Are four-day working weeks the way forward? (Picture: Getty)

A four-day working week is now a permanent perk at more than 100 companies and organisations across the UK.

That amounts to 2,600 staff from sectors including manufacturing, architecture, technology, retail, housing, marketing, construction and events – and they all have reduced hours with no loss of pay.

It is only a fraction of the UK’s working population, but it’s hoped it will kickstart a major shift in the way Britain approaches work.

Firms backing a four-day week say it’s driving higher productivity, with the same output achieved in fewer hours.

It also appears to be a good way of retaining employees, as well as attracting new staff hoping for a better work-life balance.

The two biggest organisations signed up are Atom Bank and global marketing company Awin, who each have about 450 staff in the UK.

They have been accredited by the four-day week campaign, which grades companies with a 32-hour week as gold standard and a 35-hour week as silver.

These companies are separate from a major four-day week pilot, involving 3,300 staff at 70 UK companies.

The six-month trial is due to end next month, with the results expected in February.

Adam Ross, CEO of Awin, said bringing in a four-day week has been ‘one of the most transformative initiatives we’ve seen in the history of the company’.

He added: ‘Over the course of the last year and a half, we have not only seen a tremendous increase in employee wellness and well-being but concurrently, our customer service and relations, as well as talent relations and retention also have benefitted.’

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Are four-day working weeks the way forward?