07/06/2022
Workers across the UK will be able to try out a four-day work week starting June 6. The 6-month pilot program is the largest of its kind ever conducted and includes 3,300 workers from 70 companies, from financial services to restaurants.
During the trial, workers will continue to earn 100% of their salary for working 80% of their traditional work week and must maintain 100% of their productivity, according to a press release from 4 Day Week Global, the nonprofit organizing the research.
Countries and companies have been experimenting with the four-day work week for a few years. Microsoft tried it in its Japan offices in 2019 and reported an increase in sales as a result. An experiment conducted in Iceland between 2015 and 2019 saw no drop in productivity and a dramatic increase in employee well-being. Now, an estimated 86% of Iceland’s workforce has gained the right to work shorter hours.
