UK firms to embrace a 4-day work week to achieve better work-life balance.

The world’s largest four-day workweek experiment has been hailed as a “huge breakthrough” after most of the participating companies announced they will continue using the shortened workweek beyond the pilot.

On Tuesday, campaigners will present the results of the pilot program to Parliament in an effort to persuade them to mandate a 32-hour workweek for every British worker.

61 businesses from a range of industries in the UK agreed to reduce working hours for all employees by 20% starting in June of last year as part of the pilot.

It was crucial for the businesses to ensure that there was no pay cut for their staff.

At least 56 of the 61 participating companies said they intended to keep using the four-day workweek, and 18 companies said the shift was now permanent.

Only three businesses said that they have temporarily suspended the four-day workweek in their workplace.

The study was conducted by academics from the University of Cambridge and Boston College in the United States, and the experiment was organized by the non-profit 4 Day Week Global in collaboration with the think tank Autonomy and the advocacy group 4 Day Week Campaign.

The results showed that among the 2,900 employees who tried a shortened workweek, stress and illness rates significantly decreased.

The number of sick days taken during the study decreased by around two-thirds, and about 39% of employees reported feeling less stressed than they had at the beginning.

Despite the trial taking place during the “great resignation” period, when employees have been leaving their employment at record rates in search of more flexibility, the survey found that people were significantly more likely to remain in their positions.

The number of employees leaving the participating organizations decreased by 57% when compared to the same period last year.

Also, there was a significant decline in anxiety, insomnia, and burnout, and more staff members indicated that juggling care tasks was now simpler.

Even better, when compared to the same six-month period in 2021, firm revenue climbed by a significantly greater 35%, or a modest 1.4% on average for the trial period.

Yet, a number of employees at one large organization expressed concerns about rising workloads, an intensification of their work, or a struggle to complete lengthy to-do lists in the time allotted.

The findings also showed that several managers and employees believed the emphasis on efficiency had reduced workplace camaraderie, which was especially concerning for the participating creative enterprises.

The trial represents a “huge breakthrough moment,” according to Joe Ryle, director of the 4 Day Week Campaign, for the cause of a four-day workweek.

These astounding outcomes “prove that the four-day week with no pay loss truly works across a wide variety of different sectors of the economy,” Mr. Ryle said. Surely this is the right moment to start implementing it nationwide.

Participating organizations came from many industries. Eight businesses were in the marketing and advertising industry, followed by seven in professional services, including an insurer in London and an asset management firm in Liverpool.

Five non-profit and charitable organizations participated, including Citizens Advice in Gateshead, Tyne, and Wear.

Also, businesses from the education, banking, healthcare, and online retail industries were participating, as well as a Norfolk fish and chip store.

The majority of businesses decided to give Fridays off to all of their employees; however, some permitted Monday or Friday off, and some elected to forgo a shared holiday.

“We were particularly pleased by the results,” said Dr. David Frayne, a research associate at the University of Cambridge. “They revealed the numerous ways enterprises were turning the four-day workweek from a dream into a realistic policy, with many benefits.”

The four-day workweek is “ready to take the next step from experimentation to implementation,” according to the researchers, who maintained that the data reveal.

The report found that “the advantages of a shorter working week with no pay reduction are now both well-known and well-evidenced: employees are happier and healthier, and the organizations they work for are frequently more productive, more efficient, and more willing to keep their staff.”

On Tuesday, the campaigners and academics will present the findings to a gathering in the House of Commons.

The meeting is being presided over by Peter Dowd, a Labor MP who introduced the 32-Hour Working Week Bill in October, which would cut the maximum workweek for all British employees from 48 to 32 hours.