Seventy British companies are rolling out a Monday-to-Thursday pilot, keeping full pay as they test a four-day workweek. The initiative, described by organizers as the world’s largest such effort, aims to reshape workplace norms that emerged after the pandemic and see whether productivity can stay strong even with fewer days on the job.
Participants span a variety of sectors, including banking and hospitality, with a combined workforce exceeding 30,000 people. The six‑month trial will evaluate whether a compressed workweek can be adopted across industries without sacrificing performance, according to local media coverage.
During the test, workers will continue to receive 100 percent of their salaries. The goal is to carefully measure changes in productivity and employee well‑being as the schedule evolves, with researchers from several universities actively tracking outcomes and data.
The effort is led by the 4 Day Week Global consortium, which champions reducing the number of days worked while maintaining pay. It partners with the Autonomy think tank, universities in Cambridge and Oxford, and Boston College, among others, to study the effects on workers and organizations alike.
Researchers are focusing on a range of factors that could be influenced by a shorter workweek. These include levels of stress, job satisfaction, physical and mental health, sleep quality, commuting patterns, and overall energy for daily tasks.
Positive impact on productivity
The program offers participating companies access to practical support, including success-model workshops, advisory services, training sessions, and ongoing, periodic reviews of progress and results. This structure is meant to help organizations adapt and learn from early experiences as the pilot unfolds.
Ed Siegel, chief executive of Charity Bank, which benefited from the experimental approach, commented that the pandemic shifted workplace dynamics toward greater flexibility. He noted that the traditional five‑day week may no longer fit modern work life. He expressed confidence that maintaining full pay while moving to a four‑day week would boost morale and could lift productivity across teams.
As the discussion continues, some prominent voices in the business world have started to reconsider long‑standing office norms. For instance, Elon Musk, the CEO of Tesla, has publicly urged employees to return to in‑person work and to dedicate substantial time to the office, reflecting a contrasting perspective within the broader debate about work arrangements.