UK Trials Four-day Week

In April 2021 we reported on the SNP's manifesto pledge to trial a four-day working week in Scotland, with no reduction in salary. Whilst no formal Government backed trial has as yet materialised in Scotland, this has not stopped some Scottish employers running their own trials, and even introducing the four-day week as a permanent feature: see for example here and here.

It is important to note that this is not giving employees an extra day's holiday a week. The quid pro quo for the reduction in hours is that productivity is to remain at 100%, that is as if the employee were working full-time. The main principle behind this is that the reduction in working hours leads to an increase in productivity. The potential benefits that have been publicised from trials include better employee engagement, better work-life balance, and a lower carbon footprint.