More than 200,000 UK workers switch to four-day week since 2019
More than 100,000 workers in the UK have switched to a full-time four-day week since the pandemic, in a further sign of the revolution in the world of work inspired by Covid, according to an analysis.Nearly 1.4 million people said they worked full-time on four days of the week between October and December 2024, an increase of more than 100,000 compared with the same period in 2019, when 1.29 million reported this work schedule, according to figures from the Office for National Statistics (ONS).Campaigners and some economists say a four-day week benefits workers by giving them more time to relax and putting less strain on their mental health, while helping businesses by making their staff more motivated and facilitating recruitment and retention.
A further 100,000 people said they worked a part-time four-day week between October and December 2024 compared with the same period in 2019,As a result, the percentage of people in the UK who report working a four-day week has climbed from 9,8% in the final three months of 2019 to 10,9%, representing 2,7 million across full- and part-time work.
The figures do not make clear whether those taking advantage of shorter working weeks have compressed their hours or have taken a pay cut to do so.The 4 Day Week Foundation, which campaigns for more businesses to take up shorter working weeks with no loss of pay for staff, has reported that more than 420 companies, employing more than 12,000 workers, have adopted a four-day week since the pandemic.This is based on the number of companies that have signed up to the foundation’s employer accreditation scheme and those who have publicised their adoption of a shorter week.The foundation is calling for a four-day, 32-hour working week to become normal in Britain for all employees, without requiring a reduction in salary.Sam Hunt, the business network coordinator at the 4 Day Week Foundation, said: “The nine to five, five-day week is a century-old model that no longer fits the way we live and work today.
We’re long overdue an update.A four-day week with no loss of pay is about freedom – the freedom to live happier, healthier and more fulfilling lives.”The pandemic upended the world of work for many professionals, turning hybrid working into the “new normal” for more than a quarter of working adults in Great Britain, according to ONS figures.However, the continued tug-of-war between employers and their employees has meant some workers have had to battle for the right to keep working from home in the face of return-to-office mandates, let alone reduce their number of working days.One local authority is leading the charge.
South Cambridgeshire district council voted last month to permanently adopt a four-day week, becoming the first UK council to do so.Its 700 staff are able to opt in to the scheme, where they are expected to carry out 100% of their work in about 80% of their contracted hours, with no reduction in pay.After a 27-month trial, the council said it had recorded faster planning applications, housing repairs and benefits processing.In addition, it said it had improved staff motivation, reduced turnover and made an annual saving of nearly £400,000 by filling vacancies permanently rather than relying on expensive agency workers.It is understood several other councils are trialling a four-day week.
South Cambridgeshire district council had come under pressure to drop its trial by the previous Conservative government, which issued guidance stating it did not support a four-day working week in local authorities and said it did “not believe that it delivers local taxpayers value for money”,However, the Labour government withdrew the guidance in November,Instead, it said local authorities were “independent employers” who were “rightly responsible for the management and organisation of their own workforces”,Several senior Labour politicians, including the deputy prime minister, Angela Rayner, have voiced support for a four-day week, although the party has not embraced the policy since coming to power,The Scottish government launched a four-day week pilot in early 2024 and the results of the year-long trial involving two public sector bodies are expected to be published soon.
Marketing and technology companies and charities have been in the vanguard of adopting four-day weeks so far, according to research by the 4 Day Week Foundation.
