The majority of UK companies that took part in the world’s largest four-day work pilot have said they will continue with it now the trial has ended.
More than 60 businesses and 3,300 workers signed up to the trial which was run by 4 Day Week Global, in partnership with think tank Autonomy, the 4 Day Week UK Campaign and a number of university researchers.
The companies involved spanned from a variety of industries - with companies in banking, hospitality, care, IT, software training, and even animation studios taking part in the trial.
The trial began in June 2022 and ran for a total of six-months before it was brought to a close earlier this year.
Staff taking part in the trial were given 100% of their pay for 80% of their time on the understanding that they maintain maximum productivity over the four days.
With the trial now complete, the feedback from participating companies provided, and the results determined, 4 Day Week Global has revealed that almost every organisation from the trial will stick to a four-day week – with 91% saying they will definitely continue or are planning to continue, and a further 4% leaning towards continuing.
IT WORKS.
⁃ 92% of companies keep it ⁃ Burnout down by 71% ⁃ Sick days down by 65% ⁃ Revenue up 1.4% on avg.
No question about it - the UK’s 4-day week trial was a 𝙝𝙪𝙜𝙚 success.
Only 4% of participating organisations in the UK said they wouldn’t continue.
Companies rated their overall experience of the six-month trial an average of 8.5 out of 10.
Business productivity and business performance each scored 7.5 out of 10, while revenue rose by 35% over the trial period when compared to similar periods from the previous year, and hiring increased and employee absentees decreased.
The health and wellbeing of employees also improved, according to 4 Day Week Global – with significant increases in physical and mental health, time spent exercising, and overall life and job satisfaction.
Rates of stress, burnout, and fatigue all fell, and problems with sleep declined.
Environmental outcomes were also encouraging, according to those running the campaign – with commuting time falling by an average of half an hour per week.
Speaking on the success of the trial, leader researcher Professor Juliet Schor of Boston College says she saw an “encouraging consistency” in the data, and added that: “Results are largely steady across workplaces of varying sizes, demonstrating this is an innovation which works for many types of organisations.
“There are also some interesting differences. We found that employees in non-profits and professional services had a larger average increase in time spent exercising, while those in construction and manufacturing enjoyed the largest reductions in burnout and sleep problems.”
Overall, 4 Day Week Global says the trial has been a “huge success” and a “massive breakthrough” – which ultimately signals “good news for the future of work”.
The campaign’s co-founder and managing director, Charlotte Lockhart, said the organisation is looking forward to adding its Australasian pilot results to the UK data “in the coming weeks”, as well as the results from the European, South African, Brazilian, and North American trials over the next couple of months.
The much-loved North Leeds Food Festival is back for 2026, and its spring return marks a very special anniversary.
We're getting hungry just thinking about it.
Taking place in less than a fortnight, North Leeds Food Fest marks its 10th birthday early next month, with this year's programme set to be one of the biggest yet.
We're lucky enough to see a lot of wonderful things within Roundhay Park every single year, but this might just be one of our absolute favourites.
Not to speak for all of you, but we're sure plenty of West Yorkshire would agree.
Held on the expansive Soldiers' Field section of the stunning outdoor space, more than a full decade on from the very first iteration of the festival, punters can expect free-flowing drinks, music rolling across the park, and LOTS of food to be enjoyed.
Both dog and family-friendly, too, it's already shaping up to be one of the best fun-for-all-ages weekends of the entire year.
Writing in a teaser on socials, the organisers said: "We’ve been working away behind the scenes to bring a fresh look and feel for 2026, so you can expect some surprises for our big birthday."
Consider our interest piqued and our tummies already rumbling...
The same spotlights will be shining on native independents serving up some of the region's best street food, and you can expect some top-notch drinks from Leeds locals, too.
It's pretty hard to believe it's been 10 whole years since this first started and how far it's come. Here's a longer look at how the last edition went down:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yqSxSj-dQsA&t=2s
Some of the indie enjoyment being teased includes wood-fired pizza, crispy fried chicken, fresh cocktails and a full 'Ale House' pouring from start to finish, as well as "vibrant curries and desserts worth saving space for".
There'll also be artisan markets, a live cookery theatre hosted by Yorkshire chef, consultant and Great British Menu star, Stephanie Moon, lots of live tunes, a whole host of kids' activities, stand-up comedy and tonnes more.
Scheduled for Saturday, 9 May 2026 from 10am and wrapping up on the following (10 May) around 7pm, the doors will be open from 10am on the first day, so you'd better make the most of the celebrations.
Claire’s shutting down all standalone shops in UK and Ireland
Danny Jones
In another hit to the high streets, Claire's Accessories is shutting up shop across the UK and Ireland after entering into administration yet again.
Falling into an unfortunate financial status for the second time in less than a year, Claire's will be shutting down all of their standalone stores across Britain, along with their IE branches.
A total of 154 stores will soon disappear, with more than a thousand people set to be put out of work.
Once a mainstay up and down the country, the accessory shop known for all things jewellery, piercings and more has ceased trading effective immediately.
Announced at the start of the week and the end of the first full month of Q2, it was confirmed that Claire's closed their final locations on Monday, 27 April.
With administrators, Kroll, appointed to wrap up business proceedings, an estimated 1,300 English, Irish, Scottish and Welsh workers have now lost their jobs.
Founded in America way back in 1961, Claire's has enjoyed a presence across the Atlantic for more than three decades.
However, with various other contemporaries and cheaper online options having appeared over the years, they've struggled not just to remain profitable but to compete full stop.
They filed for bankruptcy in the US in August 2025 after having already concluded operations in Spain, Belgium, and the Netherlands.
For many, the outcome isn't all that surprising, but it will nevertheless be a sad loss for many who have seen multiple generations visit these venues over the years.
The Hoot -
23rd February 2023 
