A year after concluding the world’s largest experiment on the four-day workweek, the majority of participating companies have expressed satisfaction, with many deciding to make the shift permanent post-trial.
The six-month study, spanning from June to December 2022, involved employees from 61 organizations across the UK working 80% of their usual hours for the same pay, under the condition they would maintain 100% productivity. According to a report published by the think tank Autonomy, in collaboration with 4 Day Week Global and the 4 Day Week UK Campaign, and supported by researchers from the Universities of Cambridge and Oxford, as well as Boston College, at least 89% of the companies involved continued the policy after the trial, with at least 51% making it a permanent change.
The findings highlight overwhelmingly positive outcomes for both employees and companies. By the study’s end, workers reported improvements in physical and mental health, work-life balance, overall life satisfaction, and reduced job fatigue — benefits that persisted a year later. Additionally, 28 organization leaders noted a positive impact on their businesses, including halved employee turnover in some cases, improved recruitment in nearly one-third, and 82% reporting a positive effect on employee well-being.
Nearly half of the participating organizations in 2022 operated within marketing and advertising, professional services, and the non-profit sector, with the remainder spanning various industries, including construction, manufacturing, retail, healthcare, and the arts and entertainment.
This groundbreaking experiment suggests a promising future for the four-day workweek, potentially setting a precedent for wider adoption across different sectors.