day working week is gaining ground

Firstpost  

The five-day workweek is a solution to a century-old problem of increasing production on assembly lines and boosting consumer activity, but there hasn’t been much improvement in labour productivity in India since 2016 Over 75 percent young Indian workers do not want to return to full-time office work post-pandemic preferring a remote or hybrid model instead, a report found, shortly …

4 Reasons We Should Have 4-Day Workweeks, According To Research
3 years, 8 months ago

4 Reasons We Should Have 4-Day Workweeks, According To Research

Huff Post  

Chip Somodevilla via Getty Images Sen. Bernie Sanders is pushing for shorter work weeks. “What ultimately was lost was just a bunch of bad meetings that people felt obligated to be in.” As a result, The Wanderlust Group made the switch to four-day workweeks permanent. “On average, job postings offering a four-day workweek receive 15% more applications than other job …

How would a four-day work week impact us?
3 years, 10 months ago

How would a four-day work week impact us?

Live Mint  

This week, the Labour Ministry of the government of India announced that under new labour codes, it would allow companies the flexibility of creating a four-day work week, something that global companies like Microsoft have experimented with in certain markets. France has flirted with the four-day, 32-hour work week, and countries like Finland and New Zealand are currently toying with …

Protecting the 48 hour week is not good enough – Labour should be fighting for a four day week
3 years, 10 months ago

Protecting the 48 hour week is not good enough – Labour should be fighting for a four day week

The Independent  

The best of Voices delivered to your inbox every week - from controversial columns to expert analysis Sign up for our free weekly Voices newsletter for expert opinion and columns Sign up to our free weekly Voices newsletter SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy The Labour …

What’s the best plan for a radical new workday?
3 years, 11 months ago

What’s the best plan for a radical new workday?

BBC  

What’s the best plan for a radical new workday? Alamy In New Zealand, Unilever is testing a four-day workweek through December 2021 Whillans adds that the 3-2-2 model would look different across different organisations – especially within larger companies in which coordinating multiple workers in person at the same time could be more complicated. Speaking on BBC’s Business Daily in …

Four-day week could help solve Covid economic crisis, say European MPs
4 years, 1 month ago

Four-day week could help solve Covid economic crisis, say European MPs

The Independent  

Sign up for the View from Westminster email for expert analysis straight to your inbox Get our free View from Westminster email Get our free View from Westminster email SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. The letter, which was also sent to German chancellor Angela Merkel, Spanish prime minister Pedro …

The daily grind led to a four-day week and a new approach to work-life balance
4 years, 3 months ago

The daily grind led to a four-day week and a new approach to work-life balance

ABC  

It was a magical year in Berlin that made urban planner Bryn Davies realise there was more to life than the daily grind. "Ever since we gave our staff Wednesdays off, we've doubled our revenue, tripled our profits, slashed the amount of sick days taken and really improved every metric we measured," she says. "If you think about it, many …

Four-day working week in public sector could create 500,000 jobs, says thinktank report
4 years, 3 months ago

Four-day working week in public sector could create 500,000 jobs, says thinktank report

The Independent  

Sign up for the View from Westminster email for expert analysis straight to your inbox Get our free View from Westminster email Get our free View from Westminster email SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy The public sector should switch to a four-day week to create …

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