A few thousand Brits will only have to work four days from this week – on full pay. Researchers should investigate how they feel about it and whether they can do the same work as before.
Endless hours sitting unproductively in the office – that’s not really modern anymore. Great Britain is therefore starting a large field test on reduced working hours this week. 3,300 Britons from 70 different companies only have to go to work four days a week since Monday – and are still being paid in full.
In return, the employees undertake to maintain their productivity at 100 percent. Ideally, they can do the same job in less time and are still happier because they have more free time. The experiment runs for six months and is scientifically supported. According to the British “Guardian”, it is the largest project of its kind in the world to date.
The participating employers range from fish and chip shops to large financial institutions. Companies from the education sector, the construction industry, the cosmetics and food industry or digital marketing are also there.
Companies should also use the 4-day week
By offering a four-day week, companies can present themselves as attractive employers in the battle for employees, argues the organization “4 Day Week Global”, which organizes the experiment. “Post-pandemic, more and more companies are realizing that the new competitive frontier is quality of life, and that reduced hours and a focus on performance are the tools that give them a competitive edge,” said Joe O’Connor, chief of 4 Day Week Global “.
The non-governmental organization wants to motivate companies to measure the actual work results and not the hours worked. Shorter working hours can even increase productivity, according to earlier studies. And even the environment could benefit if commuters only travel four days a week instead of five.
The experiment is scientifically supported by the universities of Cambridge and Oxford and Boston College. The researchers examine both the well-being and the productivity of the participants. “We will analyze how workers respond to an extra day off in terms of stress and burnout, work and life satisfaction, health, sleep, energy expenditure, travel and many other aspects of life,” said Juliet Schor, professor of sociology at Boston College the “Guardian”.
Further pilot projects for the four-day week of “4 Day Week Global” are also to start in the USA and Canada as well as Australia and New Zealand in the course of the year.
Sources: Guardian / 4 Day Week Global
