People in the UK work longer hours than anyone else in the European Union but are far from the most productive. According to the Trades Union Congress, a UK body that brings together 49 member unions to improve their working conditions, employees in Denmark are 24% more productive per hour but work four hours fewer per week. 'Britain's long-hours culture… is robbing workers of a decent home life and time with their loved ones. Overwork, stress and exhaustion¹ have become the new normal,' says TUC General Secretary Frances O'Grady. They want businesses to cut the standard working week from five days to four. But would a four-day week work?

 

It does for Rich Leigh, founder² of a Gloucester-based PR business. Staff there work Monday to Thursday, 9am – 5:30pm, but still get paid the same as before. In an interview with the BBC, Leigh claims it makes the staff happier, which leads to better, more productive work. After a year, earnings³ and profits are up and sick days have halved⁴.

 

The 4 Day Week Campaign also believes a shorter week would benefit everyone. They claim that it would, among other things, more evenly distribute work between the overworked and the underemployed. They estimate that around 30 UK businesses operate a 'four day, same pay' system.

 

However, not everyone is convinced. One of the UK's leading charities, the Wellcome Trust, conducted an organisation-wide consultation⁵ into whether a four-day week would fit. They decided⁶ against it. 'Many employees worried about their five-day workloads⁷ being compressed into just four days and some raised concerns that the time and energy used to implement⁸ a four-day week would distract the charity from its core work,' says Ed Whiting, director of policy at the Trust.

 

So does a four-day working week work or not? Clearly it suits some… but not everyone. "We've got a lot to do before it can work for different sectors," says Emelia Quist from the Federation⁹ of Small Businesses in a BBC interview. 'Social care needs people present 24/7. How can we ensure those industries can work a four-day week?' she adds. Until we can answer questions like these, there's clearly more work to be done. 

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