Four day week. Is it possible?
Debate around a four-day week in the UK has been gathering momentum over the last two years. A century of working time reductions in Britain has stalled since the 1980s but public appetite for a shorter working week has not gone away. With the UK facing a decade-long productivity crisis, concerns about presenteeism and a fear that a lot of time spent at work is unproductive, questions are now being seriously asked about whether it is time to push for more working time reductions.
Case studies of a number of firms, particularly the widely-cited Perpetual Guardian case in New Zealand, have raised awareness of the issue and demonstrated that a four-day week is possible and can come with real benefits, including the much sought-after productivity boost. However, significant barriers remain for many firms around the complexity of implementing such a policy; particularly for those in customer-facing or public service roles where a four-day week would require the hiring of many more workers if continuity of service was to be maintained. Overcoming such challenges will be key if the dream of a four-day week is to become a reality for many in the coming years.