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The case for a four-day week

Hosted by the International Inequalities Institute

In-person and online public event (Hong Kong Theatre, Clement House)

Speakers

Fran Heathcote

Fran Heathcote

Joe Ryle

Joe Ryle

Professor Kirsten Sehnbruch

Professor Kirsten Sehnbruch

Chair

Dr Tania Burchardt

Dr Tania Burchardt

In the UK, we work some of the longest hours in Europe while having one of the least productive economies. We invented the weekend a century ago and are long overdue an update to working hours.

Rising numbers of employers worldwide are switching to a four-day week, making workers happier and organisations stronger. A four-day week with no loss of pay gives workers the time to live happier and more fulfilled lives, allowing for the parts of life that are often neglected, such as rest, parenting and leisure. It has significant benefits for businesses, as real-world examples show that employers who move to a four-day week improve productivity and cut costs. Research also shows that introducing a 4 day week could reduce the UK's carbon footprint by 127 million tonnes per year. This event will discuss how businesses, charities, and councils can reap the benefits of introducing smarter working. Our panel will present the academic evidence for the benefits of introducing a four-day week, and discuss practical ways to make the change.

Meet our speakers and chair

Fran Heathcote (@FranHeathcote) is a British trade unionist and the current General Secretary of the Public and Commercial Services Union (PCS), having assumed the office in February 2024. She served as the union's president until her election as General Secretary.

Joe Ryle (@JoeRRyle) is Director of the 4 Day Week Campaign, media and comms lead for the think tank Autonomy, a former Labour Party press officer and adviser to former Shadow Chancellor, John McDonnell MP.

Kirsten Sehnbruch (@KirstenSehn) is British Academy Global Professor, Distinguished Policy Fellow and Acting Director at the International Inequalities Institute at the London School of Economics and Political Science. Previously, she was a research fellow at the Universidad de Chile, Director of the Institute for Public Policy at the Universidad Diego Portales (Chile), and a lecturer at the University of California, at Berkeley.

Tania Burchardt is Associate Director of the Centre for Analysis of Social Exclusion (CASE) and Associate Professor in the Department of Social Policy at LSE. Tania’s research focuses on multidimensional inequality and disadvantage, in particular through the lens of the capability approach. She has written recently about inequalities in adult social care in the UK, and about the relationship between welfare state retrenchment and subjective justification of the private accumulation of wealth.

More about this event

This event will be available to watch on LSE Live. LSE Live is the new home for our live streams, allowing you to tune in and join the global debate at LSE, wherever you are in the world. If you can't attend live, a video will be made available shortly afterwards on LSE's YouTube channel.

The International Inequalities Institute (@LSEInequalities) at LSE brings together experts from many LSE departments and centres to lead critical and cutting-edge research to understand why inequalities are escalating in numerous arenas across the world, and to develop critical tools to address these challenges.

This event is part of the ESRC Festival of Social Science 2024, taking place from 19 October to 9 November with events across the UK.

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