Was the 4 day week trial successful? Results from the UK and the US

In 2022, 4 Day Week Global launched an international six-month long pilot of the four day working week. Companies around the world, including in the UK, the US, New Zealand, Ireland, Canada, Australia, and Spain, participated in the pilot to discover whether this work pattern was suitable for both their workforces and their organisations as a whole.

Nearly a year later, the results are in. We now know how these companies fared with this new working pattern and whether they will continue to offer a four day week to their employees.

What is a 4 day week?

The four day week trial used a 100:80:100 approach. That means 100% pay, 80% working days, and 100% productivity. Employees received their full pay (100%), despite working four instead of five days each week (80%). Additionally, they were expected to maintain the same level of productivity as they had previously achieved in a five day week (100%). This 100:80:100 approach is the general understanding of a four day week.

Types of four day week that participating companies trialled include:

• fifth day stoppage: the workplace closes for the fifth day
• staggered: employees take different days off to ensure staff coverage for the full five days
• decentralised: different departments/sections use different work patterns
• annualised: employees work an average 32 hour week calculated across the year
• conditional: entitlement to a four day week is dependent on performance

What were the results of the 4 day week trial?

Now that the results are in, companies and employees alike can build a picture of how the four day week played out in real life. Here are the results for the UK, Irish, and US trials.

  In the UK

70 companies initially signed up for the UK four day week trial. However, nine of these dropped out, meaning that 61 UK companies with over 2,900 employees in total participated in the pilot. Data was taken from both companies and employees. The companies were drawn from a wide range of industries, including marketing/advertising (18%), professional services (16%), charity/non-profit (11%), admin/IT/Telecoms (9%), education (9%), finance/insurance (9%), healthcare/social assistance (9%), arts and entertainment (7%), manufacturing (7%), construction/housing (4%), and engineering (2%). 66% of the participating businesses had 25 or fewer employees, 22% had between 26 and 100 employees, and only 12% had a workforce of over 100.

Overall, the results of the UK trial were a success for both the businesses involved and their employees. 92% of the companies said they would continue the four day week, while 30% intended to make the four day week policy a permanent fixture. Only 5% said they would pause the four day week.

Company data was collected for revenue, staff turnover, and staff absences and compared with the same factors before the pilot began. Overall, revenue remained the same or rose by an average of 1.4%. Staff turnover data showed a decline in the likelihood that employees would resign and also a decline in the hiring of new staff. Employee absences, due to sickness or other factors, dropped by 65%.

The data collected from employees showed that:

• 39% experienced a decrease in stress, 48% reported no change in stress levels, and only 13% felt more stressed working a four day week
• 71% reported lower levels of burn-out
• 48% of employees experienced a higher level of job satisfaction
• 43% reported an increase in mental health and 37% experienced improvements in their physical health
• 46% of employees reported a reduction in fatigue and 40% saw a reduction in insomnia and other sleep difficulties
• employees reported an improved work life balance with 60% finding it easier to combine work with care responsibilities and 54% reporting that working a four day week left them with more energy to spend on household tasks
• 55% felt they were able to carry out their jobs better
• 90% would like to continue working a four day week

  In the US and Ireland

The four day week trial in the US and Ireland was handled jointly by the University

College Dublin in Ireland and Boston College in the US.

33 companies across the US and Ireland participated in the four day week trial. Of those 33, 27 provided final data. 903 employees took part but only 495 provided full sets of data. With regard to industry, the largest percentage of companies was in the admin/IT/Telecoms sector, followed by professional services, and then non-profit. 52% of the companies employed ten or fewer staff.

As with the UK trial, the results in the US and Ireland were positive, with an overall rating of the pilot of 9 out of 10. Of the 27 companies who provided final data, 18 will continue with the four day week while 7 may continue but haven’t made a final decision.

Company data revealed:

• an overall 8.14% increase in revenue during the trial period and a 37.55% increase in revenue for the same six month period in the previous year
• no change in the likelihood that an employee would resign but an increase in the number of staff hires
• a reduction in staff absences

The reaction of employees to the trial was generally positive with 46% stating that they would only accept a new job working a five day week if they were offered a 26-50% pay rise.

The majority of employees felt less stressed with 67% reporting a reduction in burn-out. Employees also experienced an improvement in mental and physical health. There were improvements in work life balance and most employees found it easier to combine work with handling care responsibilities, household tasks, and leisure activities. Insomnia and other sleep problems dropped by 8%, as did fatigue levels.

Employees also felt that their ability to carry out their job improved during the trial, and they felt more in control of their time.

Wrapping it up

With an overall global approval rating of 8.5 out of 10 from companies who participated in the trial and provided data, it appears that the four day week pilot was a success. With positive outcomes for both employees and businesses, the evidence points to the effectiveness of this working pattern and its potential for the future.