A Manchester-based technology company called BrightPath Solutions has announced that it will introduce a four-day working week for all its employees starting from 1 January next year. The company employs 320 people and has offices in Manchester, Leeds, and Birmingham.
Under the new arrangement, employees will work Monday to Thursday and have Fridays off — but they will receive no reduction in salary. The company says the change will not affect productivity because staff will be expected to focus more intensely during their four working days.
The Managing Director of BrightPath Solutions, Mr Daniel Osei, announced the decision at a press conference on Wednesday. He said the company had been running a six-month pilot scheme since April, involving 45 employees from the marketing and customer service departments.
"The results have been remarkable," said Mr Osei. "During the pilot, productivity increased by 22 percent, employee sick days fell by 35 percent, and staff satisfaction scores rose to an average of 9.1 out of 10. We are completely convinced this is the right decision for our company and our people."
The announcement has attracted significant attention from other businesses. A survey conducted by the Confederation of British Industry (CBI) earlier this year found that 61 percent of UK companies were considering some form of flexible working arrangement, though only 8 percent had implemented a four-day week.
Not everyone, however, is supportive. Ms Karen Frost, a business analyst at the Institute for Economic Affairs, warned that the model could be difficult to apply in customer-facing industries. "If your competitors are working five days and you are working four, there may be long-term consequences for market competitiveness," she told the BBC.
The four-day working week movement has been growing globally. Iceland ran the world's largest trial between 2015 and 2019, involving 2,500 workers, and reported overwhelmingly positive results. Several companies in Japan, New Zealand, and Germany have also trialled similar arrangements.
BrightPath Solutions says it will publish a full report of its outcomes in March next year, which it hopes will encourage other UK businesses to follow suit.
BrightPath Solutions has a four-day working week for all staff. The company ran a for six months before making the decision. During the trial, by 22 percent. A business analyst warned that the model could damage in some industries.