You are probably reading this at the beginning of its weekend. But now imagine that weekend I had started a day before … and did it each week. It sounds good, right?
That could be the new reality that many companies and employees face in the future, after the four -day business week took another step towards the implementation in the United Kingdom.
This year, 17 companies of different types have been testing the move, organized by the 4 -day Foundation. Almost 1,000 different employees were involved, all retaining their normal salary, and after the culmination of that study, the 17 companies have chosen to move forward, after a previous trial that saw 5,000 people adopt the scheme permanently.
Not everyone is doing weeks in a row of four days. Some tried fifteen days of nine days. And there are clearly some industries that would face challenges to alter schedules and regulations.
But the initial results for those who participate seemed positive, with almost two thirds (62 percent) of the employees saying that they noticed a “reduction in the frequency with which they experienced exhaustion.”
The companies that participated in the trial have cited customer satisfaction and employee performance as reasons to continue, and one expects a massive adoption in the next decade.
Vicky Walker, people director of Westfield Health, said Independent It has been shown that less work means more exit.
“Studies have shown that a shorter work week can lead to greater efficiency and an approach among employees. People may be more motivated to complete their tasks and increase productivity. Now there is a growing recognition of flexibility and balance between working life and life, and this test is a step in the right direction,” said Mrs. Walker.
“These flexible benefits can also help attract new talents and improve employee retention rates, which for some companies is a key commercial objective.”
However, there is much more to consider for employers and the broader economy before seeing it adopted on a larger scale.
“Ultimately, Whatrs for the Economy Is Hours Worked multiply by productivity per hour. If People Are Simply Working their Weekly Hours in Four Days Rather Than Five, The There Should Be Little Economic Impact. If they Output – The We Coul see an uptick in productivity, but that wouledn't need Independent.
This is essentially the French system of the system, Pagh explained, but the success in it will naturally lead companies to ask a relevant question:
“If it can be as productive in four days as in five, why not be so productive during the full five days?”
There are also questions about the potential of staggered days: “Do people want free Wednesdays, for example?” – And, of course, if the opening schedule of a company would still coincide with those of its customers. It is not a “solution to the economic problems of the United Kingdom,” Pugh added.
Andrew Timpson, a RSM fiscal partner, said there would be implications if reduced hours meant a small salary, and not only for treasure.
“If the base payment is reduced, there could be an impact on salary sacrifice and pensions,” he said, “in addition to employees winning less, then the tax takes will be reduced. Some employees can also be slipping under thresholds that will change personal assignment or other aspects, such as child benefit.”
The discussion outside the finance has also taken the center of the stage.
A study by BHN Extras recently concluded that more than a third of the United Kingdom workers (34 percent) said they would accept a salary cut for a shorter trip, and only 23 percent enjoyed their trip.
The survey suggested that both the cost and the feeling were stronger in London, but would be a day out of the trip to work would be a great attraction for all?
It will not be one for everyone, or for all businesses. Implementation costs and reprogramming on their own can make it prohibitive, while there is no doubt that some management may not appreciate the thinking of it, much less reality.
But as well as working from home, the decidence and zero hours of the hours before it, the four -day week seems to play some role in the future of the United Kingdom business, and like all those others, divide many opinions along the way.
