Trialling a four-day week without rewriting every contract

A trial can run under a short written policy that says what changes, for how long and how it ends. Contracts stay as they are until the business decides to make the change permanent.¹

Decide early whether you are reducing hours for the same pay or compressing the same hours into four days. The two lead to very different holiday and overtime calculations.

If the trial works, change contracts by agreement. Consult, explain the reasons, and give people time to decide. Imposed changes invite claims even when the change is a generous one.²