In a landmark move, 200 UK companies have signed up for a permanent four-day working week for all their employees, without any loss in pay. The decision is aimed at reinventing Britain’s working week.

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According to the latest update from the 4 Day Week Foundation, these companies will employ over 5,000 people, with charities, marketing and technology firms among the best-represented, as per the Guardian report.

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The four-day week advocates believe that the five-day working pattern is a hangover from an earlier economic age. The foundation’s campaign director, Joe Ryle, said that 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.”

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He added that with “50% more free time, a four-day week gives people the freedom to live happier, more fulfilling lives.”

“As hundreds of British companies and one local council have already shown, a four-day week with no loss of pay can be a win-win for both workers and employers,” he said.

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The change is led by marketing, advertising and press relations firms, 30 of which adopted the policy. This was followed by 29 charity, NGO and social care, and 24 technology, IT and software organisations. Another 22 companies in the consulting and management sector have also permanently offered four-day weeks to staff, according to The Guardian.

In total, 200 firms have solidified their commitment to shorter work weeks, which is a useful way of attracting and retaining employees and enhancing productivity over fewer hours, according to the supporters. 

Currently, 59 of the total firms that have allowed a 4-day work week are London-based firms, which are leading the trend. 

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Culture wars

The change in working patterns signals a growing gulf in cultural wars. The work culture first emerged during the COVID-19 pandemic. Since then, many employees have been fighting for the right to continue working from home.

US-based companies, including Amazon and JPMorgan Chase have issued mandates, requiring staff to work in person five days a week. 

Workers who still enjoy the flexibility that remote working offers have been pushing back against mandates that demand work from the office. A group at Starling Bank resigned after the staff was told to work more frequently from the office.

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The deputy prime minister, Angela Rayner, and several other senior politicians from the Labour party have backed the four-day week structure. However, the working policy has not been adopted by the party since gaining power.

According to research by Spark Market Research, younger people are most likely to defy traditional working norms, with about 78 per cent of workers between the ages 18 and 34 believing that the four-day working week will become the norm in about five years. In addition, 65 per cent of the workers said that they do not want to return to a full-time office working pattern.

The “18-34 [year olds], the core workforce of the next 50 years, are making their feelings known that they don’t intend to go back to old-fashioned working patterns,” said Spark managing director Lynsey Carolan. “This group also say that mental health and improving their overall wellbeing are their top priorities, so a four-day week is a really meaningful benefit and a key enabler of their overall quality of life.”

(With inputs from agencies)