THE WORKING week will be reduced for employees at a skincare brand as part of an international study.

Five Squirrels, in Hove, will operate a four-day week for its staff, as it becomes one of just 30 employers in the United Kingdom selected for trials.

The pilot, which begins in June, will measure whether employees can operate at full productivity while working for 20 per cent less time, with no reduction in pay.

Gary Conroy, CEO of Five Squirrels, said: “The world of work is changing, and we want to place the emphasis on productivity, not hours worked. We believe that flexible working can improve productivity and enhance the well-being of our workers.

The Argus: The team at 5 Squirrels, a skincare brand in HoveThe team at 5 Squirrels, a skincare brand in Hove

“We were absolutely delighted when we heard we were one of the companies to have been selected to take part in the programme.

“Giving our employees a healthy work-life balance has always been a key priority, and this is the perfect way for us to do that.

The programme will be run by researchers at Cambridge University and Oxford University in the UK, and Boston College in America. It will also benefit from input from think-tank Autonomy, the Four Day Week UK Campaign, and Four Day Week Global.

The trial comes as companies are realising the benefits of greater balance between life and work for its employees.

Four Day Week Global is a group of businesspeople, academics, researchers and authors working to make the reduced working week a reality.

It was founded by Andrew Barnes and Charlotte Lockhart after trailing the programme at a business in New Zealand, leading to a 20 per cent rise in staff productivity.

The Argus: Bosses hope employees with have a better balance between life and work, leading to greater productivityBosses hope employees with have a better balance between life and work, leading to greater productivity

The business also said its employees’ life and work balance satisfaction rating increased by one quarter, from 54 per cent to 78 per cent.

The group says its model is proven to deliver improved company productivity, efficiency and performance, as well as greater employee wellbeing, engagement, and work-life balance.

It said research from “leading international academics suggests the four-day working week can be a truly triple-dividend policy: better for the economy, better for society, and better for the environment”.