A technology company has cancelled its four-day working week trial after finding the scheme increased staff stress, made them unhappy and did not improve productivity.
Krystal, an internet services firm in London, introduced a four-day operation in June, saying it would run the experiment for six months. It cited research saying a four-day week increased productivity by 40%.
However, Simon Blackler, the company’s founder, has admitted it has failed. He said staff had become more stressed as they tried to complete the same amount of work in less time, and that customer service via its helpline had worsened. He added: “While the outcome isn’t what we expected, I’m glad that we tried”.
