A four-day working week is … working.
That is the message coming from the companies shifting to four-day working weeks in pilot programmes run by the non-profit 4 Day Week Global.
A survey out on Tuesday found that 78 per cent of leaders at the more than 70 UK companies that shifted to four-day schedules said their transition was good or “seamless”.
Only 2 per cent found it challenging. Most (88 per cent) said that four-day schedules are working well.
The idea of a four-day working week is no joke. California lawmakers recently considered, and then shelved, plans for a statewide four-day working week for some employees.
A survey by Gartner found a shorter week to be a favoured recruitment and retention strategy.
Six-month pilot programmes with more than 180 companies are currently under way in a half-dozen countries.
Employers typically transition to four-day, 32-hour schedules (with variations depending on role and industry), with no reduction in pay.
In the UK pilot, executives at companies with a total of 3,300 employees were surveyed at the halfway point.
The programme is operated in conjunction with the 4 Day Week Campaign and the think tank Autonomy, along with a data collection partnership of researchers at Boston College, Cambridge University and Oxford University.
Nearly all the participating UK organisations (86 per cent) said they would likely keep four-day schedules after the pilots finish in November. Almost half, 49 per cent, said that productivity had improved, while 46 per cent said it had remained stable.
“It’s extremely encouraging to see that,” said Joe O’Connor, chief executive of 4 Day Week Global, which had expected organisations to show steadier output.
“We would see it as a big productivity success if productivity stayed the same.”
Pilot studies are continuing in the UK, US, New Zealand, Australia, Ireland and Canada.
Not all the organisations that begin the trials complete them, Mr O’Connor said.
Roughly one in five employers drop out, more than half during the pre-planning stage.
Executives who have undertaken the pilot studies said they face the dual challenge of overcoming staff and industry five-day norms, alongside the tricky task of removing improving work processes to achieve the same output in four days.
When companies drop out in the planning phase, “the primary reason is the leadership overthinking it and getting cold feet”, Mr O’Connor said.
Top 20 global cities with best work-life balance - in pictures
“They start trying to fix every possible problem before they actually run their trial, which is impossible, because a lot of the productivity gains and process improvements are ground up and led by teams.”
Mr O'Connor also reported difficulties among companies with cultures of mistrust between leaders and employees.
“They think they’ve got an open, bottom-up style of decision-making, but in practice, that might not be so,” he said.
Growing pains are part of the process.
“It wasn’t a walk in the park at the start, but no major change ever is,” said Nicci Russell, managing director of Waterwise, a non-profit focused on reducing water consumption.
“We have all had to work at it — things like annual leave can make it harder to fit everything in. But the team are pretty happy, and we certainly all love the extra day out of the office.”
Once on four-day schedules, the companies that struggle are often very small and in fields that necessitate five- or seven-day shift coverage. This requires precise scheduling among small numbers of staff.
The gift company Bookishly, for example, continues to tinker with staffing during busy times.
Organisations also abandon truncated schedule efforts when hit with unexpected changes, such as new leadership or financial changes.
The UK trial participants range across sectors, such as education, media, hospitality and health care. They include Charity Bank, the supply chain transparency company Everledger, the customer communication platform Secure Digital Exchange, and the Royal Society of Biology.
Mr O’Connor has learnt that when companies do not need him any longer, things are going well.
MWTC info
Tickets to the MWTC range from Dh100 and can be purchased from www.ticketmaster.ae or by calling 800 86 823 from within the UAE or 971 4 366 2289 from outside the country and all Virgin Megastores. Fans looking to attend all three days of the MWTC can avail of a special 20 percent discount on ticket prices.
Why are asylum seekers being housed in hotels?
The number of asylum applications in the UK has reached a new record high, driven by those illegally entering the country in small boats crossing the English Channel.
A total of 111,084 people applied for asylum in the UK in the year to June 2025, the highest number for any 12-month period since current records began in 2001.
Asylum seekers and their families can be housed in temporary accommodation while their claim is assessed.
The Home Office provides the accommodation, meaning asylum seekers cannot choose where they live.
When there is not enough housing, the Home Office can move people to hotels or large sites like former military bases.
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
KILLING OF QASSEM SULEIMANI
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What the law says
Micro-retirement is not a recognised concept or employment status under Federal Decree Law No. 33 of 2021 on the Regulation of Labour Relations (as amended) (UAE Labour Law). As such, it reflects a voluntary work-life balance practice, rather than a recognised legal employment category, according to Dilini Loku, senior associate for law firm Gateley Middle East.
“Some companies may offer formal sabbatical policies or career break programmes; however, beyond such arrangements, there is no automatic right or statutory entitlement to extended breaks,” she explains.
“Any leave taken beyond statutory entitlements, such as annual leave, is typically regarded as unpaid leave in accordance with Article 33 of the UAE Labour Law. While employees may legally take unpaid leave, such requests are subject to the employer’s discretion and require approval.”
