Switch to four-day week gains pace since pandemic

More than 100,000 workers in the UK have switched to a full-time four-day week since the pandemic, in a further sign of the revolution in the world of work inspired by Covid, according to an analysis.

- Joanna Partridge

Nearly 1.4 million people said they worked full-time on four days of the week between October and December 2024, an increase of more than 100,000 compared with the same period in 2019, when 1.29 million reported this work schedule, according to figures from the Office for National Statistics (ONS).

A further 100,000 people said they worked a part-time four-day week between October and December 2024 compared with the same period in 2019.

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, and helps businesses by making their staff more motivated and facilitating recruitment and retention.

The proportion of people who report working a four-day week has climbed from 9.8% in the final three months of 2019 to 10.9%, representing 2.7 million across full- and part-time work. The figures do not make clear whether those taking advantage of shorter working weeks have compressed their hours or have taken a pay cut to do so.