Could a 4-Day Workweek Become Law?

A pilot program has been set up to test the viability of the four-day workweek in the United Kingdom, and the data collected has the potential to fuel a national law aimed at boosting the overall well-being and productivity of employees.

“The demand in the U.K. has been really quite remarkable,” says Joe O’Connor, manager of the global pilot program. The idea for shorter and more productive workweeks stems from 4 Day Week Global Foundation, a nonprofit that champions the 32-hour workweek around the world.

Instead of waiting for the Parliament to propose a law, a “bottom-up approach” is adopted. Some 500 companies have attended formation sessions with training and workshops held by MBL Seminars, and several have already signed on to enroll and adopt the structure. Spain and Scotland will soon have their own pilots. Iceland has already adopted a 32-hour workweek, with 85% of Icelanders now having a four-day workweek in option.