If an employee resigns to pursue micro-retirement, the employment contract is terminated, and the employer is under no legal obligation to rehire the employee in the future unless specific contractual agreements are in place (such as return-to-work arrangements), which are generally uncommon, Ms Loku adds.
Specs
Engine: Duel electric motors
Power: 659hp
Torque: 1075Nm
On sale: Available for pre-order now
Price: On request
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MATCH INFO
Uefa Champions League semi-finals, second leg:
Liverpool (0) v Barcelona (3), Tuesday, 11pm UAE
Game is on BeIN Sports
Specs
Engine: Dual-motor all-wheel-drive electric
Range: Up to 610km
Power: 905hp
Torque: 985Nm
Price: From Dh439,000
Available: Now
Infiniti QX80 specs
Engine: twin-turbocharged 3.5-liter V6
Power: 450hp
Torque: 700Nm
Price: From Dh450,000, Autograph model from Dh510,000
Available: Now
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Lexus LX700h specs
Engine: 3.4-litre twin-turbo V6 plus supplementary electric motor
Power: 464hp at 5,200rpm
Torque: 790Nm from 2,000-3,600rpm
Transmission: 10-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 11.7L/100km
On sale: Now
Price: From Dh590,000
'The Batman'
Stars:Robert Pattinson
Director:Matt Reeves
Rating: 5/5
Mohammed bin Zayed Majlis
Alita: Battle Angel
Director: Robert Rodriguez
Stars: Rosa Salazar, Christoph Waltz, Keean Johnson
Four stars
TOP 5 DRIVERS 2019
1 Lewis Hamilton, Mercedes, 10 wins 387 points
2 Valtteri Bottas, Mercedes, 4 wins, 314 points
3 Max Verstappen, Red Bull, 3 wins, 260 points
4 Charles Leclerc, Ferrari, 2 wins, 249 points
5 Sebastian Vettel, Ferrari, 1 win, 230 points
Dr Amal Khalid Alias revealed a recent case of a woman with daughters, who specifically wanted a boy.
A semen analysis of the father showed abnormal sperm so the couple required IVF.
Out of 21 eggs collected, six were unused leaving 15 suitable for IVF.
A specific procedure was used, called intracytoplasmic sperm injection where a single sperm cell is inserted into the egg.
On day three of the process, 14 embryos were biopsied for gender selection.
The next day, a pre-implantation genetic report revealed four normal male embryos, three female and seven abnormal samples.
Day five of the treatment saw two male embryos transferred to the patient.
The woman recorded a positive pregnancy test two weeks later.
Honeymoonish
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The five pillars of Islam
1. Fasting
2. Prayer
3. Hajj
4. Shahada
5. Zakat
RESULTS
5pm: Maiden | Dh80,000 | 1,600m
Winner: AF Al Moreeb, Tadhg O’Shea (jockey), Ernst Oertel (trainer)
5.30pm: Handicap | Dh80,000 | 1,600m
Winner: AF Makerah, Adrie de Vries, Ernst Oertel
6pm: Handicap | Dh80,000 | 2,200m
Winner: Hazeme, Richard Mullen, Jean de Roualle
6.30pm: Handicap | Dh85,000 | 2,200m
Winner: AF Yatroq, Brett Doyle, Ernst Oertel
7pm: Shadwell Farm for Private Owners Handicap | Dh70,000 | 2,200m
Winner: Nawwaf KB, Patrick Cosgrave, Helal Al Alawi
7.30pm: Handicap (TB) | Dh100,000 | 1,600m
Winner: Treasured Times, Bernardo Pinheiro, Rashed Bouresly
The specs
Engine: Four electric motors, one at each wheel
Power: 579hp
Torque: 859Nm
Transmission: Single-speed automatic
Price: From Dh825,900
On sale: Now
Dhadak 2
Director: Shazia Iqbal
Starring: Siddhant Chaturvedi, Triptii Dimri
Rating: 1/5
War 2
Director: Ayan Mukerji
Stars: Hrithik Roshan, NTR, Kiara Advani, Ashutosh Rana
Rating: 2/5
The design
The protective shell is covered in solar panels to make use of light and produce energy. This will drastically reduce energy loss.
More than 80 per cent of the energy consumed by the French pavilion will be produced by the sun.
The architecture will control light sources to provide a highly insulated and airtight building.
The forecourt is protected from the sun and the plants will refresh the inner spaces.
A micro water treatment plant will recycle used water to supply the irrigation for the plants and to flush the toilets. This will reduce the pavilion’s need for fresh water by 30 per cent.
Energy-saving equipment will be used for all lighting and projections.
Beyond its use for the expo, the pavilion will be easy to dismantle and reuse the material.
Some elements of the metal frame can be prefabricated in a factory.
From architects to sound technicians and construction companies, a group of experts from 10 companies have created the pavilion.
Work will begin in May; the first stone will be laid in Dubai in the second quarter of 2019.
Construction of the pavilion will take 17 months from May 2019 to September 2020.
