Some 17 companies across Ireland are currently two months into a six-month trial of four-day week working patterns, in a campaign that’s also won Government funding for research into the economic, social and environmental impacts of reduced working time.

The Four Day Week Ireland programme is piloting genuine working time reduction, where workers get the same pay for reduced hours, but with the same output.

Elsewhere, countries like Belgium and Iceland have made huge steps. Last month, employees in Belgium won the right to perform a full work week in four days instead of the usual five without loss of salary. The new reforms also give workers the right to turn off work devices and ignore work-related messages after hours without fear of reprisal.

Belgian prime minister Alexander de Croo said that the new agreements have created an economy that is “more innovative, sustainable and digital.”

Meanwhile, Iceland has already proven that a reduce in working hours can reduce worker stress and burnout while improving life-work balance.

Between 2015 and 2019, Iceland conducted the world’s largest pilot of a 35 to 36-hour work week. The research was dubbed a success and has led to nearly 90% of the working population now having reduced hours or other accommodations.

The UK in a similar situation to Ireland, having launched a six-month pilot programme - the biggest trial of its kind - to study the impact of shorter working hours on businesses’ productivity and the wellbeing of their workers.

The trial begins in June with approximately 60 companies taking part. Several Irish companies will also take part in this study. Employees will be allowed to work up to 9.5 hours per day in order shorten their working week.

Information from these trails will help Irish and British campaigners in the fight for a four-day week.