Hundreds of TikTok UK moderator jobs at risk despite new online safety rules
TikTok has put hundreds of UK content moderators’ jobs at risk, even as tighter rules come into effect to stop the spread of harmful material online.The viral video app said several hundred jobs in its trust and safety team could be affected in the UK, as well as south and south-east Asia, as part of a global reorganisation.Their work will be reallocated to other European offices and third-party providers, with some trust and safety jobs remaining in the UK, the company said.It is part of a wider move at TikTok to rely on artificial intelligence for moderation. More than 85% of the content removed for violating its community guidelines is identified and taken down by automation, according to the platform
There’s an app for that: finding a sunny cafe in Paris, the city of light
In August, Paris is uncharacteristically quiet as hordes of residents scatter to the country’s beaches and coasts for a yearly month of vacation. Businesses close and the city nearly grinds to a halt. Among those who remain, there is an eternal, quintessentially Parisian quest: hunting for a balmy terrasse bathed in sunlight for an evening apéritif.Finding the perfect seat on the pavement outside a cafe may be a matter of a chance stroll or a timely text from a friend. This summer, though, a digital solution has gained popularity in an extremely French instance of the old Apple slogan “there’s an app for that”: Jveuxdusoleil, an app that tracks the sun’s movement through the city’s maze of buildings to pinpoint exactly where you can claim a sunny spot on a terrace for your coffee
Australian livestreaming platform Kick broadcast a man’s death – could it face repercussions from regulators?
The death of a man in France that was livestreamed on online platform Kick has sparked a police investigation and calls for regulators to examine what happened and how it was allowed to be beamed out live on the internet. What is Kick, what happened, and what could happen next?Raphaël Graven, 46, from southern France and known online as Jean Pormanove, had built a profile on Kick, where he had reportedly gained over a million followers.He died during an extended live stream on the platform this week. Leading up to his death, he was allegedly physically assaulted and humiliated by co-streamers as viewers watched. Excerpts of hours-long videos, which the Guardian has seen, appear to show Graven being hit, insulted, strangled, and shot at with a paintball gun
Google launches Pixel 10 with AI tools that anticipate users’ needs
Google’s latest Gemini AI upgrades attempt to anticipate what useful information you made need from your life to address a potential issue, make you to better photographer or become your personalised health and sleep coach.Shipping on the just-announced Pixel 10 Android phones, the new Magic Cue feature enables the chatbot to comb through your digital life and pull up relevant information on your phone just when you need it.Placing a call to an airline will automatically display your booking information from Gmail in the phone app. Or when a friend texts about brunch on Sunday Gemini will suggest a suitable coffee shop and show your calendar in line with your messages.The feature is part of a series of artificial intelligence upgrades for the newly announced Pixel 10, 10 Pro and 10 Pro Fold phones
Microsoft workers occupy HQ in protest against company’s ties to Israeli military
Dozens of Microsoft employees occupied the company’s east campus in Redmond, Washington to protest against what they say is the use of its software by the Israeli military to carry out operations in Gaza and enable the surveillance of Palestinians.Less than a week after the company said it was launching an independent investigation into the use of its Azure software, current and former staff occupied a space they declared the “Free Zone”, holding placards that read “Join The Worker Intifada – No Labor for Genocide” and “Martyred Palestinian Children’s Plaza”.The protests, organised by the No Azure for Genocide group, has demanded Microsoft divest from Israel. Earlier this year, employee Joe Lopez interrupted a speech by CEO Satya Nadella at the annual developer conference.“Satya, how about you show how Microsoft is killing Palestinians,” said Lopez
OpenAI eyes world’s largest valuation for private company in stock sale talks
The maker of ChatGPT is on the cusp of becoming the world’s most valuable private company. OpenAI is in talks to sell $6bn in shares, which would boost its valuation to $500bn, according to multiple reports. The artificial intelligence startup’s stock would be sold to investors by current and former employees.OpenAI has seen exponential growth over the past year. Investors, including Microsoft and SoftBank, have poured at least $40bn into the startup, giving it a valuation of $300bn as of March
More than 200,000 UK workers switch to four-day week since 2019
Do heatwaves, wildfires and travel costs signal the end of the holiday abroad?
Expert rejects Met police claim that study backs bias-free live facial recognition use
Trump says Intel has agreed to give US government a 10% stake
Australia v Samoa: Women’s Rugby World Cup 2025 – live
Swiatek the one to beat in New York while Alcaraz and Sinner dominate men’s draw