Latest news with #fourDayWorkWeek
The Independent
05-07-2025
- Business
- The Independent
Four day working week IS more productive, study finds
A trial of the four-day working week in the UK saw all 17 participating businesses opt to continue the scheme permanently. Nearly 1,000 employees were involved in the trial, retaining their full salaries, with 62 per cent reporting a reduction in burnout. Companies cited improved customer satisfaction and employee performance as key reasons for continuing the reduced work week. Experts suggest that while a shorter week can boost efficiency and attract talent, its wider economic impact depends on maintaining productivity per hour. Challenges remain regarding potential pay implications, logistical issues like staggered days off, and aligning with client operating hours.
CNN
03-07-2025
- Business
- CNN
It's not just workers that can benefit from a four-day week, a trial suggests
Switching to a four-day work week can be good for the bottom line, according to the results of a new trial in the United Kingdom. For six months between last November and April, nearly 1,000 employees across 17 companies and other organizations were given an additional day off each week while retaining the same pay and workload. All the 17 entities have kept the shorter work week after the trial period, the 4 Day Week Foundation, a UK campaign group that organized the trial, said Thursday. It wasn't only workers who reaped the benefits of a shorter week. Some organizations recorded an increase in revenue and fewer sick days compared with the same year-ago period. BrandPipe, a software company based in London, saw its revenue jump almost 130%, according to a report compiled by the 4 Day Week Foundation and Boston College in the United States. 'The trial's been an overwhelming success for BrandPipe,' Geoff Slaughter, the company's co-founder and CEO, told the report's authors, adding that a four-day week is 'a great thing for businesses to try.' BrandPipe is one of four organizations that provided data about their revenue. Of those, three saw a rise in revenue and one a fall during the trial. The decrease, however, was reported against a different comparison period – specifically, the six months immediately preceding the trial. Four organizations also registered fewer sick and personal days taken by employees during the trial. The remaining two for which the information was available recorded a higher number of such days. The data on revenue and absences is limited, as the report's authors acknowledged, writing: 'Given this, the findings are purely descriptive and only provide a limited insight to the impact of the trial for individual organizations.' In addition to companies, the 17 organizations included eight charities, non-profits, non-governmental and voluntary entities. Most opted for a four-day week, while five chose a nine-day fortnight. The outcome of the trial comes hot on the heels of success elsewhere. During similar experiments in the United States, UK and Germany, workers reported being happier and healthier. One year after a large UK trial in 2022, involving 61 organizations, a large majority were still allowing their employees to work a shorter week. Likewise, trials in the US and Canada in 2022 and 2023 resulted in almost all companies continuing with the policy. But these studies are not without their critics. Michael Sanders, a professor of public policy at King's College London, pointed out that such trials are based on self-selection, meaning that the companies agreeing to take part might be those where a four-day week would 'be taken up enthusiastically.' Trying a shorter week may work well for these 'motivated' employers and employees but it 'doesn't tell us much about what would happen if someone else tried it,' Sanders told CNN. Joe Ryle, campaign director of the 4 Day Week Foundation, responded that, in the last few years, such trials around the world had involved hundreds of companies from a wide range of sectors, which had signed up 'with varying degrees of enthusiasm and commitment.' But in future trials the foundation would like to 'add an element of randomized control where possible,' he added. However future experiments may be done, one participant in the latest installment is optimistic about a shorter work week. 'I expect that most organizations will be doing this in the next 10 years or so,' Alan Brunt, CEO of Bron Afon Community Housing in Wales, told the 4 Day Week Foundation.
