Unity is the first UK PR agency to join the 4 Day Week Global scheme; beginning from 1st June 2022, it will join 60 other UK businesses adopting a four-day week pilot scheme.

The female-led agency will continue to be open five days a week in order to fully service clients, however, employees will split their days to ensure all benefit from a shorter week.

Unity’s four-day week trial shows that it is a possibility for others in the fast-paced public relations and communications sector, with firms often expected to provide clients with constant support – and if successful, would mark a big step toward greater job flexibility in service-based sectors generally.

Unity follows other businesses that are testing out the four-day workweek under the 4 Day Week Global scheme, including Canon UK. Back in January 2022, it announced it would begin the trial in June. They are set to trial the shorter week with no loss of pay across its 140 strong team.

Other major organisations that have trialled the four-day workweek generally include Unilever, which has extended a trial for workers in New Zealand until June 2022.

UK-based retail banking organisation Atom Bank implemented the four-day workweek permanently in late 2021.

Last year, the results of a major four-day workweek trial in Iceland were released, which included 1% of the country’s population that trialled it. The results were positive, with those involved being at least as productive, if not more, when working a shorter week.

The 4 Day Week – Global initiative has been launched globally, with the aim to encourage businesses, employees, researchers, and governments to consider this alternative working style that could create a healthier work-life balance, and happier, more productive teams.

In this current environment, with companies increasingly competing for talent, should the trial be successful, being able to offer a four-day workweek could be a key recruitment and retention tool.

Samantha Losey, Managing Director at Unity said: “Team is the beginning, middle and end of every successful business and the opportunity to be part of trialling something which has so radically impacted staff wellbeing in other business was a no brainer for us. We are focused on walking the walk and couldn’t be more excited to see the data and impact that comes out of our involvement with the trial. We hope we the team will never look back.”

Sophy Norris, Managing Director at Unity added: “We work in an industry which is all too often judged by the time we deliver, when we at Unity know we should be measured by the value we bring to clients.

“To be one of the very few companies to be selected to take part in this ground-breaking pilot, a scheme which focuses on outcomes, not inputs, and recognises that productivity is measured by an individual’s effort, and not by how long they sit at their desk, feels momentous, and a step-change in how we run our business and support our team.

“We’re in the very early stages, but the excitement from the team and the support from our clients have been fantastic.”

In this article, you learned that:

• Unity is the first UK PR agency to join the 4 Day Week Global scheme.
• They will ensure all staff get a shorter week while maintaining a five-day week operation.
• Unity joins the likes of Canon UK in the scheme, which will begin in June 2022.