UK workers begin world's biggest trial of 4-day week

More than 3,300 workers at 70 UK companies, ranging from a local fish and chips shop to large financial firms, start working a four-day week from Monday with no loss of pay in the worlds biggest trial of the new working patter.

The pilot is running for six months and is being organised by 4 Day Week Global in partnership with the think tank Autonomy, the 4 Day Week Campaign, and researchers at Cambridge University, Oxford University and Boston College, The Guardian reported.

The trial is based on the 100:80:100 model -- 100 per cent of pay for 80 per cent of the time, in exchange for a commitment to maintain 100% productivity.

Platten's Fish and Chips in Wells-next-the-Sea on the north Norfolk coast is participating, along with the Sheffield software firm Rivelin Robotics, the London-based inheritance tax specialists Stellar Asset Management, and Charity Bank in Tonbridge, Kent.

Joe O'Connor, chief executive of the not-for-profit group 4 Day Week Global, said the UK was at the crest of the four-day week wave: "As we emerge from the pandemic, more and more companies are recognising that the new frontier for competition is quality of life, and that reduced-hour, output-focused working is the vehicle to give them a competitive edge."

Researchers will work with each participating organisation to measure the impact on productivity in the business and the wellbeing of its workers, as well as the impact on the environment and gender equality.