Yahoo
28-06-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Aussie four-day work week could be 'accelerated' amid growing trend: '200 hours a year'
Australians in many industries could soon be working one day less each week thanks to artificial intelligence (AI). Large language models (LLMs) and other AI platforms are used every day by millions of workers across the country, and they can lead to a huge boost in productivity. However, questions are being raised about whether it could 'accelerate' the four-day work week trend that's been gathering pace over the last few years. Matt Tindale, managing director at LinkedIn Australia and New Zealand, told Yahoo Finance AI was changing so many ways that we work. 'It's reshaping how we think about work itself," he said. Major city announces four-day work week shift Centrelink $836 cash boost for 'very real' truth facing thousands of Aussies ATO issues July 1 warning to Aussies waiting on $1,500 tax refunds "We're likely to see continued growth in entrepreneurship, emerging small businesses and flexible careers that reflect a more fluid, empowered workforce. 'The widespread accessibility of knowledge through AI is transforming how talent drives economic growth." LinkedIn found four in five Aussies supported a four-day work week, and Tindale said AI was helping workers and employers look at their output as 'outcomes delivered' rather than a certain number of hours Reuters' Future of Professionals Report found AI tools could save some professionals up to 200 hours a year. Fundraising platform Raisely jumped on the trend in 2022, and chief customer officer Jordan Maitland told Yahoo Finance it's been made much easier by adopting the latest technology. 'Life is busy, and with AI we're able to get so much more done, which is almost at the expense of your people and you're almost getting too much done in five days that people are easily burning out,' she said. 'With all the technology and better ways of working, reward your people for that and let them have that day off and come back more energised. 'Otherwise, if we're working at this pace, five days a week, you're going to have continuous burnout and continuous turnover.' Swinburne University of Technology Associate Professor John Hopkins has been closely studying this new work trend and told Yahoo Finance there was no one-size-fits-all approach when it comes to the four-day work week. He explained every business would have to sort out which departments and staff would benefit from it the most and which would be most adaptable to working one day less per week. Hopkins admitted new tech like LLMs could help usher in that change. "AI does save time, so it has the potential to take hours out of a working week and support a shorter working week for employees," he said. "It'll address particularly repetitive tasks and things that would normally take a lot longer, and complete those pretty well and fairly accurately." But he wasn't fully convinced of a purely AI-led charge helping companies realise their four-day work week potential. "It's a huge question," he mused. "We don't fully understand the potential of AI yet. I don't think anybody does. It's still relatively early days. I think some companies are doing some quite exciting work with it, but I think the big impact is still to come." His hesitation lies in how other technological advancements like the internet and computers affected workers' output. These helped produce far more productivity for millions of people across Australia, however, they didn't lead to a shorter working week. 'We're, in fact, working longer hours now than we did 100 years ago when the five-day week was introduced because the technologies that we have in our pockets means that we finish at five o'clock and you're already working before 9am and we're working at weekends and evenings or holidays,' he said. Hopkins added that employers could just as easily keep the current setup and squeeze even more productivity and outcomes from workers. Those who are testing the new trend have seen some incredible results so far. Medibank has noticed it has helped cut down on unnecessary meetings and workloads as staff felt more committed to getting everything done in the new timeframe. Staff reported being 4.5 per cent more satisfied with their job and 6.7 per cent were more engaged with their day-to-day tasks. The shortened week also helped these employees be more willing to go "above and beyond" their normal duties. Overall health improved by 16 per cent, work-life balance and sleep jumped 30 per cent each, and unhealthy eating plunged 17.5 per cent. For Maitland's company, their trial found there was not a single drop in productivity. It actually went the other way, with a 10.1 per cent improvement. Staff also reported their work-life balance improved by nearly 18 per cent, along with increased energy levels. In a LinkedIn survey of 2,000 Aussie professionals, an overwhelming 77 per cent supported moving to a shorter week, and 82 per cent of HR staffers in a separate study said the same. It could be 20 per cent fewer hours per week with the same pay, or even a reduced salary. Others have suggested 10-hour work days, instead of the usual eight, to ensure the same amount of weekly work gets done, just with one day less. Recent research also found nearly three-quarters (74 per cent) of AI users in Australia utilise it for work. They're using it to help with writing (75 per cent), brainstorming (69 per cent), problem-solving (70 per cent), and to digest or simplify lengthy documents (68 per cent) or complex information (60 per cent). Hopkins told Yahoo Finance the key to ushering in a four-day work week was really analysing whether you can cut down on certain tasks that eat up your time. Some of the companies he has interviewed said they trialled the trend to address productivity issues, others did it to keep and attract the best talent. Whatever it was, they all had a reason to do it. But Hopkins admitted it's not a simple task to bring it in. 'Moving to a four-day week takes preparation. It takes a pilot. There has to be a transition to it, and training and everything else,' he said. 'There may be a trimming of work, or becoming more lean in terms of things that you do, maybe reducing the number of meetings.' But he also believed that, with enough time, it would become a reality for millions.
