02920 829 100 
The Future of the Workplace: Four-day Working Week Trial in Iceland is a Ground-Breaking Success
July 13, 2021
The trial, which involved over 2,500 people, – more than 1% of the Icelandic workforce – was conducted to test whether a shortened working week could lead to a happier and more productive workforce. During the trial, participants in various sectors were paid the same amount for shorter working hours between 2015 and 2019, with many participants moving from a 40-hour week to a 35-hour week.
The results of the trial were undeniably positive, with participants reporting decreased stress levels and improved general health. With more time to spend with friends and families, the participants also reported a significant improvement in their work-life balance and happiness. Most notably, however, the trial showed that productivity and service provision remained the same or improved in the majority of workplaces.
Workers in Iceland are already experiencing the positive effects of the trial, with nearly 90% of the population now having reduced their working hours. It is therefore unsurprising that the trial has garnered interest in the UK, with several MPs calling for a commission to examine whether it would be possible to implement a similar trial in the UK.
The results of this ground-breaking trial have come at a pivotal point in the discussion surrounding the future of the workplace. Whilst the Covid-19 pandemic has undoubtedly caused the most significant disruption to the workplace in generations, it has also successfully challenged the status quo of traditional working practices and provided an unintentional experiment into the effectiveness of widescale remote working.
This complete overhaul in working practices has undoubtedly paved the way for change in the workplace. As emerging reports indicate that remote working during the Covid-19 pandemic has improved employee wellbeing without causing a demonstrable loss in productivity, it is becoming increasingly difficult for employers to justify a complete return to pre-pandemic working practices.
As a result, although the concept of implementing a four-day working week may currently seem ambitious, the sudden implementation of remote working during the Covid-19 pandemic has demonstrated that a working practice that was once thought to be radical and impossible to implement on a wide scale, can quickly become commonplace.
To speak to one of our experts today, please contact us on 02920 829 100 or by using our Contact Us form for a free initial chat to see how we can help.
