Scotland urged to expand trials for a four-day working week on same pay

Experts are encouraging the Scottish Government to expand trials of a four-day working week after overwhelming support for the scheme.

It comes as pilots are being launched across the country following a change in working due to the coronavirus pandemic.

The Scottish National Party previously pledged a £10 million fund for businesses trialling a four-day week, which would involve no loss of pay.

And now think-tank IPPR Scotland has found 80% of people feel it would benefit their wellbeing to reduce their number of days at work.

Some 2,203 people between the ages of 16 and 65 were questioned, and 88% of these people said they would be willing to take part in a pilot scheme.

Two-thirds of respondents (65%) said they thought a shorter working week would boost productivity across the country.

But the think-tank argued the Government needs to expand the trials to more sectors of the economy, to include non-office workers, shift workers and part-time employees.

It said unless lower paid sectors were included in the pilot – along with those who may find a four-day week change more challenging – the results of the trials may not be as helpful or reflective.

Rachel Statham, a senior research fellow at IPPR Scotland, said: ‘The Scottish government is right to be trialling a four-day working week because today’s evidence shows that it is a policy with overwhelming public support, and could be a positive step towards building an economy hard-wired for wellbeing.

‘But any successful transition post-Covid-19 must include all kinds of workplaces, and all types of work.

‘The full-time, nine-to-five office job is not how many people across Scotland work – and shorter working time trials need to reflect that reality.

‘So we must examine what shorter working time looks like from the perspective of shift workers, those working excessive hours to make ends meet, or those who currently have fewer hours than they would like to have.’

Researchers analysing the world’s largest ever trial of the four-day working week, in Iceland, found very positive results.

The four-year experiment saw 1% of the country’s population switch to a compressed working week.

And the study found productivity remained the same or improved in most workplaces, it didn’t cost the employer any extra money, and worker wellbeing ‘dramatically increased’ due to a drop in stress and a better work-life balance.

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