The science behind the four day week

Mel Berry, of Social Firefly, examines the facts following a trial in Sussex, supported by Brighton Chamber and led by the University of Sussex.

Four day weeks, nine-day fortnights, flexible working – topics which have regularly dominated the news in recent years. They have been hailed as the utopia of the modern workplace, but what’s the science behind them? 

Over 60 local businesses made their way to Brighton Chamber’s event ‘The science behind the four day week’ on 26 October to find out. 

Introduced by Kerry Watkins, Managing Director of Social for Good, and chaired by Dr Charlotte Rae, Lecturer in Psychology at the University of Sussex, the scene was set for a fascinating evening. 

Dr Rae introduced business leaders to the initial findings of her trial to measure the biological and psychological benefits (spoiler – there are many!) of reduced working hours alongside business performance. The Sussex four day week is the only study specifically looking at the biological component.

Trial is the first of its kind

Six Brighton businesses, including Cloud9 Insight, Social Firefly, St John’s College and Brilliant Noise, undertook a series of assessments, from in-depth questionnaires to biological tests such as MRI scans and blood tests.

The trial lasted three months, with employees receiving 100 per cent of their wage, working 80 per cent of their regular hours.

Dr Rae set out her findings, which included:

● Improvement in mood

● Reduction in burnout

● Increase in enthusiasm and motivation 

● 10% increase in self-rated productivity 

These benefits were immediate upon starting the trial and continued throughout.

In short, extra time for rest – sleep, hobbies, relaxing and time with families – meant employees were happier and better rested, enabling them to maximise brain function on days they were working.

The highs and lows of taking part

‘Pilot it first’

We heard from four businesses about why they got involved, the benefits, the challenges and if they think the four day week is the future.

Cloud9’s employees tested having Friday off once a fortnight, spending the other Friday on strategy and learning within the organisation, getting employees away from their day-to-day work and benefitting the development of the business. 

CEO, Carlene Jackson stressed it looked good for recruitment but not necessarily for retention – clear career paths, paying well and great management were bigger contributors for keeping staff.

Their advice to anyone thinking about it – pilot the scheme before introducing anything concrete.

‘A greater respect for staff’

James Armstrong, Director of Social Firefly, highlighted that team wellbeing, while maintaining output, was at the forefront of his mind. An unexpected bonus was that people respected each other’s time more and there seemed to be greater focus.

Overall, he felt that taking part shows trust in colleagues, and that can only be a good thing, right?

‘Consider the costs’

Christina, Registered Care Manager from St John’s College, got involved in the pilot to improve recruitment and retention in an already squeezed sector – social care. She said it was particularly useful for those in emotionally demanding roles, who reported feeling happier and more patient – meaning they were able to deliver a higher quality of care.

However, if they were to continue, fees would need to be increased to cover additional costs of having to take on staff to cover additional day. Despite this, she felt the benefits greatly outweighed the negatives.

‘A more human approach to work’

Antony Mayfield, the Founding Partner and CEO at Brilliant Noise, said he simply wanted to build a better place to work. The shorter week was useful in flushing out ineffective systems, creating a better talent offer, making team members more disciplined and focused. He felt a four day week was the more humane thing to do – to allow time for people to be people.  

The effect on business performance

Now onto the biggie – how was performance affected? Business performance metrics have shown productivity was maintained or improved, with five of the six companies intending to make the four day work week permanent – a pretty resounding success.

Is a four day week the future?

It is not, in itself, a silver bullet but, accompanied with other benefits, it bolsters employers’ offerings, staff happiness, motivation and the businesses bottom line. And that’s the thing – it’s seen as a benefit. How long before it’s the social norm?

Inspired to take the plunge?

The Sussex team are continuing to enrol employers. If you’d like to try a four day week for your business, contact Dr Charlotte Rae: c.rae@sussex.ac.uk. 

This event was run by Brighton Chamber and the University of Sussex as part of the 20 years of the Economic and Social Research Council’s flagship of Festival of Social Science.

Brighton Chamber would like to thank Mel Berry for this article and Stuart Robinson, University of Sussex, for event photography. 

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