Around 70 participating companies Over the next six months in the world’s largest on-demand pilot program.
The experiment was organized by a group campaign for a shorter working week without a wage cut. In the experiment, workers are paid 100 percent for 80 percent of their normal working hours, with the aim of Work more efficiently.
Well-being and mental health
Scientists at the Universities of Oxford and Cambridge, as well as experts from Boston College in the US, are co-managing the experiment with a think-tank called Autonomy.
The experiment has involved a number of companies from office software developers to recruitment agencies, charities, and local fish and chips businesses. Sam Smith, who owns a brewery in north London (Presor Drop), said he thought it was a good opportunity for the company to try different ways of working.
The pandemic made us think about work and how people organize their lives. We do this to improve the lives of our employees and to be part of a progressive change in the world that improves people’s mental health and well-being.
They have to produce and bottle the same amount of beer in four days as before, said Sam Smith, who is conducting experiments with his nine-person team.
I think it has to do with how we use our time. So when I talk about productivity, I don’t mean to get the job we do right now faster, but to take advantage of the natural downtime to better prepare for the next day.
Employees are more focused
Claire Doherty, who helps run the corporate office, said the experience is great and part of the natural progression of the job. He explained that after working for the company for more than four years, he is able to do his job and feels confident that he will do his job effectively in less than a day.
This will take up a few extra minutes of your day scrolling online because you need to focus a bit more to do what you need to do in the time you have.
Said the employee, like Craig Carmichael, who works in the store, who believes the extra time off motivates him to work harder.
Knowing that I have to complete tasks in four days is a good incentive for me to enjoy that extra day
. said to the BBC.
global initiative
The trial, involving about 3,000 British workers, is part of a global initiative, and similar smaller trials are being conducted in Ireland, the United States, Canada, Australia and in New Zealand, While in Belgium And the Iceland It has already been submitted.
The British experience is of historical interest, said Juliet Shore, a senior researcher on the four-day Global Action Week project and an economist and sociologist at Boston College. According to him, the problem with the five-day work week is that the work can simply be expanded with the time available.
There is no point in sticking to a strict system based on the century. In many workplaces, 100 percent productivity can be achieved 80 percent of the time, and companies around the world have proven this.
Happy Juliet Shore.
However, the researcher acknowledged that the idea may not be suitable for everyone and all professions, such as health care and education, where employees can already be stressful and stressed. On the other hand, if workers are only 10 percent more productive, the economic benefits will increase, or even if they are
It leads to lower sickness rates, leaves fewer workers and makes it easier to hire new workers.
Girling Jones, a small recruitment firm in Exeter, switched to the four-day workweek in January, but it also joined in the experiment. According to Simon Gerling, president and founder of the company
It also increased productivity and profits.
All our expenses increased – calls, discussions, interviews. Quite simply, everyone does more in less time, the director of the company shared his experience.
Employees are happier because of the four-day work week
The staff is also happier because they can use their day off to unwind.
I am definitely more motivated. One [változás], what I noticed is related to sleep. I sleep much better and it is easier to wake up
Happy Elaine Andreessen. Her colleague Josh Cockrell said spending more time with her daughter would help her save money on nursery fees.
After the daily routine was disrupted by the coronavirus pandemic, the company was ready to experiment with new ways of working. Construction company founder Simon Girling said he first tried the four-day workweek about three years ago, which changed his life.
When we came back from the pandemic, we did a lot of research and didn’t see any flaws. As part of a four-day trial week, some really detailed statistics are being compiled on the topic. This is a really good opportunity for a lot of companies to change and maybe even improve the way they do business.
(Cover photo: Daniel Leal-Olivas/AFP)
