The UK is piloting a four-day work week

The idea of a four-day working week is fantasy. A pilot of a four-day working week in the UK will have no loss of pay for participating employees.

The trial is being run by researchers at Cambridge University, Boston College, and Oxford University, and is being funded by 4 Day Week Global, a UK think tank. Companies can apply to take part in the pilot if they wish to.

According to Joe O'Connor, the pilot programme manager for 4 Day Week Global, more and more businesses are moving to productivity focused strategies in order to reduce employees' hours without cutting their pay. The four-day week challenges the current model of work and helps companies move away from simply measuring how long people are at work to a sharper focus on the output being produced. He said that the year 2022, will be the year that heralds in a new future of work.

A lot of people talk about four-day work weeks. The results of the trial of a shorter work week were published in 2021. The results of the world's largest trial of a shorter working week showed that participants were happier, healthier, and more productive. Microsoft Japan found that a four-day week boosted productivity by 40%. The dream of a four-day week is becoming a reality for many companies. The company recently introduced an optional four-day work week for employees.

Canon's UK arm is one of six businesses that have signed up. The president of Canon Medical Research Europe said that working patterns and the focus of the work-life balance have changed during the Pandemic. As a responsive employer, we always look at how we can make our work practices more efficient to ensure that our employees find their time with us meaningful. We want to see if a four-day week can work for us.

In September, it was reported that Scotland would be trialling a four-day work week.

There is a strong level of support for the shorter working week. Eighty percent of people who were asked if they would support a four-day week said yes.

It sounds like the possibility of three-day weekends all year round is pretty appealing. The trial in the UK is going well.