200 companies make ‘permanent’ four day week change in the UK

Hundreds of employers in one country have committed to a “permanent” four-day work week move as part of a growing push to ditch the 5-day week.

Hundreds of companies across the United Kingdom have now “permanently” implemented a four-day week, as part of a growing push to normalise a shorter working week.

Two hundred companies, comprising a total of more than 5000 employees, have now changed their policies to allow staff to work four days a week, with the same pay and no requirement for longer working days.

The milestone was recently announced by the 4 Day Week Foundation, which campaigns cross the UK for a four-day, 32 hour working week with no loss of pay for workers.

The organisation supports organisations to transition to this new working model, offering workshops, mentoring and networking opportunities.

Campaign Director of the 4 Day Week Foundation, Joe Ryle, praised the companies and workers who have joined the campaign.

“The companies have all been recognised as permanently accredited four-day week employers under the 4 Day Week Foundation’s Employer Accreditation Scheme,” he said.

“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.

“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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Marketing, PR and advertising are the industries that have been leading the charge in the change, closely followed by companies in the charity, NGO and social care industries.

Those in the tech, IT and consulting sectors are also included in the 200 company tally, along with one local council.

Speaking on BBC’s The Bottom Line podcast, Mr Ryle said the 4-day week was a “win-win” situation for all involved.

“We are saying we should be reducing working hours while maintaining pay. And, as hundreds of companies in the UK have now shown, and the first local council, it has been a win-win, not just for the workers but also for the employers,” he said.

Mr Ryle believes that a reduced working week is something that most people want and it isn’t about being lazy or not wanting to work hard.

“People want a better balance. This isn’t an idea that is about anti-work, this is about having enough time in our lives to be able to live freely and do all the things we want to achieve,” he said.

“I am afraid 9-5, five-day working week doesn’t give that opportunity for most people.”

The UK is far from the only country that has been edging closer to making the four-day working week the norm.

200 companies across the UK have committed to a four day week, while paying workers the same amount. Picture: iStock

Last year, Japan announced it would be introducing the “extraordinary” measure in an effort to stem its declining population.

The Tokyo government, which boasts more than 160,000 government employees, is putting in place the radical experiment from April 2025 in the hopes that citizens will have more babies.

Tokyo government staff will have the choice of adjusting their hours to free up one day a week where they don’t have to work.

The four-day week debate has also been gathering steam in Australia.

Over the past 12 months in particular we have seen a sharp rise in companies adopting the new working model, with Medibank and Bunnings among the major Aussie brands that have begun trialling the change and producing successful outcomes.

Recent research from recruiter Robert Half revealed that just over a third of Australian companies surveyed expect their organisation will transition to a four-day work week within the next five years.

Fundraising platform, Raisely, is one of the companies who has already adopted the change, with Chief Customer Officer, Jordan Maitland, “confident” that more Aussie businesses will embrace this model throughout 2025.

“The world of work is evolving, and businesses that resist change risk losing out on talent,” she told news.com.au.

“With growing conversations around mental health and work-life balance, the four-day work week feels like the logical next step.”

One of the common ways that companies implement a four-day week is by using the 100:80:100 model, in which staff keep 100 per cent of their pay but have their work hours reduced to 80 per cent.

However, they must maintain 100 per cent of their productivity for the change to work.

Other options include allowing staff to work a shorter week but for less pay, or offering standard 40-hour weeks condensed over four days.

After Raisely initially trialled the four-day week, Ms Maitland said 96 per cent of the team expressed a desire to continue with the shorter week once the trial period ended.

She said more companies need to start coming to the table and join the four-day week conversation.

“It’s time for a cultural shift. The conversation needs to go beyond trials and pilots - it’s about trust. Trust in employees, trust in the process, and trust that when people are supported, they show up as their best selves,” Ms Maitland said.

Originally published as 200 companies make ‘permanent’ four day week change in the UK