More quality of life
92% of UK airlines will retain the short break model
Giovanna Sutto 02/27/2023 09:33 Updated 48 minutes ago
The 4day working week has been tested and approved in the UK: 92% of the companies that took part in the pilot, which ran between June and December 2022, will keep the shorter working week format.
The project “The 4Day Week Global” (four days a week, in free translation) is testing the daily modality, involving 2,900 employees from 61 companies operating in the country. In it, the professional receives 100% of the salary if they work 80% of the time in exchange for the obligation to maintain 100% productivity (a model that became known as the 10080100).
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Companies of different sizes and industries, including education, banking, technology, human resources and retail, took part in the tests voluntarily. The final report of the test was published on the 21st and shows that the model has gained wide acceptance and will definitely be adopted by most companies.
Of the 5 companies that did not want to keep the working model, 2 decided to extend the test phase and 3 temporarily paused the project.
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The average revenue of the participating companies increased by up to 35% compared to the same six months of previous years. Additionally, the number of professionals leaving companies fell by 57% during the test a sign that the shorter work model can retain talent.
90% of employees say they “definitely want to keep working” in this fourdayaweek format. A proportion of 15% goes even further: They say that no amount of money would be enough for them to take another job within five working days.
When it comes to wellbeing at work, 71% of employees say they have experienced less burnout (chronic stress related to an improperly managed workplace), 43% notice an improvement in mental health, 39% feel less stressed and 37% % report some improvement in physical health.
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The idea of reducing working hours is to focus on productivity and have more time for wellbeing. Another demonstrable effect occurred on the worklife journey: 60% of employees reported that they were able to better balance their work and responsibilities at home, including caring for the children.
The report presented this month does not mention the negative sides of the initiative. The study’s preliminary document, released in September 2022, indicated that some companies, particularly those with more conservative cultures, are less flexible and have older executives, the modality requiring much more effort to adapt.
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difference between men and women
Juliet Schor, senior researcher and professor at Boston College, says the tests are very positive because “they show stable results across workplaces of different sizes, showing that this is an innovation that works for many types of organizations.”
Dale Whelehan, CEO of 4Day Week Global, says the sample revealed gender differences. While both men and women benefit from the fourday workweek, women’s experiences are generally better: they show greater improvements in burnout levels, life and job satisfaction, improved mental health, and shorter commute time.
“The burden of nonworkrelated tasks appears to be leveling out as more men take on a greater share of housework and childcare during the fourday workweek,” he said.
4 days work around the world
The 4DayWeek Global project has been tested in several countries: there are 91 companies and around 3,500 employees in 6 countries (Australia, Canada, USA, Ireland and New Zealand, in addition to the UK).
A new report with findings from Australia and New Zealand will be published shortly. Companies from Brazil and South Africa are also subject to tests. O infomoney contacted the consultant of the project for more details about the operation of the project on the national territory, but did not receive a reply as of this publication.
The 4Day Week Global has the support of global consultancy Autonomy, in addition to help from researchers from the University of Cambridge, the University of Oxford and Boston College.