A year-long trial implemented a 32-hour, four-day working week at South of Scotland Enterprise (SOSE) and Accountant in Bankruptcy (AiB), covering 259 employees with no reduction in pay or benefits. Non-working days were staggered and part-time staff received proportional reductions in working time. Staff reported less work-related stress, improved job satisfaction and better work-life balance, with reductions in sickness absence including a 25% fall in psychological sick days. Response times and key organisational processes remained stable, and the administering research consultancy reported increased productivity alongside improved motivation and morale.
Increased productivity and improved staff wellbeing were among the results of a year-long trial of the four-day week by the Scottish government. Two public bodies, South of Scotland Enterprise (SOSE) and Accountant in Bankruptcy (AiB), took part in the pilot, which was launched by Holyrood in early 2024. The two organisations, which had 259 employees in total throughout the trial, implemented a 32-hour working week for a year without any loss in pay or benefits for staff, while committing to maintaining standards of service.
AiB and SOSE staggered the non-working day among staff to allow the bodies to function as normal, while part-time staff were offered proportional reductions in their working time. Staff at the two organisations reported less work-related stress and greater satisfaction with their jobs and work-life balance. Almost all workers (98%) at SOSE believed the four-day week trial improved motivation and morale, while there was a decrease in workers taking time off sick and a 25% fall in those taking sick days for psychological reasons.
Campaigners and some economists say a four-day week benefits workers by giving them more time to relax and putting less strain on their mental health, while simultaneously helping businesses by making their staff more motivated and facilitating recruitment and retention. The Autonomy Institute, the research consultancy thatdelivered the pilot for the Scottish government, found that both organisations were able to successfully shorten the working week and demonstrated an increase in productivity.
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