Yahoo
27-06-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Major city announces four-day work week shift
Dubai has announced a four-day work week and shorter working hours for all its public sector workers. It's the latest major global city to embrace the move towards a shorter working week in a bid to improve work-life balance for workers, with many companies in Australia also jumping on the trend. The temporary change will run from July 1 until September 12, 2025, as part of the government's 'Our Flexible Summer' initiative. It follows a successful initial trial scheme in 2024, which found improved productivity and employee satisfaction. Government employees will be split into two groups. The first group will work for eight hours from Monday until Thursday and get Friday off. The second group will work for seven hours from Monday until Thursday, and work four-and-a-half hours on Friday. RELATED Major 'roadblock' to Australia ushering in a four-day work week revealed Centrelink $836 cash boost for 'very real' truth facing thousands of Aussies ATO issues July 1 warning to Aussies waiting on $1,500 tax refunds Abdullah Ali bin Zayed Al Falasi, Director General of the Dubai Government Human Resources Department, said the government was aiming to balance institutional efficiency and workers' wellbeing. 'This initiative demonstrates our firm commitment to enhancing the government work environment, making it more adaptable and responsive to the needs of employees and the community,' he said. While the policy won't apply to private sector workers, there have been calls from the Dubai and UAE governments to bring in more remote and flexible hours across the April, Tokyo implemented a four-day work week for metropolitan government employees in a bid to boost record-low fertility rates. Some 200 companies across the United Kingdom have also permanently implemented a four-day work week following trials with 4 Day Week Foundation. That included charities, marketing, technology, IT and software, and consulting firms. In Australia, high-profile companies like Medibank and Bunnings have trialled the change. Companies will commonly implement a 100:80:100 model, where employees keep 100 per cent of their pay, have their work hours reduced to 80 per cent, but have to maintain 100 per cent of their productivity. Thrive Nation chief disruptor Christian Miran told Yahoo Finance Australian companies were 'ready' for the shift. The work revolution architect previously worked at Medibank and led the insurer's four-day work week trial. 'Australia is really prime for this now. This is the next wave of understanding of how we could be more productive,' he said. Recent research conducted by Swinburne University of Technology involved interviews with 10 Australian firms that had adopted the 100:80:100 model. It found the potential for positive outcomes from employers and employees. Workers reported having better work-life balance and more time for life admin, hobbies, exercise, wellness and self-care. Bosses, on the other hand, cited productivity gains, reduced sick days and significant improvements in recruitment and retention rates. Researchers noted there were still doubts over productivity and output being maintained. It also noted there could be costs associated with in retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error in retrieving data
The National
15-06-2025
- Business
- The National
Dubai announces four-day working week for government employees over summer
The Dubai Government has announced a four-day working week with shorter daily hours for many government staff this summer. Employees will be divided into two groups. The first will work eight hours from Monday to Thursday with Friday as a full holiday, while the second will work seven hours from Monday to Thursday and work a half-day on Fridays. The initiative will run from July 1 to September 12. It follows a pilot plan last summer, launched by the Dubai Government Human Resources Department, called Our Summer is Flexible. Staff were asked to fill out a survey on summer working hours, and proposals to cut office time in August and September received great support. The human resources department monitored observations and feedback, concluding that the pilot was successful enough to run for another year. Abdullah Al Falasi, director general of the Dubai Government Human Resources Department, said of the pilot: 'We aim to improve the quality of life of employees and enhance the sustainability of government resources, which ultimately contributes to consolidating Dubai's global position as a preferred city for living and working by providing a new model experience that integrates the elements of quality of life.' A growing trend? Sharjah introduced a four-day working week in 2022, after the UAE government switched to a four-and-half day week in January that year. The biggest trial of a four-day working week took place in the UK in 2022. Afterwards, most of the 61 companies involved pledged to continue with the policy, while a third said they had switched to the new model permanently. None of the 2,900 trial participants wanted to return to a five-day week and all the companies involved reported lower stress and better health among employees.
