Two years after participating in a groundbreaking four-day work week experiment, 200 companies in the UK have chosen to adopt the policy permanently, marking a significant shift in workplace norms.By continuing the policy, as many as 5,000 employees at those companies will work one day less a week with no reduction in pay.The pilot program was conducted by the nonprofit4 Day Week Global, theUKs 4 Day Week CampaignandAutonomy, a think tank. It guided the companies and their workers through a six-month test of a 32-hour, four-day week. Includinga previous studyof companies in US and Ireland.Boston College Professor Juliet Schor, the lead researcher in the 4-Day Work Week study, said she was not surprised the companies continued their truncated schedules, as almost all of the firms in the study reported positive results.They are continuing because it is successful, Schor said. There are a few reasons for this. Employee well-being goes up a lot. Self-reported productivity goes up even more. So, the companies are getting happier, healthier employees who are typically as productive (or more) than on a five-day schedule.The companies that participated in the UK experiment and chose to continue include charities, marketing and technology firms.Many US and Canadian companies have also adopted four-day work weeks, Schor said. Companies worldwide, including in Ireland, Australia, NZ, Germany, Portugal, and Brazil, have seen similar positive results from trials.A number of new countries are planning trials and research, as well. Italian, Nordic, French and Belgian trials are already in process, according to Schor. And I think there are a few more that people are trying to organize, she said.In the US, the concept of a four-day workweek is also beginning to germinate. A 2024 Harris Poll for the American Psychological Association found that 81% of 2,027 employed adults believe they could be as effective working four days a week and 67% think a four-day work week will become the norm in the US during their lifetime.Additionally, the study found the percentage of US employers offering four-day work weeks rose from 14% in 2022 to 22% last year.Joe Ryle, campaign director of the 4 Day Week Foundation, argues that the traditional 9-to-5, five-day work week, introduced by Henry Ford in 1926 and the office norm by the mid-20th century, is outdated. Initially, the five-day, 40-hour schedule was seen as a balance between productivity and leisure. However, over time, many have criticized it, calling for more flexibility and better work-life balance.We are long overdue an update, Ryle said. 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. With 50% more free time, a four-day week gives people the freedom to live happier, more fulfilling lives.A survey by UK-based Spark Market Research found that 78% of 18- to 34-year-olds expect a four-day workweek to become common in the next five years, while 65% oppose a return to traditional full-time office work.This group also say[s] that mental health and improving their overall wellbeing are their top priorities, so a four-day week is a really meaningful benefit and a key enabler of their overall quality of life, said Lynsey Carolan, managing director of Spark Market Research.