Four-Day Work Week Pilot Deemed A Success In Scottish Public Sector Trial

A Scottish Government trial of a four-day work week across two public sector organisations has been judged a success, according to research carried out by the Autonomy Institute. The pilot took place at South of Scotland Enterprise and the Accountant in Bankruptcy, with both agencies reducing staff working hours without any reduction in pay.

The evaluation found that the shift to a shorter working week was highly popular with staff and delivered measurable wellbeing benefits while maintaining productivity levels. At the Accountant in Bankruptcy, self-reported mental health improved by 18.4 per cent, with similar gains in fatigue and burnout, while nearly half of employees reported higher satisfaction with personal time.

At South of Scotland Enterprise, the proportion of staff describing themselves as “very satisfied” with their work-life balance rose from 4 per cent before the trial to 84 per cent at its conclusion. More than 80 per cent said stress had been reduced and almost all respondents reported improvements in motivation and morale.

The trial was structured so that days off were staggered across the week to ensure operational continuity. Staff could also be recalled on non-working days if necessary. Both organisations requested and were granted extensions to the pilot, continuing the four-day pattern for six months at South of Scotland Enterprise and two months at the Accountant in Bankruptcy.

Finance minister Ivan McKee confirmed the Government will not be extending the policy more widely “at this time” but highlighted the value of the lessons learned. He said: “While the Scottish Government and its agencies will not be moving to a 32-hour week at this time, the pilot has identified several examples of more efficient and innovative working practices which will be made available to the wider public sector to help drive reform.”

He thanked staff at both organisations for demonstrating the benefits of new working models, including closer collaboration and skill-sharing. The minister added that flexible working remains a priority, noting the recent introduction of a 35-hour week framework.

Will Stronge, chief executive of the Autonomy Institute, said the results show the four-day week can deliver tangible benefits in the public sector as well as the private sector. He said: “Both the workers and employers involved are thriving. Until now, much of the research into four-day working weeks has been focused on the private sector. However, these groundbreaking results show that the public sector can reap similar benefits, including improved productivity, employee well-being, and work-life balance.”

He added that as AI adoption accelerates across industries, shorter working weeks could provide a practical way of ensuring workers benefit from efficiency gains.