Noah Moussa
The idea of a week of four days rather than five is gaining ground in Europe. Experiments are being carried out in different countries. The results of a recent British test have just been revealed and the results are more than positive. After a trial, 92% of them decided to keep the four-day week.
61 British companies in the healthcare, banking and hotel sectors tested the 34-hour four-day week for six months. After this test, 92% of them decided to keep it. The idea is gaining ground in Belgium, Spain, but also in France. In France, 400 companies, including Mamie Nova, Fleury Michon and Gîtes de France, have taken part in the game by going to 32 hours and without lowering wages.
A way to retain employees
For Pierre Larrouturou, the MEP who has been leading this project for years, companies choose to set up this system to retain their employees. “If employees are more comfortable, we can retain them more. They stay there, they won’t go elsewhere,” he says. “In many companies that have gone to four days, we see that absenteeism is falling and so it’s good for the company.”
Accenture is experimenting with a four-day week
Accenture is the most prominent example. The consulting company with more than 60,000 employees offers a four-day week without reduced working hours. A first assessment of the experience will be unveiled in the coming weeks.