Tejal Somvanshi
The UK job scene is changing. Two hundred companies have switched to a four-day work week, keeping the same pay as before. These aren’t just small startups – they employ over 5,000 people across marketing, tech, and charity sectors.
“The nine-to-five, five-day workweek is 100 years old and doesn’t fit today’s world,” says Joe Ryle from the 4 Day Week Foundation. His point is simple: working one day less gives people more time to live “happier, more fulfilling lives.”
Let’s break down what’s actually happening. Marketing firms are leading this change – 30 of them have made the switch. Close behind are 29 charity organizations and 24 tech companies. London businesses are especially keen, with 59 companies already on board.
This shift gives people an extra day each week, which logically means more time for personal and family commitments. One less workday naturally leads to reduced weekly expenses like commuting costs.
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Young workers are particularly excited about this change. A recent survey shows 78% of people aged 18-34 think four-day weeks will be normal within five years. “They want better mental health and overall wellbeing,” explains Lynsey Carolan from Spark Market Research.
But not everyone’s on board. Big names like JP Morgan and Amazon still want staff in the office five days a week. This creates an interesting split in how different companies view work life.
The 4 Day Week Foundation has two standards: work 32 hours (gold standard) or 35 hours (silver standard) across four days, both with full pay. South Cambridgeshire District Council proves this can work in government too – they’ve even got their waste collection service running on four days.
A shorter work week logically suggests benefits like reduced operational costs for businesses and improved work-life balance for employees. When workers are well-rested, it stands to reason they can maintain better focus during their working hours.
Bills can logically decrease with offices running one less day per week. For businesses, this naturally means potential savings on operational costs, while workers save on their weekly work-related expenses.
While some politicians like Deputy Prime Minister Angela Rayner support the idea, Labour hasn’t made it an official policy yet. But with more companies proving that it works, the four-day week might soon be as normal as working from home has become since Covid.
The change isn’t just about having an extra day off – it’s about rethinking how we balance work with the rest of life. As more companies try it, we’ll likely see if this new way of working really is the future.
