Two hundred British companies have officially moved to a permanent four-day working week for all employees, keeping full wages. This step was another important stage in changing the approach to the organization of working time in Great Britain, informs The Guardian.
The companies in the fields of marketing, advertising and public relations were the first to introduce a shortened working week – 30 organizations switched to the new schedule. They were joined by 29 charities, non-governmental organizations and social institutions, as well as 24 technology companies. In addition, 22 companies in the fields of business, consulting and management have also introduced a four-day work week for their employees.
A total of 200 organizations have formally adopted the practice, which advocates say improves employee engagement and retention, as well as increases productivity while achieving the same results in less time. The largest number of such companies is concentrated in London – 59. Supporters of the shortened week believe that the five-day format is an outdated legacy of the previous economic era.
At the same time, some large corporations, such as JPMorgan Chase and Amazon, are pushing for a mandatory return of workers to the offices for a full five-day work week. Lloyds Banking Group even takes into account employees’ achievement of office attendance targets when awarding bonuses.
