An experiment to introduce a four-day work week for more than 3,000 employees began on Monday in 70 British companies.
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“More and more companies are recognizing that the new frontier for competition is the quality of life of employees, and shorter, results-driven work hours give them a competitive edge,” Joe O’Connor, executive director of Universal Four Day Week, said.
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The pilot project will run for six months until November 2022. Employees participating in the experiment will receive full salaries. Workers are expected to be able to maintain their usual levels of productivity within a 32-hour work week. The experiment will be conducted in recruitment companies, digital marketing, charities, as well as local restaurants.
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The progress of the innovation will be observed by scientists from Oxford and Cambridge universities and experts from Boston College in the United States, together with representatives of the non-profit organization “Universal Four-Day Week” and the analytical center “Autonomy”. They will study the impact the new working conditions will have on the productivity of companies and the well-being of employees, as well as on the environment.
