The four-day working week has always been controversial. While many have claimed that working fewer days in a row can increase productivity and job satisfaction while reducing cases of burnout, businesses have often been hesitant about paying their workers the same wages for – as some see it – less work.

However, those behind the trial – thinktank Autonomy and researchers from the University of Cambridge, the University of Salford and Boston College in the US – suggest that “many of the significant benefits found during the initial trial have persisted 12 months on”. Almost all (96%) of staff said their personal life had benefited, and 86% felt they performed better at work, while 38% felt their organisation had become more efficient, with 24% saying it had helped with caring responsibilities.

The even better news is that the trial isn’t the only glowing endorsement – a pilot programme in Spain also found that the four-day working week significantly benefitted workers’ health.

A 4-day week has been made permanent for most UK firms who took part in the world’s biggest trial