Four-day week ‘will be normal in 10 years' despite ‘vicious' backlash after UK's biggest pilot, professor says

The Sun

01-08-2025

A FOUR-DAY week is set to "be the norm" within a decade despite "vicious" backlash from opponents, according to one expert.
Professor Brendan Burchell, an expert on labour markets and a fellow of Magdalene College, Cambridge, stated the shift towards the condensed working schedule is already in motion.
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'In ten years' time, a four-day week will be the norm,' he told The Times.
'If any organisation advertises a five-day role, no one will apply — why would you?'
The UK's most extensive public-sector pilot, by South Cambridgeshire district council, has reported improvements in recruitment, cost savings of nearly half a million pounds a year and without a drop in worker performance.
Burchell added that the five-day week is so baked into the culture of work in the UK, which is why it is yet to be implemented.
'The idea that you can reduce hours by 20 per cent and maintain output sounds too good to be true,' he said.
'But case after case, that's exactly what we're seeing.'
'The work ethic is incredibly deeply embedded.
'People see being busy as virtuous.'
However, Burchell conceded not all professions would be able to benefit from the four-day working week - especially frontline workers.
'You need to think about how the whole system changes,' he says.
I earn £10k a month doing a job no one wants - I only have to work half the year & get to travel the world
'And remember, a lot of the people who are economically inactive are qualified professionals who left because the job became intolerable.'
'Our great-grandparents did in a week what we now do in a day. So why are we still working the same hours?'
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It comes as after the full list of firms offering a four-day week was revealed, as experts hail "there is no turning back."
Since April 2024, workers have a right to ask for flexible work but firms do not have to agree.
As of July 2025, over 230 companies across the UK offer employees the chance to work a shorter week, according to research by the 4 Day Week Foundation.
This is an increase of 35 more firms, compared to previous research carried out at the end of last year.
The organisation recently concluded its latest pilot with a 100% success rate.
The six-month trial began last November and 17 companies took part in the study.
Alan Brunt, chief executive of Bron Afon Community Housing with 420 staff, who are extending their pilot further, said: 'Almost as soon as we started talking about it, our teams got together to set about making it work which was brilliant.
'We've closely monitored our performance and customer satisfaction. We're happy with the results so far and will continue to make sure we're delivering for our customers.
'I expect that most organisations will be doing this in the next 10 years or so.'