Majority of businesses trialling four-day week say it was a success

With the four-day week trials coming to an end, the results show that almost every firm that took part has decided to continue with the changes.

The report, compiled by UK think tank Autonomy and leading academics at the University of Cambridge and Boston College, found that at least 56 of the 61 businesses say they will continue with the four-day week, with 18 saying that it has become a permanent change.

The six-month trial revealed that revenue remained broadly the same for the businesses (rising by 1.4% on average) and employees’ mental and physical wellbeing benefitted hugely with 39% saying they felt less stressed and 71% feeling less ‘burnt out’ by the end of the trial.

Responding to the four-day week pilot programme, Peter Cheese, chief executive at the CIPD, said, “It’s fantastic to see companies exploring different patterns and ways of working as we navigate a changing world of work.

“This pilot has shown the potential organisations have to rewrite the rules on working norms across different roles and sectors, and create better balance of working lives for their people whilst maintaining business output and outcomes.

“At this stage there is no ‘one size fits all’ and the reality is we’re some way away from 4-day weeks becoming widespread. Our recent CIPD research found just one in three companies expect it to be the reality for most UK workers in the next ten years.

“However, this pilot has shown the willingness to innovate and that the four-day week could be a valuable option to improve work-life balance and retain and attract people. The challenge will be in ensuring fairness, making sure people aren’t overworked on the days they are working, and ensuring productivity can be matched or bettered by working fewer hours.

“This will mean organisations understanding the people management practices and investments in technology that together will enable employees to work smarter rather than harder.

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