Scotland is the latest country to begin trials for a four-day workweek
Scotland is set to introduce pilot schemes that will let select civil servants to transition to a four-day workweek. The pilot programs are slated for various government departments and agencies and are aimed at exploring the feasibility and benefits of a reduced workweek.
This initiative, outlined in the 2023-24 Programme for Government (PfG), details the government's plans for the upcoming year and aims to evaluate the potential benefits of reduced working hours.
The pilot program's main objective, as stated in the document, is to assess the well-being, environmental impact, and productivity gains that could be achieved through the adoption of a four-day workweek in the public sector.
The pilot is expected to run for approximately one year and may involve arm's-length bodies rather than ministerial departments. Certain government enterprise agencies, responsible for fostering economic development in Scottish regions, have expressed interest in participating in the trial.
The United Kingdom conducted its largest-ever trial of the four-day workweek just last year. Nearly 3,000 employees across 61 organizations embraced a shorter workweek for six months. The majority of employers opted to retain the four-day workweek model when the experiment concluded. They attributed this decision to increased revenues, reduced staff turnover, and mitigated worker burnout as the key drivers of their choice.
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Similar trials conducted in the United States, Ireland, and
