Mobile game developer Hutch is to take part in a six-month trial of a four-day working week.
The business, which creates car racing games for phones, will participate in a co-ordinated pilot organised by 4 Day Week Global in partnership with UK think tank Autonomy, the 4 Day Week UK Campaign and researchers at Cambridge University, Boston College and Oxford University.
The trial will run from June to December this year for all 136 Hutch staff, the majority of who are based in London. The firm’s nine workers in Dundee, Scotland, and eight in Nova Scotia, Canada, will also take part in the initiative.
Salaries will be unchanged, and exact individual working patterns are yet to be confirmed.
Hutch said it had been committed to enabling its team to have the best possible work-life balance through hybrid working since it was founded in 2011. The trial is part of an effort to further build on its commitment to supporting staff.
The pilot programme aims to enhance organisational productivity and sustainability, as well as improving the wellness of staff and giving a competitive edge in the recruitment market. It is also designed to aid fairer distribution of duties for parents and carers.
Hutch’s senior leadership team will gather feedback about the pilot from staff to be assessed for objective review by the trial organisers over the course of the six months.
Shaun Rutland, chief executive of Hutch, explained that joining the trial was a “natural and “perfect” opportunity to further empower staff.
“We’ve had a decade of tweaking the way we work, and we think the four-day work week supports our ethos for the future of Hutch,” he said.
“It has the potential to improve productivity and overall employee health, create stronger families and communities, and improve gender equality to help create a more sustainable work environment.”
Charmaine St John, head of people at Hutch, added that the trial was an “excellent” opportunity to offer staff even more flexibility and work-life balance .
“The scheme will allow us to create a more energised and efficient workforce, as well as having a positive impact on gender equality by enabling a better distribution of caring responsibilities between parents,” she said.