Two hundred UK companies sign up for permanent four-day working week
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Reports show a total of 200 companies have embraced shorter workweeks, citing benefits like improved employee retention and productivity with the same output in fewer hours.
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A jogger runs across Westminster Bridge with the Houses of Parliament in the background in London, on June 24, 2016. (AP)
In a significant milestone in the effort to redefine Britain's working week, 200 UK companies have committed to implementing a permanent four-day workweek for all employees, without any reduction in pay.
Collectively, these companies employ over 5,000 workers, with charities, marketing agencies, and technology firms among the most well-represented sectors, according to the latest update from the 4 Day Week Foundation.
Advocates of the four-day workweek argue that the traditional five-day schedule is an outdated relic of a bygone economic era. Joe Ryle, the campaign director for the 4 Day Week Foundation, stated, "The 9-5, five-day working week was invented 100 years ago and is no longer fit for purpose. We are long overdue an update."
With "50% more free time, a four-day week gives people the freedom to live happier, more fulfilling lives", he continued. "As hundreds of British companies and one local council have already shown, a four-day week with no loss of pay can be a win-win for both workers and employers."
Marketing, advertising, and public relations firms led the shift, with 30 companies adopting the four-day workweek, followed by 29 in charity, NGO, and social care, 24 in technology, IT, and software, and 22 in business, consulting, and management.
In total, 200 companies have committed to shorter workweeks, a move supporters argue enhances employee attraction and retention while boosting productivity by maintaining the same output in fewer hours. London-based firms have shown the greatest enthusiasm for the shift, accounting for 59 of the total.
According to the report, however, the shift highlights a widening divide in the cultural debate over working patterns, which were significantly disrupted during the COVID-19 pandemic. For many employees, the focus remains on securing the right to continue working from home, let alone reducing the number of working days.
US-based companies, including JPMorgan Chase and Amazon, have enforced some of the strictest return-to-office mandates, requiring employees to be physically present five days a week. Meanwhile, Lloyds Banking Group is reportedly evaluating whether senior staff are meeting their in-office attendance targets as a factor in determining annual bonuses.
On that note, some employees who continue to benefit from the flexibility of remote work have pushed back against return-to-office mandates. Notably, a group of staff at Starling Bank resigned after the CEO required thousands of employees to increase their in-office attendance.
