Could the four-day week fix this sad and nasty little island?

Ellie Craig, 24, has always wanted to learn British Sign Language (BSL), but while working five days a week as an account executive at a marketing agency, she’s never really had the time. However, since her workplace decided to take part in Britain’s largest ever four-day week pilot, organised by the 4 Day Week Campaign, she’s managed to learn how to count and sign all the colours and each letter in the BSL alphabet.

“Having that extra day off to do stuff is so good, I can’t explain it,” she tells Dazed. In Ellie’s workplace, some employees get Monday off and others have Friday off, meaning everyone gets a three-day weekend – with no reduction to their salary. “The weekend feels so long,” she says. “And the work week goes by so fast!” 

Ellie isn’t the only person to reap the benefits of a four-day week. In fact, the first four-day week pilot came to an end earlier this month, and the results were more than positive. There was a 92 per cent success rate, with 56 out of the 62 companies that participated deciding to continue with the four-day week going forward. It’s no surprise, as the majority of employers reported increased productivity, higher revenues, lower staff turnover and fewer days off due to sickness. 

But the real benefits are to the employees. Since the pandemic, we’ve become acutely aware of the impact of modern work culture. Workers began quitting their jobs in droves in the post-pandemic Great Resignation. And when people aren’t leaving their jobs, they’re fighting for better pay and conditions on the picket lines in the biggest year of industrial action since 1990. Now, with the four-day week becoming a reality for many, workers have more free time than ever before, and the benefits are innumerable.

For Ellie, who has waved goodbye to the Monday blues, the mental health benefits are the most prominent. This is mirrored in the findings of the trial: after working a four-day week, one in four workers felt less stressed, while 71 per cent reported lower levels of burnout. Half were more satisfied with their job. Workers reported improved mental health and lower levels of anxiety. There was even a knock-on effect on physical health, with workers reporting reduced sleep difficulties, less fatigue and better physical health.

Additionally, the four-day week model promotes a better work-life balance: the trial made it easier for 62 per cent of workers to balance their job with their social life. Since working a four-day week, George Gibbens, 22, has had more time to do the things he’d usually put off due to being too tired or not having the time. Now, he says, “it’s a case of what do I try, or what do I do next?” On top of what he calls “the boring stuff” – household chores, haircuts, shopping – George now has more time to “see friends and family, explore the world by going on short city breaks, join a swimming team and manage to feel refreshed and ready to go back to work on Monday.”

“Having that extra day off to do stuff is so good, I can’t explain it. The weekend feels so long and the work week goes by so fast!” – Ellie Craig

Similarly, Ellie uses her day extra off to catch up on life admin like calling the GP or her energy company which isn’t always possible during a nine-to-five, but also uses it to learn new things and work on projects she’s passionate about. On top of learning BSL, she also spends her time learning about pay per click marketing (PPC), which she says will help her “move forward” in her career. “Then I spend another hour on Monday being creative,” she says, adding that she loves having an extra day to work on self-improvement and “get shit done”.

Evidently, having an extra day off gives some people more time to work on side projects and passions. Outside of her day job, Ellie is a social media influencer, and is able to use her newfound spare time to work on shoots and other creative projects. “I work with brands, and working a four-day week gives me a day to create content, which is something I really enjoy doing and otherwise wouldn’t have time for,” she says. “It’s really beneficial, as it’s something I love and helps with money.” George, meanwhile, says he’s finishing writing his book. 

Even when they are at work, Ellie and George say they feel much more productive. “I can achieve more than I could before on a five-day week because I have a more structured, focused approach,” says George. However, Ellie admits she occasionally has to stay behind on the days she does work to get everything done. This is something that tracks with the results of the trial: while overtime fell for a third of workers, half said that theirs didn’t change. But for Ellie, it’s a fair trade off. “I’d much rather have four slightly longer working days and then have three days off,” she says.

Even beyond the individual, the four-day week brings with it an array of societal benefits, not least how it could impact the way we view modern work culture. Jack Kellem is a lead researcher at Autonomy, the think tank who worked on the trial. “Having an extra day off allows people to reassess their working conditions and workplaces afresh, and they’ll be able to see that our work practices aren’t set in stone and that change is possible,” he explains.

An extra day off would also give people more time to get involved with social and political movements. “I think everybody is increasingly concerned about things like the climate crisis and they want to be involved in political campaigns,” says Kellem. “That extra day off gives you significant time to do that.” Even beyond social movements, a four-day week could help the environment in more concrete terms, with numerous studies linking a shorter working week to lower carbon emissions, largely thanks to reducing in-office electricity use and time spent commuting.

With all the benefits, it's no surprise that 15 per cent of workers who took part in the trial – George included – said that there’s no amount of money that would make them go back to working a five-day week. But what needs to happen before the four-day week becomes a reality for the masses?

According to Joe Ryle, director of the 4 Day Week Campaign, while the ultimate goal is the roll out of a four-day week across the entire economy, it can’t happen overnight. “We do need government involvement, including trialling the four-day week in the public sector and giving people the right to at least request a four-day week,” he tells Dazed. In the longer term, he wants the government to legislate for a 32-hour maximum work week, but, again, this won’t come about on its own. “We want more involvement from the trade union movement, who should be leading on this,” he says. “Trade unions should be organising, with workers to demand a four-day week in their workplaces, because of course, we can't rely on bosses just hand it down in all cases, so there's lots of work to be done.”

He’s right – there’s a lot to be done before we can call the four-day week a reality, but, for now, we can revel in the fact that it is no longer a pipe dream – it’s a very real possibility, and it’s on the horizon. 

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