In what’s being called the world’s biggest 4-day work week pilot, thousands of U.K. residents on Monday kicked off their first shortened week.
The test program involves 3,300 workers. It will continue for six months, according to 4-Day Week Global, the non-profit group behind the experiment.
The workers participating in the trial have promised to maintain 100 percent of their productivity while working just 80 percent of their usual hours, the group reports. In exchange, they’ll receive 100 percent of their normal salaries, according to 4-Day Week Global. CNN says these workers span over 70 different companies.
“The pandemic has made us think a great deal about work and how people organize their lives,” says Sienna O’Rourke of Pressure Drop Brewing, one of the companies participating in the pilot. “We’re doing this to improve the lives of our staff and be part of a progressive change in the world.”
A similar previous experiment occurred in Iceland in 2015 and then again in 2019. Over 2,500 workers were a part of the two trials. CNN says the trials found no evidence of a drop in productivity and a drastic increase in workers’ wellbeing.
While a 4-day work week would be nice, is it realistic? Do you really think you could cram five days worth of work into four days?
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