Personnel Today
  • Home
    • All PT content
  • Email sign-up
  • Topics
    • HR Practice
    • Employee relations
    • Learning & training
    • Pay & benefits
    • Wellbeing
    • Recruitment & retention
    • HR strategy
    • HR Tech
    • The HR profession
    • Global
    • All HR topics
  • Legal
    • Case law
    • Commentary
    • Flexible working
    • Legal timetable
    • Maternity & paternity
    • Shared parental leave
    • Redundancy
    • TUPE
    • Disciplinary and grievances
    • Employer’s guides
  • AWARDS
    • Personnel Today Awards
    • The RAD Awards
  • Jobs
    • Find a job
    • Jobs by email
    • Careers advice
    • Post a job
  • Brightmine
    • Learn more
    • Products
    • Free trial
    • Request a quote
  • Webinars
  • Advertise
  • OHW+

Personnel Today

Register
Log in
Personnel Today
  • Home
    • All PT content
  • Email sign-up
  • Topics
    • HR Practice
    • Employee relations
    • Learning & training
    • Pay & benefits
    • Wellbeing
    • Recruitment & retention
    • HR strategy
    • HR Tech
    • The HR profession
    • Global
    • All HR topics
  • Legal
    • Case law
    • Commentary
    • Flexible working
    • Legal timetable
    • Maternity & paternity
    • Shared parental leave
    • Redundancy
    • TUPE
    • Disciplinary and grievances
    • Employer’s guides
  • AWARDS
    • Personnel Today Awards
    • The RAD Awards
  • Jobs
    • Find a job
    • Jobs by email
    • Careers advice
    • Post a job
  • Brightmine
    • Learn more
    • Products
    • Free trial
    • Request a quote
  • Webinars
  • Advertise
  • OHW+

Latest NewsFlexible workingFour-day week

Second major four-day week trial gets underway

by Jo Faragher 4 Nov 2024
by Jo Faragher 4 Nov 2024

The first official pilot of a four-day week under the Labour government begins today (4 November), with a view to presenting the findings next summer.

Applications for the latest pilot, run by the 4 Day Week Campaign and flexible working consultancy Timewise, opened in the summer. Participants have been attending training and workshops on managing the shorter working week since September.

Under the pilot, 17 businesses employing around 1,000 workers will run either a four-day week or a nine-day fortnight (where workers get an extra day off every two weeks), with no loss of pay.

The organisation ran its first pilot in 2022, where more than 60 companies trialled the new working arrangements. Fifty-four of the participants were still running four-day weeks 18 months later.

Four-day week trials

Half of employees would move jobs for four-day week 

Campaigners back ‘4ugust’ four-day week trial

The 4 Day Week campaign claims that almost 200 British businesses have switched to a four-day week permanently.

Employers that have successfully made the switch claim to have improved work-life balance for their workers, experienced higher productivity and been better able to attract new recruits thanks to the flexible arrangements.

Joe Ryle, the director of the 4 Day Week Campaign, said: “We don’t have to just imagine a four-day week any more, because it’s already a reality for hundreds of businesses and tens of thousands of workers in the UK.

“We look forward to presenting the results of this latest trial to the new Labour government next summer.”

In May, a survey by recruitment agency Hays found that more than half of employees would be tempted to take a job at a different employer if they were offered a four-day week.

However, some employers have faced a backlash for offering the engagement.

A trial at South Cambridgeshire District Council attracted anger from the then local government minister Lee Rowley, who asked the local authority asking it to “stop your experiment immediately” .

The council trial found improvements in performance in 11 out of 24 areas, little or no change in 11 areas, and worsening in just two areas, according to analysis by the universities of Cambridge and Salford.

The 4 Day Week Campaign’s trial is being tracked by academics at the University of Cambridge, Boston College and the Autonomy Institute.

Participants in this trial include the British Society for Immunology and Crate Brewery in Hackney, east London.

