92% of the organisations that participated in the 4 Day Week Campaign trial announced by 4 Day Week Global last January have decided to maintain the four-day week, according to a study of the trial by think tank Autonomy, the University of Cambridge, and Boston College.
Across the test group, more than two-thirds (71%) of employees reported lower levels of burnout and there was a 65% reduction in the number of sick days taken. Employees were 57% less likely to quit, and revenues rose by 1.4% across the six-month test.
The pilot program guided over 60 companies and almost 3,000 workers through a six-month trial of a four-day week, with no loss of pay for workers. This brings the global campaign’s total number of completed pilot participants to 91 companies and approximately 3,500 employees.
The results of the trial are to be presented to MPs at the House of Commons today (21 February).
Charlotte Lockhart, co-founder and managing director of 4 Day Week Global, said the trial had been a resounding success.
She commented: “It is encouraging to note that the results largely mirror the outcomes from our earlier trials in Ireland and the US, further strengthening the arguments for a four-day week.”
Lead researcher, professor Juliet Schor of Boston College, added: “Results are largely steady across workplaces of varying sizes, demonstrating this is an innovation which works for many types of organisations.
“There are also some interesting differences. We found that employees in non-profits and professional services had a larger average increase in time spent exercising, while those in construction/manufacturing enjoyed the largest reductions in burnout and sleep problems.”
Citizens Advice Gateshead was among the trial organisations. With more than 200 staff spread over more than 50 projects that deliver services both remotely and in the community, the non-profit had a challenging task in changing its working pattern, according to chief operating officer Paul Oliver.
Implementing the trial in three waves over 12 weeks helped to smooth the transition.
Speaking to Printweek’s sister title, HR magazine, Oliver said: “Each wave benefitted from the learning and experiences of those who had gone earlier.
“The benefits to your people and their work/life balance are there to see, and we are definitely a more finely tuned operation because of the productivity measures we’ve implemented.
“The feedback from our staff on how they are finding it has been overwhelmingly positive, which is supported by the employee survey results.”
The company has now extended the trial for another six months to track its impact more closely.
The only print-related company on the trial was Bookishly, which offers a range of literary inspired products including prints, stationery and clothing subscriptions.
Director Louise Verity told Printweek last year that she had wanted to be part of the pilot “to contribute to the research that could take the four-day week concept into the mainstream”.
She confirmed on Twitter today that Bookishly is one of the companies that will be sticking with the four-day working week permanently.
See the recent Printweek briefing on the four-day working week, for further analysis and comment on the work model.
