Full list of UK companies working four day weeks – with staff on FULL pay
A FOUR-day work week is fast becoming a trend in the UK as firms seek ways to boost productivity and attract the best talent.
Today a landmark trial has been called a "major breakthrough" with staff on full pay while working one day a week less.
It's been announced 18 UK companies have made the change permanent following the world's biggest trial of four day working.
The trial saw 61 companies across a variety of sectors in the UK commit to reducing their working hours for all staff by 20%, for six months from June last year.
At least 56 out of the 61 firms that took part said they plan to continue with the four-day working week and have extended for either six months or a year.
Academics at the University of Cambridge and the US’s Boston College carried out the research.
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While the trial was co-ordinated by 4 Day Week Global, in partnership with think tank Autonomy and campaign group 4 Day Week Campaign.
The results revealed a significant drop in the rates of stress and illness among the around 2,900 staff trying the shorter working week.
They also found that company revenue increased slightly by 1.4% on average over the trial period, and by a much higher 35% when compared to the same six-month period in 2021.
However, several staff at one large company reported concerns about increasing workloads, finding their work intensified or they were battling to work through lengthy to-do lists in the time available.
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The results also revealed that some managers and staff felt the focus on efficiency had made the workplace less sociable, which was a particular concern for the creative companies involved.
Joe Ryle, director of the 4 Day Week Campaign, said the trial is “major breakthrough moment” for the campaign towards a four-day working week.
“Across a wide variety of different sectors of the economy, these incredible results show that the four-day week with no loss of pay really works”, Mr Ryle said.
Organisations across a range of industries took part.
Eight firms were in the marketing and advertising sector, followed by seven in professional services such as an asset management firm in Liverpool and an insurer in London.
Five firms in the charity and non-profit sector took part, including Citizens Advice in Gateshead.
There were also firms in the education, finance, healthcare and online retail sectors involved – and even a fish and chip shop in Norfolk.
Most firms chose to give all their staff Fridays off, while some said they could take Monday or Friday, and others opted for no common day off among staff.
The benefits for employers include reduced sickness absence and lower staff turnover, slashing recruitment costs.
It also attracts talented candidates who want a better work-life balance.
The campaigners and academics will present the results at an event in the House of Commons on Tuesday.
Which UK employers are took part in the trial?
There were around 61 companies and organisations in the pilot but only 46 have agreed to be named publicly.
A total of 45 of the companies have opted to continue the trial for between six months to a year.
They include:
- 24/Three Consultants - Construction / Architecture (Rushden, Northamptonshire)
- 5 Squirrels - Health Manufacturing and Retail (Brighton and Hove)
- Adzooma - Tech/Advertising (Nottingham, Manchester and London)
- AKA Case Management - Domiciliary Care (Nottingham, Birmingham, Sheffield, Manchester)
- Amplitude Media Limited - Marketing (Northampton)
- Ascendancy - Marketing (Newport, Shropshire)
- Bedrock Learning Ltd - Software / Education (Norwich)
- Bookishly - Retail (Northamptonshire)
- Boom! Studios - Creative (Bangor)
- Charity Bank - Banking (Tonbridge, Kent)
- Citizens Advice Gateshead - Not for profit (Gateshead, Tyne)
- Clarkson and Woods Limited - Environmental consulting (Somerset)
- Debt Justice - Not for profit (London)
- Everledger - Technology (London, Birmingham, Manchester (and global)
- Evolution Money - Financial Services (Manchester)
- Flatpack - Not for profit (Birmingham)
- Furness Insurance Services - Insurance (London)
- Frame 25 - Recruitment, Broadcasting & Media (Oxford)
- Happy - Learning (London)
- Helping Hands - Housing/Health and Social Care (Alcester, Warwickshire & branches nationwide)
- Hutch - Games (London)
- Kingston First - Not for profit (London)
- Knights Absorb - Education provider (Guildford)
- Literal Humans - Marketing/Advertising (London)
- Loudmouth Media - Digital Marketing (Belfast, Dublin, Glasgow, London)
- Merthyr Valley Homes - Housing (Merthyr Tydfil, Wales)
- Mox London - Creative Agency (London)
- Outcomes Based Healthcare - Healthcare Analytics (London)
- Outcomes First Group - Care and Education services (Bolton)
- Plattens Fish and Chips - Hospitality (Wells-next-the-sea, Norfolk)
- Pressure Drop Brewing - Brewing / manufacturing (London)
- Rivelin Robotics - Digital Manufacturing (Sheffield)
- Royal Society of Biology - Science & charity (London)
- Scotland's International Development Alliance - Not for profit (Edinburgh)
- Sensat - Construction Software (London)
- SideQuest Ltd - VR / Gaming (Belfast)
- Sounds Like These - Audio Production (London)
- Stellar Asset Management - Finance (Liverpool)
- Stemettes - Social enterprise (London)
- TBL Services - Consultancy (Lancaster)
- The Story Mob - Comms & PR Consultancy / Video games (London)
- Trio Media - Digital Marketing (Leeds and London)
- Tyler Grange - Environmental Consulting (Rendcomb, Cirencester)
- Unity - PR and communications (London)
- Waterwise - Not for profit (London)
- We Are Purposeful - Not for profit (London)
Which companies have made the four day week permanent?
Here's a list of the UK firms who took part in the trial and decided to make it permanent:
- Hutch
- Tyler Grange
- We Are Purposeful
- Infigo
- Royal Society of Biology
- Happy
- 5 Squirrels
- Unity Marketing
- Trio Media
- Ascendancy
- TBL Services
- Frame 25
- Rivelin Robotics
- Literal Humans
There are another three which have also made the move permanent but they have not been named publicly.
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Which companies were already on a four day week?
Here's a list of the UK firms offering a four day week on full pay:
- 3D Issue - printing software firm in Donegal
- Advice Direct Scotland - non-profit in Glasgow
- Atom Bank - finance firm in Durham
- Autonomy - think tank researching the future of work
- Awin - consultancy firm
- Big Potato Games - board games maker in East London
- Blink - Norwich e-commerce firm
- Canon - Edinburgh-based UK arm of the global camera giant
- CMG Technologies - Suffolk 3D metal moulding firm
- Causeway Irish Housing Association - London non-profit
- Charlton Norris - recruitment firm in Leeds
- Crystallised - Newcastle marketing agency
- Earth Science Partnership - research group in Cardiff
- Elektra Lighting - London lighting consultants
- Evolved - online marketing specialists in the North East
- Flocc - Cambridge and London-based marketing agency
- Geeks For Social Change - Manchester software developers
- Gracefruit - Glasgow cosmetics firm
- The Landmark Hotel London - upmarket hotel in Marylebone
- Legacy Events - management agency in Oxford
- MRL - Brighton recruiters specialising in tech and finance
- People and Transformational HR - Nortants design and marketing consultancy
- Punch Creative - boutique digital marketing agency in Leeds
- Reboot - Hertfordshire ad agency
- Resiliance Brokers - climate finance firm based in London
- Reward Agency - Manchester ad agency
- Stop Aids - London HIV charity
- Sinister Fish Games - Lincoln-based board game makers
- Social Enterprise Direct - Glasgow finance firm
- Softer Success - consultancy and training provider in London
- StreamGo - Sunderland-based indie events platform
- T-Cup Studios - Bath boutique consultancy
- Target Publishing - Essex indie publishers
- Technovent - high-tech medical services supplier in South Wales
- The Circle - hub for charities and non-profits in Dundee
- The UPAC group - Glasgow packing firm
- Venture Stream - Newcastle marketing agency
- YWCA Scotland - young women's movement based in Glasgow
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