What if your employer adopted a 4 day work week?

Busy in the office, busy at home? ​

What would you think if your employer adopted a 4 day work week, giving you a non-work day a week for the same salary?

Join us on the 8th -9th November to explore how you could imagine a (working) week supporting a happier self and your loved ones.​

1. Get inspired by the latest research on flexible work and the 4 day work-week​ through short talks by scholars
2. Use LEGO and cardboard building blocks to (re)design work & non-work time and space ​in a relaxed and fun way
3. Already living the dream? Share your well-designed work week​ experiences with us!

From tiny hands to big imaginations, everyone’s welcome to help shape the future of work. Come dream, build, and play — grown-ups and kids alike!

The workshops are taking place 11am-12pm on Saturday and Sunday, 8-9 November, giving you the chance for hands-on design of your week.

We will be at the ECCI throughout the weekend:

If you cannot make it to the workshops, simply drop in between 10am-3pm to discover our fantastic research and chat over some coffee and cake!

Who's organising the event?

We are a team of researchers who feel passionate about supporting employees. We would like to see everyone thrive professionally as well as enjoy a good work-life balance. We know from the literature that flexible work arrangements could help to this end, although not always. This prompted us to explore more on how flexibility can be done “right”.

Our recent collaboration with a local firm offers a close-up view of how “flexibility done right” works in practice. Specifically, we explored the results of a shorter work week for both employees and the firm collecting data from different informants and by different means over time.

When organisations debate flexible working, two doubts dominate: will productivity slip and will the culture fray? Our research suggests neither fear is inevitable. By moving from a 37.5-hour schedule to a 34-hour, four-and-a-half-day week, the company kept output steady, boosted wellbeing and saw impressive retention rates.

Meet our team: Dr Lila Skountridaki, Professor Kristina Potočnik, Professor Michelle O'Toole

This event is part of the Edinburgh Festival of Social Science Weekend, organised by the Economic and Social Research Council, please see the full events page to discover what else you can explore: https://festivalofsocialscience.com/events/edinburgh-festival-of-social-science-weekend/