Plymouth based law firm, Portcullis Legals, has been working a four-day, 32-hour working week, with no loss of pay for lawyers since January 2019.

The company has now been officially accredited as a ‘Gold Standard’ four-day week employer under the 4 Day Week Campaign’s accreditation scheme that recognises four-day week employers in the UK.

Trevor Worth, CEO of Portcullis Legals, said:

“When we decided in January 2019 to implement a four-day week, I wanted to ensure that our team not only maintained their current salary levels whilst working one less day per week, I actually increased the salaries across the board.

“Firms should not be reducing salaries on its introduction just because colleagues are working less hours, they should be measuring the productivity of their teams and where appropriate, look at rewarding them financially for being more efficient in less days per week.

“It has worked wonders for our firm and our team’s wellbeing.”

Since the Covid pandemic, the four-day working week has become more popular and is now being trialled and implemented across the world.

Numerous studies have shown that moving to a four-day week boosts productivity and workers’ wellbeing. When Microsoft trialled a four-day week with no loss of pay in their Japan office, productivity went up by 40%.

Last year, Atom Bank became the largest UK four-day week employer with all 430 staff moving to a four-day, 34 hour working week, with no reduction in pay.

Over 70 companies are taking part in the UK’s biggest ever four-day week pilot begin this month. The pilot is being run by 4 Day Week Global in partnership with leading think tank Autonomy, the 4 Day Week Campaign and researchers at Cambridge University, Oxford University and Boston College.

Joe Ryle, Director of the 4 Day Week Campaign, said:

“As Portcullis Legals have shown, the four-day week with no loss of pay is a win-win for both workers and employers.

“With the pandemic easing off and lawyers desperate for a better work-life balance, now is the perfect time for law firms to implement a four-day week.

“In the wake of the great resignation, firms should embrace the four-day week as a way of retaining staff and attracting new talent.”