As per the latest update from the 4 Day Week Foundation, these 200 companies employ over 5,000 people, and among these marketing and technology firms are the best-represented.

The advocating factors of the four-day week say that the five-day week is a hangover from an earlier economic age. The foundation campaign’s director, Joe Ryle, was quoted as saying, “9-5, five-day working week was invented 100 years ago and is no longer fit for purpose. We are long overdue an update.”

‘Win-win’ for employers, workers

He further said that with 50 per cent more free time, a four-day working week will give allow people to lead a happier and 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,” Ryle added.

The charge was first led by marketing, advertising and press relations firms, followed by 30 others adopting the policy. Then 29 charity, NGO, and social care industry-based organisations, 24 technology, IT and software firms also followed. Later, another 22 companies in business, consulting and management sectors also joined in the police and offered four-day working weeks to staff.

Supporters of this four-week policy have said that it is a useful to attract and retain employees, and also improve productivity by producing the same results in lesser hours.

According to the Guardian’s report, till date, London-based companies are the most enthusiastic, making up for 59 of the total.

This also hints at the growing tussle in the debate over working structure, which first began during the Covid-19 pandemic. So far, many people have batted for the right to continue working from home, let alone reduce their working days.

US-based companies like JPMorgan Chase and Amazon have strictly ordered their staff to work from office for five days a week. Lloyds Banking Group, while distributing annual bonuses, is also considering whether its senior staff is reaching the in-office targets.

Some employees who still enjoy hybrid mode facilities have been fighting back the ‘back-to-office’ mandates. In one such incident, a group of staff at Starling Bank resigned after the chief executive demanded that thousands of employees attend office more frequently.

Notably, deputy prime minister Angela Rayner among other senior politicians from the Labour party has also backed the four-day work week policy. However, the party has not embraced it since gaining power in the UK, with some even speculating that the are fearing giving political weapon to the opposition Conservative party.

The Guardian report cited a research by the Spark Market Research, which suggests that youngsters are more likely to march against the traditional working patterns. Around 78 per cent of the 18-34 age bracket in the UK believes that a four-day working week will become the norm in around five years, meanwhile 65 per cent said that they do not want to see full-time ‘work from office’ system.

Lynsey Carolan, the Spark managing director, said, “18-34 (year olds), the core workforce of the next 50 years, are making their feelings known that they don’t intend to go back to old-fashion working patterns.”

“This group also say that mental health and improving their overall well being are their top priorities, so a four-day week is a really meaningful benefit and a key enabler of their overall quality of life,” she was quoted as saying.