Thousands of workers will begin a four-day work week trial from today in the UK.
The trial is the largest of its kind in the world with more than 70 companies signed up to test a shorter working week.
3,300 workers will be given 100% of their pay, for 80% of their time, on the the understanding that they maintain maximum productivity over the four days.
Those taking part span industries including banking, hospitality, care, IT, software training and even animation studios.
A four-day work week trial is beginning today in the UK. Credit: Unsplash
The six-month trial is organised by 4 Day Week Global, which is working in partnership with think tank Autonomy, the 4 Day Week UK Campaign, and a number of university researchers from Oxford, Cambridge, and Boston College.
Researchers will measure the impact on productivity and the wellbeing of staff, and also look at how a four-day working week affects the environment and gender equality.
Speaking on the start of the trial today, Joe O'Connor - CEO of 4 Day Week Global - said: "As we emerge from the pandemic, more and more companies are recognising that the new frontier for competition is quality of life, and that reduced-hour, output-focused working is the vehicle to give them a competitive edge.
"The impact of the ‘great resignation’ is now proving that workers from a diverse range of industries can produce better outcomes while working shorter and smarter."
Juliet Schor, professor of sociology at Boston College, and lead researcher on the pilot, also said that the four-day week is generally considered to be a "triple dividend policy" as it helps employees, companies, and the climate.
One of the companies taking part in the trial is Charity Bank, with its Chief Executive Ed Siegel saying the move to a four-day week "seems a natural next step" following the COVID-19 pandemic.
He explained: "We have long been a champion of flexible working, but the pandemic really moved the goalposts in this regard.
"For Charity Bank, the move to a four-day week seems a natural next step.
"The 20th-century concept of a five-day working week is no longer the best fit for 21st-century business. We firmly believe that a four-day week with no change to salary or benefits will create a happier workforce and will have an equally positive impact on business productivity, customer experience and our social mission."
Government-backed four-day week trials are also due to begin later this year in Spain and Scotland.
Featured Image -Unsplash
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Yorkshire-set Christmas film by Leeds director starring Richard E. Grant set to hit UK cinemas next month
A brand-new Christmas film is hitting cinemas nationwide next month - and it’s a proper Leeds success story.
Jack Spring directed his first feature film at just 19 years old and has spent the last decade carving out a career in independent film, as well as co-founding Leeds-based production company Shush Films.
His first movie, Destination: Dewsbury, was shot just down the road in - you guessed it - Dewsbury. And after moving to Leeds from Grimsby, Jack became determined to build his business from the city, putting down roots and growing his production company here.
Image: Supplied
Now, after years of working on independent projects, Jack has taken his biggest leap yet with a brand-new Christmas film, Merry Christmas Aubrey Flint.
Set in Yorkshire, Merry Christmas Aubrey Flint follows Aubrey Flint, a reclusive model soldier painter with a lifelong hatred of Christmas, who is sentenced to community service at Willow Lodge - a retirement home on the brink of closure.
Roped into helping with a chaotic production of Charles Dickens' A Christmas Carol, Aubrey clashes with its interesting set of residents...
And the cast is about as star-studded as it gets, featuring Richard E. Grant, John Bradley, Celia Imrie, Adjoa Andoh, Sophia Di Martino, Adrian Rawlins and Kiell Smith-Bynoe.
Image: Supplied
The heartwarming festive comedy will hit cinemas nationwide on Friday 6 November - a huge milestone for a Leeds-based director and production company, taking a homegrown Yorkshire story to audiences across the country.
You just can't beat a proper wholesome British Christmas film, so you can best believe we'll be watching in the cinema, popcorn in hand.
The tallest building in Yorkshire has just opened in Leeds standing at 440ft tall and 45 storeys high
Clementine Hall
Leeds is now home to the tallest building in Yorkshire.
And you'll never believe what it is...it's student accommodation of course.
Created by Fusion Students, the new 633 bed student accommodation building on Merrion Way stands at 134 metres (440 feet) and 45 storeys high, making it Yorkshire’s tallest building, as well as the world’s tallest student only accommodation building.
Boasting jaw dropping, panoramic views of the city, these aren't just your average student flats.
There's a roof terrace, private dining rooms, games room, gym, you name it - they've got it.
Image: Supplied
Lindsay Hamilton, general manager of Fusion Students Leeds said: “I honestly wish I could go back to being a student just so I could live here. It’s such an incredible space, with so much to offer residents.
“You can see how excited they are when they come for a tour, but what’s been really lovely is seeing how much they actually use and benefit from the space once they move in. It’s much more than just somewhere to live, it’s a space that really supports them.”
Image: Supplied
Speaking about the new opening, Laura Kurt, Managing Director for Fusion Students said: “Whilst we’re thrilled to have the accolades of tallest PBSA building and Yorkshire’s tallest building, what we’re really proud about is the incredible building we’ve been able to create for students coming to study in Leeds.
"This is a very special building, carefully designed to provide everything students need to get the most out of their journey through higher education. From industry leading amenities such as recording and photography studios, to wrap around care and support, to make settling into a new city, making friends and leaving with the best outcomes possible, that’s really what Fusion Students Leeds is all about."
Emily Sergeant -
6th June 2022 
