Four-day week: See if your company can pay you the same wage for working less
In a pilot project to test the efficiency of a four-day working week, many companies in the UK are offering their employees the same wage for fewer working hours.
Last year, Atom Bank hit the headlines for being the first organisation to permanently move employees to a four-day working week without reducing their pay. Following the successful trial of many countries in a four-day system, Britain is pathing the way to a possible new future of work.
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Which companies are taking part in the trial?
The trial begins in June and is led by campaign group 4 Day Week Global, 60 companies will take part. However, only 28 of those companies have been publicly announced. The trial will go on for six months. According to The Sun, the following are the companies:
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- Hutch
- Yo Telecom
- Adzooma
- Pressure Drop Brewing
- Happy
- Platten’s Fish and Chips
- Eurowagens
- Bookishly
- Outcomes First Group
- NeatClean
- 5 Squirrels
- Salamandra
- Girling Jones
- AKA Case Management
- IE Brand & Digital
- Helping Hands
- Trio Media
- Literal Humans
- Physiquipe
- Tyler Grange
- Timberlake Consultants
- Everledge
- Scotland's International Development Alliance
- Amplitude
- Stemette Futures
- Comcen
- We Are Purposeful
While some of these companies have outright trimmed down working hours for their employees, some have just made the four working days longer like Atom Bank. Regardless, the concept is to give people a three-day weekend.
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Are you eligible for a four-day week?
As per the statutory application, all the employees of a company are eligible to request a four-day working week as long as they have been in the company for at least 26 weeks. The flexible working requests can vary individually but typically range from switching to part-time hours or compressed working hours in a shorter number of days. The request needs to be submitted to the employer who will make a decision on it within three months.
The employers have to consider the request, however, the ultimate decision rests in their hands. So, they may or may not approve your request for flexible working hours. If the employer agrees, the changes would be immediately reflected in your contract. If the employer says no to your request, they need to provide a valid reason for it. If the basis seems unfair to you, you can challenge the decision and complain to an employment tribunal.