Four Day Week Ireland, in conjunction with 4 Day Week Global have issued the call for participants in the next phase of the four-day-week pilot programme.

The Fórsa backed initiative will examine the financial, social, and environmental impact that a four-day working week would have on businesses and employees in Ireland. This will be the second pilot of its kind in Ireland, and one of many globally.

The four-day-week trial is based on a 100-80-100 model where workers get 100% of their pay, for 80% of the time, in exchange for a commitment to delivering 100% of the output.

Last year, twelve Irish companies completed the programme with none returning to five days post-trial. Elsewhere, results from the UK pilot with over 60 companies and almost 3,500 workers found a remarkable increase in worker wellbeing, with 71% of participants feeling less burned out and 39% less stressed while on a four-day week. That same cohort also enjoyed impressive business outcomes, with a 57% reduction in staff turnover and a 65% reduction in sick days.

Participants in this second phase will undertake a training programme to re-evaluate how they work, ensuring maximum efficiency before embarking on the six-month trial. Organisations of all sizes from every sector are encouraged to join, where their experience will be tracked by international experts.

Last week the Local Government and Local Services Division Conference passed a motion supporting trials for a reduced working week in local authorities without a corresponding loss of pay.

Chair of Four Day Week Ireland and Fórsa’s Director of Campaigns, Kevin Donoghue welcomed the motion passed at conference saying:

“It’s great to see this motion being discussed at conference. Global trials and the pilot programme in Ireland have already concluded that there are significant benefits to reducing the working week,

The advancements in technology witnessed in recent decades means we can achieve the same level of output in a shorter timeframe, so we must ensure the benefits of this fourth industrial revolution are shared with workers. A four-day week is more than possible and long overdue.”

Kevin said that the programme hopes to see further participants in the pilot in the coming months, who will re-evaluate how they work, and reap the benefits of the new ways of work.

More information on the Four Day Week Ireland campaign can be found here.

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