London: The pilot project of the Four Day Working Week has started in Britain (UK New Working Culture) on Tuesday. Private companies and organizations are involved in this six-month project. Companies will conduct a 4-day-week trial without any reduction in the salaries of the employees based on the 100:80:100 model. Under the 100:80:100 model, the staff will be given 100% salary for 80% of the working time, so that they are motivated to maintain 100% productivity.
The pilot project is being trialed in partnership with 4 Day Week Global, the think tank Autonomy, and researchers from Cambridge University, Oxford University Boston College. According to the report of ‘The Sun’, the UK pilot project will run parallel to similar programs run by 4 Day Week Global. Programs of 4 Day Week Global are also being run this year in the USA, Ireland, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand. According to a statement, the governments of Scotland and Spain have also started a four-day week of testing.
Researchers will work with every company and organization participating in this project. He will emphasize increasing the productivity and skills of the staff. It will also work with organizations to measure the impact on the environment and gender equality.
Debate on reducing working hours has been going on since 1930
The idea of reducing working days in a week is not new. It started during the economic recession of 1930 when the model of working 5 days a week i.e. 40 hours was adopted. In the 1920s-30s, Henry Ford, the owner of the Ford Company, also reduced the working hours.
Germany started the scheme under the name ‘Kuzerbet’
During the 2008 global economic downturn, Germany ran a short-term work plan called ‘Kuzerbeit’. Under this, instead of firing the employees, their working hours were reduced. During the general elections in Britain last year, the Labor Party there promised to provide 4 days or 32 hours of work a week without any salary cut for the next 10 years.
Microsoft started the project in Japan
At the same time, Microsoft started giving four days of work and three days off in 2019 as an experiment in its Japan office. Some French companies also adopted this model. New Zealand company Perpetual Guardian is also using work four days a week, which the New Zealand government is closely monitoring. If this model is successful, then it will be implemented across the country.
