Vast majority of firms trialling four-day working week back continuing scheme for longer

More than 70 businesses signed up to the six-month pilot scheme in June

Most organisations taking part in a four-day working week trial in the UK have said they will continue the scheme for a longer period.

More than 70 businesses signed up to the six-month pilot scheme in June, with over 3,300 employees getting a paid day off weekly.

Run by 4 Day Week Global, the trial has seen businesses from multiple industries including retail, IT and more join the scheme.

A total of 41 businesses taking part responded to a survey halfway through the scheme, with feedback largely positive.

Eighty-six per cent of firms said they would be ‘extremely likely' and or ‘likely' to consider retaining the four-day week after the trial period.

Meanwhile, 88 per cent of respondents stated that the four-day week is working ‘well' for their business at this stage.

"The organisations in the United Kingdom pilot are contributing real-time data and knowledge that are worth their weight in gold," 4 Day Week Global CEO Joe O'Connor said.

"Essentially, they are laying the foundation for the future of work by putting a four-day week into practice, across every size of business and nearly every sector, and telling us exactly what they are finding as they go."

Several firms also said their employees had become more productive, with 34 per cent reporting productivity had "slightly improved" while 15 per cent said it was "significant".

One business taking part in the study even said the company is now performing 44 per cent better financially as a result of the four-day week.

Think tank Autonomy, the 4 Day Week UK Campaign, and researchers at Cambridge University, Boston College and Oxford University have all helped with the running of the project.

Kyle Lewis, co-director of Autonomy, was quoted by The Sun as saying: "The positive feedback at the mid-point of the trial is incredibly encouraging.

"The ongoing research from the pilot will not only communicate the journey that organisations involved have been on over the six month period, it will also provide rich learnings that can support other organisations and sectors considering switching to a four-day week in the future".

Several companies this year within the channel have either adopted or trialled a reduction of working days for their staff.

Cloud native service provider Civo confirmed its permanent move to a four-day week in April following a successful trial across the business.

Brighton-based Cloud 9 Insight also carried out its own trial, with its own take on a four-day working week by moving to a ‘nine-day fortnight'.

Meanwhile, Highgate IT Solutions said in March it was trialling a four-day working week.