The four-day week | The pandemic and the evolution of flexible working

The pandemic has made a four-day working week more attractive to workers and businesses, study finds. Research reveals 65% of UK businesses surveyed are now implementing a shorter week for some or all of their staff.

The COVID-19 pandemic, lockdowns and shift to remote working has had a significant impact on organisations’ attitudes towards a shorter working week, new research from Henley Business School has revealed.

The longitudinal study found that 65% of UK businesses surveyed are now implementing a four-day working week for some, or all, of their staff, compared with 50% who answered a similar survey carried out by Henley in 2019.

What’s more, businesses which have introduced a four-day week are already benefiting from significant financial savings, with those surveyed claiming to have saved an estimated £104bn, approximately 2.2% of the UK’s annual turnover.