Scotland is set to launch pilot schemes that will allow selected civil servants to transition to a four-day workweek. These pilot programs will be implemented in various government departments and agencies and seek to explore the feasibility and advantages of a shorter workweek.
The 2023-24 Programme for Government (PfG) outlines this initiative, which details the Scottish government’s plans for the upcoming year and aims to evaluate the potential benefits of reduced working hours.
The main objective of the pilot program, as stated in the document, is to assess the impact on well-being, the environment, and productivity that can be achieved by adopting a four-day workweek in the public sector.
The pilot program is expected to run for approximately one year and may involve arm’s-length bodies rather than ministerial departments. Some government enterprise agencies, responsible for fostering economic development in Scottish regions, have shown interest in participating in the trial.
Last year, the United Kingdom conducted its largest-ever trial of the four-day workweek. Nearly 3,000 employees across 61 organizations embraced a shorter workweek for six months. The majority of employers chose to keep the four-day workweek model after the experiment concluded. They attributed their decision to increased revenues, reduced staff turnover, and mitigated worker burnout as the main drivers of their choice.
Similar trials conducted in the United States, Ireland, and Australia have produced comparable results, further supporting the case for a shorter workweek. These findings suggest that such a shift not only benefits the workforce but also offers advantages to organizations in terms of improved productivity and employee well-being.
