Written by Katy Thornton
Great news for all the 9-5ers…
Whisperings of a four-day work week becoming the norm have been swirling for what feels like years.
In the summer, over 3,300 workers at 70 different companies in the UK took part in a six month trial whereby workers only worked four days, with no loss of pay.
At its core, the four day work week premise is relatively simple. Participating companies will offer their employees 100 per cent of their pay for 80 per cent of their time at work with the proviso that while they’re on the job, they deliver 100 percent productivity.
It’s commonly known as the 100:80:100 model and if this study proves successful, we could very well hear more about it in the coming years.
Now, a similar trial in Ireland has seen huge success, reporting a ‘100 percent’ success rate among workers.
According to The Journal: “The project showed 100% of employees would like to continue a reduced work schedule and significant improvements were recorded across a wide range of well-being metrics, including positive affect, work-family balance and work-life balance.”
It wasn’t just workers who were happy with the outcome of the trial though.
The Journal also reports: “Management were also pleased with the outcome of the trial; in terms of productivity, and overall experience. On a scale of 1-10 the companies’ average rating for the trial was 9.2.”
Given its success “all of the 12 participating companies are planning to continue with the four-day week schedule, although three have not committed to the plan on a long-term basis.”
Let’s hope more companies hop on this trial – who wouldn’t love a three day weekend? Fingers crossed.
Related links:
- Starbucks worker breaks down in tears after they’re scheduled to work 8 hours
- Man fired for not being ‘fun’ at work wins legal battle – nobody has to be fun now
- What days you should work on four-day working week, according to an expert
