Scottish government trials 4-day work week

The Scottish government’s four-day working week trial has begun. Should it prove successful, the government hopes to inspire private-sector employers to follow suit.

The Scottish government has confirmed a four-day working week trial is underway as 140 staff members work a 32-hour-week with no loss of pay. The initiative is the first of its kind among public-sector employers in the UK.

Plans for the trial were unveiled by First Minister Humza Yousaf last year as part of a suite of changes designed to reinvigorate his government after a narrow election victory and a gruelling six months following the resignation of former leader Nicola Sturgeon, reported The Guardian.

The initiative is being rolled out in collaboration with Autonomy, a think tank that helped run similar trials with the Icelandic public sector and the Valencian government.

Cabinet Economy Secretary Neil Gray said the trial is being rolled out to “assess the wellbeing, environmental and productivity benefits a four-day working week could bring”.

The trial is expected to run for at least 12 months. If successful, it might continue on a permanent basis and be put in place across the public sector.

The Scottish Green Party has enjoyed a four-day week since 2022 and has reported a range of benefits.

“The four-day working week has a transformative impact on work/life balance, health and happiness,” said Greens parliamentarian Ross Greer.

“Our staff wouldn’t go back, so I’m delighted that through our role in government, we are giving other workers this opportunity.”

Success of past trials

Trial partner Autonomy conducted the largest-ever four-day working week trial in the UK, in which 61 companies experimented with a shortened week for six months in 2022. Considering the results, it’s hardly surprising that the Scottish government should want to run a trial of its own.

After the initial six months, 92 per cent of the companies involved in the trial continued with the four-day work week, with 18 companies committing to a permanent four-day week. Among the key findings of the trial were the following:

• Thirty-nine per cent of employees reported feeling less stressed after the trial.
• Seventy-two per cent reported lower rates of burnout after the trial.
• Anxiety, fatigue, and sleep issues decreased, while mental and physical health improved.
• Sixty per cent of employees reported an increased ability to balance work with unpaid care responsibilities, while 62 per cent said the same of their social lives.
• On average, company revenue increased by 1.4 per cent across the trial period. Compared with the same period from previous years, this was up by 35 per cent.
• The number of staff leaving participating companies decreased by 57 per cent over the trial period.

It’s worth noting that each company designed its own four-day policy, with some opting, for example, for a conditional fifth day off. Autonomy emphasised that the four-day week is not a “one-size-fits-all” phenomenon, nor does it necessarily involve a four-day week. Rather, it stands for the idea of a generally shorter working week.

“We’re delighted to add these overwhelmingly positive results to our ever-growing evidence base in favour of reduced-hour, output-focused working,” said Charlotte Lockhart, 4 Day Week Global co-founder and managing director.

“Not only do these findings demonstrate that the UK pilot program was a resounding success, but it is encouraging to note that they largely mirror the outcomes from our earlier trials in Ireland and the US, further strengthening the arguments for a four-day week.”