The World's Biggest 4-Day Workweek Trial Just Launched In The UK & Here's How It Works

The next six months will look extra relaxing for thousands of workers in the U.K., where they're participating in the world's largest trial run of a four-day workweek.

Over 3,300 employees from across 70 U.K. firms will be participating in a pilot program testing out the four-day workweek strategy and honestly, we're a bit jealous. The program starts this week and runs until December of this year, reported the New York Times.

The participating workers will be able to enjoy the four-day workweek without experiencing a pay cut.

The trial is based on the 100:80:100 model, which essentially tests the results of giving workers 100% of their pay for 80% of the time worked. It's based on the promise that they will remain 100% productive for the four days they do work, reported Fortune.

The pilot program was organized and launched by 4 Day Week Global in partnership with the thinktank Autonomy. The international group includes researchers from Oxford University, Cambridge University and Boston College, according to The Guardian, and they're trying to find out if this is truly a better way for people to work.

All sorts of companies, from local fish-and-chip shops to big software firms, are part of the pilot program.

"As we emerge from the pandemic, more and more companies are recognizing that the new frontier for competition is quality of life, and that reduced-hour, output-focused working is the vehicle to give them a competitive edge," Joe O'Connor, the chief executive of 4 Day Week Global, said in a statement, per Bloomberg.

"The impact of the 'great resignation' is now proving that workers from a diverse range of industries can produce better outcomes while working shorter and smarter," continued O'Connor.

The pilot program's goal is to test out how employees will respond in terms of general well-being and productivity when given an extra day off during the week.

"We'll be analyzing how employees respond to having an extra day off, in terms of stress and burnout, job and life satisfaction, health, sleep, energy use, travel and many other aspects of life," said Juliet Schor, the lead researcher for the pilot program, a professor at Boston College.

The trial comes as many firms worldwide are flirting with or already embracing the four-day workweek model.

Previously, Iceland also conducted two separate trials testing out a four-day workweek without a pay reduction and saw huge success. As a result of their trial runs, 86% of the country's population works shorter hours or has the right to reduce their working hours.

Microsoft also carried out a similar experiment and saw a 40% surge in productivity among employees.

Fingers crossed that other countries and companies join the four-day workweek bandwagon!