Two hundred British companies have now made the four-day working week a permanent fixture for all staff—without cutting salaries—a move heralded by supporters as a fundamental reinvention of the country’s work culture.
The latest figures from the 4 Day Week Foundation show these organisations together employ over 5,000 people, with charities, marketing agencies and technology firms among the most enthusiastic adopters. Proponents argue the traditional Monday-to-Friday pattern is no longer compatible with modern lifestyles, with Joe Ryle, the foundation’s campaign director, insisting that “the 9-5, five-day working week was invented 100 years ago and is no longer fit for purpose”.
Ryle added: “With 50% more free time, a four-day week gives people the freedom to live happier, more fulfilling lives. As hundreds of British companies and one local council have already shown, a four-day week with no loss of pay can be a win-win for both workers and employers.”
Marketing, advertising and PR firms are leading the charge—30 of them have already embraced the policy—followed by 29 from the charity, NGO and social care sector, and 24 in tech, IT and software. Another 22 business, consulting and management companies have also committed. Altogether, 200 firms have decided to preserve a shortened schedule, saying it enhances both employee retention and productivity by refocusing work into fewer hours without sacrificing output. London is the most enthusiastic region, with 59 of these workplaces based in the capital.
Yet the trend highlights wider tensions around post-pandemic work culture. Many employees in the UK are still trying to secure more flexible or remote arrangements, while prominent US companies—including JPMorgan Chase and Amazon—have issued some of the strictest return-to-office mandates. Lloyds Banking Group, closer to home, is reportedly weighing how much in-person attendance affects senior staff bonuses.
Discontent has already led to resignations in some quarters. At Starling Bank, a group of employees left after the chief executive demanded more frequent office attendance. Meanwhile, several senior Labour figures—notably the deputy prime minister, Angela Rayner—have signalled personal support for a four-day week, though the party has avoided adopting it as official policy since coming to power, possibly wary of igniting partisan debates.
Research by Spark Market Research suggests younger staff are particularly invested in scrapping five-day schedules. Of 18-34-year-olds polled, 78% believe a four-day working week will become the norm within five years, and 65% do not want a return to full-time office life. Managing director Lynsey Carolan notes that mental health and overall wellbeing are driving this shift, saying younger workers “don’t intend to go back to old-fashioned working patterns” and view a shortened week as a significant quality-of-life upgrade.
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Two hundred UK firms cement four-day week as new norm