According to The Guardian, a public sanitation service in South Cambridgeshire, England, piloted a 4-day workweek with 450 employees, with reported positive outcomes.
During the 15-month trial, performance improved in 11 out of 24 sectors, remained stable or saw minor changes in another 11, and worsened in 2 sectors.
The UK joins countries like South Africa, Belgium, Japan, and Iceland in successfully experimenting with the 4-day workweek.
The independent study also indicated a 39% reduction in staff workload, leading to savings of £371,500 over one year. Approximately 15% more major planning applications were completed within the designated timeframe for urban planning. The processing time for changes to housing and council tax benefit applications was also reduced.
On the downside, rent collection for municipal housing slightly worsened, attributed to the cost of living crisis. Additionally, the speed at which vacant municipal homes are re-let decreased slightly, from 28 to 30 days on average.
The pilot trial of the four-day workweek was criticized by former Conservative local MP Anthony Browne, who labeled it an “ideological crusade.” Browne lost to a Labour candidate in last week’s general elections.
