Two-hundred UK companies have committed to a permanent four-day working week, a move expected to benefit more than 5,000 employees across various sectors.
The companies, which include charities, marketing firms, and technology companies, have adopted the policy with no loss of pay for their workers, according to the 4 Day Week Foundation, reports The Guardian.
Google News LinkFor all latest news, follow The Daily Star’s Google News channel.
Joe Ryle, campaign director of the foundation, said, “The 9-5, five-day working week was invented 100 years ago and is no longer fit for purpose. We are long overdue an update.”
He further said that the four-day workweek, which gives employees 50 percent more free time, “gives people the freedom to live happier, more fulfilling lives.”
The Guardian report said that marketing, advertising, and press relations firms have led the way in adopting this new working pattern, with 30 companies from these sectors on board. The charity, NGO, and social care sectors follow closely, with 29 organisations joining the initiative. Additionally, 24 companies from technology, IT, and software industries, along with 22 businesses from the consulting and management sectors, have made the shift.
The Guardian report highlighted that London-based firms have been particularly keen on the idea, accounting for 59 of the 200 companies involved.
The shift comes amid broader debates around work culture, which have been intensified by the Covid-19 pandemic. While many UK companies are embracing flexible work arrangements, some multinational corporations, including US-based giants like JPMorgan Chase and Amazon, have insisted on staff returning to office five days a week. UK banks like Lloyds Banking Group are also weighing in on the return-to-office debate.
While senior figures in the Labour party, such as Deputy Prime Minister Angela Rayner, have expressed support for a four-day week, the party has yet to fully adopt the policy. Some speculate that the Labour party is hesitant to embrace the proposal fully, fearing it could provide political leverage for the Conservative opposition, according to the Guardian report.
