World's Largest Four Day Work Week Trial Huge Success In UK

Other companies encouraged to follow


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The largest four-day working week trial in the world has become a massive success in the UK.

The experiment included 61 companies and ran from June 2022 through until December of 2022.

Following the end of the experiment, a large majority of the companies involved opted to continue to the four-day working week.

The companies who chose to continue the shorter working hours reported feeling less stressed and a healthier work-life balance.

According to evidence released earlier in the week, most of the companies involved recorded the same or higher revenue over the six-month trial period compared to the year before.

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Research associate for the University of Cambridge David Frayne told 9NEWS that the results should encourage other companies to follow suit.

"We feel really encouraged by the results, which showed the many ways companies were turning the four-day week from a dream into a realistic policy, with multiple benefits," he said.

"We think there is a lot here that ought to motivate other companies and industries to give it a try."

The trial was spearheaded by researchers from Boston College, research organisation Autonomy and non-profit organisation 4 Day Week Global.

At least 2,900 people participated in the trial which required employees to work a four day week for the same pay.

From the trial subjects, 71 percent reported feeling less burnt out, 48 percent happier in their jobs and 39 percent less stressed.

The results also proved that 60 percent of workers felt they had a better work-life balance and less fatigue as a whole.

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Georgie Marr

22 February 2023

Article by:

Georgie Marr




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