91% of the UK companies that took part in the world’s largest four-day work pilot have said they will continue with it now the trial has ended.
The pilot programme – which was run by 4 Day Week Global, in partnership with think tank Autonomy, the 4 Day Week UK Campaign, and a number of university researchers from Oxford, Cambridge, and Boston College – began in June 2022, and ran for a total of six-months before it was brought to a close earlier this year.
More than 60 companies and 3,300 workers from firms spanning a variety of industries signed up to the trial – with companies in banking, hospitality, care, IT, software training, and even animation studios taking part in the trial.
Staff taking part in the trial were given 100% of their pay for 80% of their time on the understanding that they maintain maximum productivity over the four days.
With the trial now complete, the feedback from participating companies provided, and the results determined, 4 Day Week Global has revealed that almost every organisation from the trial will stick to a four-day week – with 91% saying they will definitely continue or are planning to continue, and a further 4% leaning towards continuing.
ADVERTISEMENT
Only 4% of participating organisations said they wouldn’t continue.
IT WORKS.
⁃ 92% of companies keep it ⁃ Burnout down by 71% ⁃ Sick days down by 65% ⁃ Revenue up 1.4% on avg.
No question about it – the UK’s 4-day week trial was a 𝙝𝙪𝙜𝙚 success.
Companies rated their overall experience of the six-month trial an average of 8.5 out of 10.
ADVERTISEMENT
Business productivity and business performance each scored 7.5 out of 10, while revenue rose by 35% over the trial period when compared to similar periods from the previous year, and hiring increased and employee absentees decreased.
The health and wellbeing of employees also improved, according to 4 Day Week Global – with significant increases in physical and mental health, time spent exercising, and overall life and job satisfaction.
Rates of stress, burnout, and fatigue all fell, and problems with sleep declined.
ADVERTISEMENT
Environmental outcomes were also encouraging, according to those running the campaign – with commuting time falling by an average of half an hour per week.
91% of UK trial companies to continue four-day work week after ‘major breakthrough’ / Credit: RawPixel
Speaking on the success of the trial, leader researcher Professor Juliet Schor of Boston College says she saw an “encouraging consistency” in the data, and added that: “Results are largely steady across workplaces of varying sizes, demonstrating this is an innovation which works for many types of organisations.
“There are also some interesting differences.
“We found that employees in non-profits and professional services had a larger average increase in time spent exercising, while those in construction and manufacturing enjoyed the largest reductions in burnout and sleep problems.”
Overall, 4 Day Week Global says the trial has been a “huge success” and a “massive breakthrough” – which ultimately signals “good news for the future of work”.
The campaign’s co-founder and managing director, Charlotte Lockhart, said the organisation is looking forward to adding its Australasian pilot results to the UK data “in the coming weeks”, as well as the results from the European, South African, Brazilian, and North American trials over the next couple of months.
NHS releases list of first conditions set to be eligible for new ‘online hospital’
Emily Sergeant
The first conditions that are set to be eligible for video appointments via the new NHS online hospital have been revealed.
In case you hadn’t heard, back in September of last year, the Government has announced that the NHS would be setting up an ‘online hospital’ known simply as NHS Online – which will not have a physical site and instead digitally connect patients to expert clinicians anywhere across the country.
Ultimately, this means patients can be seen faster than normal, as teams triage them quickly through the NHS App and let them book in scans at times that suit them at centres closer to their home.
NHS Online – which will begin to see its first patients in 2027 – is expected to deliver the equivalent of up to 8.5 million virtual appointments and assessments in its first three years, according to the NHS, which is four times more than an average NHS trust.
And now, the NHS has selected nine ‘common’ conditions which will be the first to be treated by the NHS Online service.
📲 Introducing NHS Online 📲
A new digital hospital will transform healthcare.
From 2027, you'll be able to get specialist care:
✅ straight to your home via the NHS App ✅ faster than a traditional hospital appointment ✅ wherever you live in England
Women’s health issues, including severe menopause symptoms and menstrual problems that can be a sign of endometriosis or fibroids, will be among the conditions available for online referrals, as will prostate problems like prostate enlargement and a raised prostate specific antigen (PSA) level, along with eye conditions including cataracts, glaucoma, and macular degeneration.
NHS Online will also provide support for other painful and distressing conditions, such as iron deficiency anaemia and inflammatory bowel disease (IBD).
So, how will NHS Online work then? Well, when a patient has an appointment with their GP, they will have the option of being referred to the online hospital for their specialist care instead, and then from there, they’ll be able to book directly through the NHS App.
Once referred to the online hospital, patients will have the ability to see specialists from around the country without leaving their home or having to wait longer for a face-to-face appointment.
The NHS has released a list of the first conditions set to be eligible for the new ‘online hospital’ / Credit: Nordwood Themes (via Unsplash) | rawpixel
If they need a scan, test, or procedure, then they’ll be able to book this in at a time that suits them at Community Diagnostic Centres closer to home.
Patients will also be able to track their prescriptions and get advice on managing their condition at home too.
“We’ve selected nine common conditions which the NHS Online service will initially provide support for when it launches next year, including some women’s health issues as well as prostate problems,” commented Professor Stella Vig, who is the National Clinical Director for Elective Care at NHS England.
“We know that these conditions can be painful and difficult to cope with so providing faster, more convenient access to diagnosis and treatments will have a real and positive impact on people’s lives.”
Junk food adverts are now banned on TV before 9pm in the UK to ‘protect’ kids’ health
Emily Sergeant
Junk food advertisements are now banned on television before 9pm in the UK in a bid to help protect children’s health.
In what is being considered a ‘landmark’ move by the Government, as of today, adverts for less-healthy food and drinks will be banned on television before 9pm and online at all times, as part of world-leading action that is expected to remove up to 7.2 billion calories from children’s diets each year, and reduce the number of children living with obesity by 20,000.
It’s also expected that this ‘decisive’ action will deliver around £2 billion in health benefits over time.
According to the Government, evidence shows that advertising influences what and when children eat – shaping their preferences from a young age, and ultimately increasing the risk of obesity and related illnesses.
At the start of primary school, 22.1% of children in England are overweight or living with obesity, and this rises to 35.8% by the time they leave.
Junk food adverts are now banned on TV before 9pm in the UK / Credit: Alan Hardman | Kobby Mendez (via Unsplash)
This change is part of a range of measures that the Government is taking to ‘lift children out of poverty’ and help give them the ‘best start’ in life – with other measures being the introduction of the Healthy Food Standard, and giving local authorities the power to stop fast food shops opening outside schools.
“We promised to do everything we can to give every child the best and healthiest start in life,” explained Health Minister Ashley Dalton, as the junk food advert ban comes into force.
“By restricting adverts for junk food before 9pm and banning paid adverts online, we can remove excessive exposure to unhealthy foods – making the healthy choice the easy choice for parents and children.
“We’re moving the dial from having the NHS treat sickness, to preventing it so people can lead healthier lives and so it can be there for us when we need it.”
Featured Image – Karolina Kołodziejczak (via Unsplash)
Emily Sergeant -
22nd February 2023 