Georgia Pearson, manager at Crate Brewery, said: “As a hospitality business, this trial feels somewhat groundbreaking for our industry. For operational teams, physically demanding service shifts can mean that off days are spent recuperating, rather than enjoying personal time off.

“Although we’ve never struggled with retention, we recognise the competitive advantage that comes with being ahead of the curve with a four-day week, and we hope it will aid recruitment particularly in support office roles. This is an opportunity to reimagine our ways of working, operate in a more focussed, efficient and structured way, while offering participating team members all of the benefits that are known to come from reducing working hours.”

Sign up to our weekly round-up of HR news and guidance

Receive the Personnel Today Direct e-newsletter every Wednesday

OptOut
This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged.

 

Employee relations opportunities on Personnel Today


Browse more Employee Relations jobs

Jo Faragher

Jo Faragher has been an employment and business journalist for 20 years. She regularly contributes to Personnel Today and writes features for a number of national business and membership magazines. Jo is also the author of 'Good Work, Great Technology', published in 2022 by Clink Street Publishing, charting the relationship between effective workplace technology and productive and happy employees. She won the Willis Towers Watson HR journalist of the year award in 2015 and has been highly commended twice.

previous post
How maternity leave affects the gender pay gap
next post
Breaking down barriers around musculoskeletal disorders and pain management

You may also like

What will reward look like in 2035?

28 Apr 2025

London Tube drivers vote for TfL’s four-day week...

11 Apr 2025

MPs table amendment for new four-day week body

12 Feb 2025

200 employers commit to permanent four-day week

27 Jan 2025

Second jobs at four-day council ‘nuttier than a...

9 Jan 2025

UK labour market outlook uncertain post budget

11 Dec 2024

Return to office ‘more about appearance than purpose’

21 Nov 2024

Government could save £21m by allowing four-day week

14 Nov 2024

Government allows South Cambs four-day week to continue

11 Nov 2024

Government rejects four-day week accusations

30 Aug 2024

  • 2025 Employee Communications Report PROMOTED | HR and leadership...Read more
  • The Majority of Employees Have Their Eyes on Their Next Move PROMOTED | A staggering 65%...Read more
  • Prioritising performance management: Strategies for success (webinar) WEBINAR | In today’s fast-paced...Read more
  • Self-Leadership: The Key to Successful Organisations PROMOTED | Eletive is helping businesses...Read more
  • Retaining Female Talent: Four Ways to Reduce Workplace Drop Out PROMOTED | International Women’s Day...Read more

Personnel Today Jobs
 

Search Jobs

PERSONNEL TODAY

About us
Contact us
Browse all HR topics
Email newsletters
Content feeds
Cookies policy
Privacy policy
Terms and conditions

JOBS

Personnel Today Jobs
Post a job
Why advertise with us?

EVENTS & PRODUCTS

The Personnel Today Awards
The RAD Awards
Employee Benefits
Forum for Expatriate Management
OHW+
Whatmedia

ADVERTISING & PR

Advertising opportunities
Features list 2025

  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • Instagram
  • Linkedin


© 2011 - 2025 DVV Media International Ltd

Personnel Today
  • Home
    • All PT content
  • Email sign-up
  • Topics
    • HR Practice
    • Employee relations
    • Learning & training
    • Pay & benefits
    • Wellbeing
    • Recruitment & retention
    • HR strategy
    • HR Tech
    • The HR profession
    • Global
    • All HR topics
  • Legal
    • Case law
    • Commentary
    • Flexible working
    • Legal timetable
    • Maternity & paternity
    • Shared parental leave
    • Redundancy
    • TUPE
    • Disciplinary and grievances
    • Employer’s guides
  • AWARDS
    • Personnel Today Awards
    • The RAD Awards
  • Jobs
    • Find a job
    • Jobs by email
    • Careers advice
    • Post a job
  • Brightmine
    • Learn more
    • Products
    • Free trial
    • Request a quote
  • Webinars
  • Advertise
  • OHW+