{"id":1805,"date":"2023-07-27T13:49:35","date_gmt":"2023-07-27T12:49:35","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/research.reading.ac.uk\/engagement-and-impact\/?p=1805"},"modified":"2025-05-01T12:59:23","modified_gmt":"2025-05-01T11:59:23","slug":"shaping-thought-on-flexible-working","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/research.reading.ac.uk\/engagement-and-impact\/shaping-thought-on-flexible-working\/","title":{"rendered":"Shaping thought on flexible working"},"content":{"rendered":"

[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]Henley Business School research on how the pandemic has changed uptake of the four-day working week has reached around 82.5 million people through a hugely successful media campaign, establishing Reading as the go-to place for media commentary on flexible working.<\/strong>[\/vc_column_text][vc_video link=”https:\/\/youtu.be\/g_MF2rVjNQQ”][vc_column_text]Insightful research on how the pandemic affected UK businesses\u2019 uptake of the four-day working week has made Henley Business School the first port of call for journalists seeking expert comment on flexible working.<\/p>\n

Dr Rita Fontinha and Professor James T. Walker surveyed 2,000 employees and 500 business leaders in 2019 and 2021 and their in-depth report showed that the pandemic saw a 15% rise in businesses bringing in a four-day work week. The research also showed that the combined savings to UK businesses adopting a four-day work week was almost \u00a3104 billion in 2021, or 2.2% of total annual turnover, up from \u00a392 billion before the pandemic.<\/p>\n

Fontinha and Walker\u2019s findings have exploded across the global stage, reaching an estimated 82.5 million people across 12 countries through 146 pieces of coverage, including in The Times, The i and BBC online. The research has also featured in high profile business publications on the topic by Forbes, MIT Sloan Management and Microsoft.<\/p>\n

Commentary has now turned to action on a national scale: Fontinha is coordinating a Portuguese national trial of the four-day week. This partnership – between the Portuguese government, research institutes and the non-profit 4 Day Week Global – looks set to keep the research in the media spotlight in Portugal and beyond.[\/vc_column_text][vc_column_text]\u201cDr Rita Fontinha and Professor James T. Walker have conducted the first survey on the attitudes of managers and workers towards the four-day week in the UK. I was very impressed with the quality of their research, so when I was invited by the Portuguese government to coordinate their four-day week trial, I did not hesitate to reach out and ultimately invite Dr Rita Fontinha to co-coordinate the project.\u201d <\/strong>\u2014\u00a0Dr Pedro Gomes, Reader in Economics at Birkbeck, University of London, and Coordinator of the Portuguese Pilot of the Four Day Week[\/vc_column_text][vc_cta h2=”” h4=”Judges’ comment”]\u201cStrategic use of the media led to significant reach that has enhanced public understanding of the value and uptake of the four-day week with promising impact evidenced by the Portuguese trial.\u201d[\/vc_cta][vc_column_text]Project name: <\/strong>The four-day week: The pandemic and the evolution of flexible working<\/p>\n

Team: <\/strong>Rita Fontinha and James Walker<\/p>\n

Partners (on the Portuguese pilot)<\/strong><\/p>\n