BrightHR, a leading provider of HR software, has released data revealing a significant rise in companies adopting four-day rotas, in line with a cultural shift towards four-day work weeks.
The data was collected from BrightHR’s rota scheduling software, utilised by 62,000 UK businesses and nearly one million of their employees, which allows businesses to easily manage and organise employee schedules.
The concept of a four-day work week has been gaining prominence in many organisations worldwide over the last few years. 2022 saw the launch of a six-month pilot in the UK where 61 organisations and 3,300 employees opted to reduce their working days. Fast forward to 2024, and nine in 10 of those very companies are still using the four-day work week, with more than half making it a permanent fixture for their staff. Of those participating employees, nearly all (96%) said their personal life had benefited, and 86% even said they felt they performed better at work.
And now other countries, like Germany and Portugal, are following suit by trialling the four-day work week with 45 companies and 39 companies respectively.
Thea Watson, Chief Growth Officer at BrightHR, says:
“According to BrightHR data, there has been a 25% increase in the number of businesses implementing 4-day rotas in the past year alone. Yet when comparing last year to the preceding one, there was only a slight uplift of 1.5%, indicating that the trial has likely played a large part in this cultural shift.
“Working arrangements are constantly evolving. It’s only within the last century where we adopted a five-day work week, instead of the previously accepted six-day work week, thanks to the American industrialist Henry Ford.
“And of course, the pandemic brought about a shift towards hybrid and remote working. Pre-Covid, in 2019, the number of homeworkers sat at around 4.7%. But in the years that followed, we saw this surge to around 44% in 2023 to account for those who work remotely some or all of the time. According to a recent survey by ACAS, one-third of employers have seen a further increase in staff working from home in the last 12 months. But with the recent legislative change that sees employees have the right to request flexible working from day one of employment, could we be set to see that number soar again?
“This trend is in line with a growing movement towards flexible working arrangements, as companies strive to attract and retain top talent by offering a better work-life balance. While the concept of a four-day workweek is still relatively new, initial trials have been successful. However, there are things to be considered before jumping straight into this new way of working…
“It may not be suitable for all industries, especially those who need to be operational 24/7, since they still have to be able to communicate effectively with clients and suppliers, and meet needs and demands.
“A shift to 4-day working weeks is significant and should not be underestimated, particularly when taking into account the expectation that employees and employers alike must increase daily productivity by 25% to make up for the lack of additional working day. This could lead to increased pressure on staff, spiralling into stress and ultimately burnout. And for those companies condensing the same amount of hours in fewer days, consider the negative impact that longer workdays could have on your staff.
“It’s also important to remember that employers must seek agreement from their employees before making any changes to their contractual terms and conditions. Whilst a reduction in working hours will likely be favoured by many, such an outcome cannot be assumed. This is particularly important whereby the reduction in days increases the daily working hours or reduces salary.”
