That four-day workweek trial in the UK has released its results, and if you think I wasn’t going to cover it… well, like catnip, I can’t stop.
An overwhelming majority of the 61 companies (totaling nearly 3,000 employees) that participated from June to December will continue with the shorter hours. Most employees were less stressed and had better work-life balance. That was all while companies reported revenue largely stayed the same during the trial period last year and even grew compared with the same six months a year earlier, according to findings released this week.
Employees reported benefits, with 71% less burned out, 39% less stressed, and 48% more satisfied with their job than before the trial. Of the workers, 60% said balancing work and responsibilities at home was easier, while 73% reported increased satisfaction with their lives. The findings show that fatigue was down, people were sleeping more, and mental health improved.
Revenue grew 1.4% over the trial for 23 companies that provided adequate data — weighted for the business size — while a separate 24 companies saw revenue climb more than 34% from the same six-month period a year earlier.
As part of this trial, Workers agree to use a “100-80-100” model, which means they receive 100% of their pay for 80% of the time but commit to 100% of the output.
Why do we care?
The results are in …, and you can make your employees happier and grow revenue. It’s that simple, actually, and the reason to care. I’ll offer two takes. First, an area to explore for competitive differentiation in hiring while increasing revenue.
The second take is this – if you’re unwilling to do this in your organization, at least acknowledge this is a new competitive force. My prediction remains that this will be an increasing trend, and at some point, a large company will move first and validate the movement even further.
