The potential impact of a shorter week on businesses and sales teams
The debate over the possibility of a four-day workweek is ongoing, with the UK government recently announcing a proposal that would allow employees to request a shorter workweek.
While the notion of a four-day working week offers many benefits for employees and businesses, careful consideration is necessary to offset any drawbacks.
The sales engagement experts at Sopro have analysed the data to reveal the potential impact on businesses and sales teams, and offered their tips to adapt.
The four-day workweek trial
Between June and December 2022, 2,900 employees from 61 organisations participated in the UK’s largest four-day workweek trial. With 9 in 10 (92%) businesses involved in the trial sticking with the shorter workweek, the results demonstrated a significant success. This has even influenced more recent policy changes to support reduced working hours.
Not only did staff experience a 39% drop in work-related stress and a 71% decrease in burnout, but the businesses themselves also benefitted from a 57% reduction in employee turnover.
In addition, revenue increased by an average of 1.4% (weighted by company size) in the short seven-month period, despite the loss of an entire working day and the maintenance of 100% staff wages. This indicates not only steady business performance but also healthy economic growth.
Potential revenue boost of a shorter work week for different industries
With the recent trial of a four-day workweek seeing businesses benefit from a growth in turnover, embracing a shorter workweek could boost profits for many enterprises.
Offering better work-life balance for employees, the study demonstrated how a more rested workforce can be more productive and, in turn, improve overall business performance.
According to the 1.4% average revenue increase documented in the trial, the introduction of a four-day workweek across the board could see UK businesses benefit from an additional £62.7 billion.
Projected revenue boost for the top 10-earning industries:
| Rank | Industry | Current turnover (excluding VAT) | Potential revenue increase (%) | Projected turnover increase (£) | Projected turnover for four-day week |
| 1 | Wholesale and Retail Trade; Repair of Motor Vehicles and Motorcycles | 1.5 trillion | 1.4 | £21 billion | £1.5 trillion |
| 2 | Manufacturing | £608.2 billion | 1.4 | £8.5 billion | £616.7 billion |
| 3 | Professional, Scientific and Technical Activities | £458.1 billion | 1.4 | £6.4 billion | £464.5 billion |
| 4 | Construction | £371.1 billion | 1.4 | £5.2 billion | £376.3 billion |
| 5 | Information and Communication | £355.7 billion | 1.4 | £5.0 billion | £360.7 billion |
| 6 | Administrative and Support Service Activities | £315.3 billion | 1.4 | £4.4 billion | £319.7 billion |
| 7 | Mining and Quarrying; Electricity, Gas and Air Conditioning Supply; Water Supply; Sewerage, Waste Management and Remediation Activities | £202.3 billion | 1.4 | £2.8 billion | £205.1 billion |
| 8 | Transportation and Storage | £197.4 billion | 1.4 | £2.8 billion | £200.1 billion |
| 9 | Human Health and Social Work Activities | £105.7 billion | 1.4 | £1.5 billion | £107.2 billion |
| 10 | Accommodation and Food Service Activities | £103.1 billion | 1.4 | £1.4 billion | £104.5 billion |
*Note: The financial and insurance activities industry is excluded from the data as turnover figures are not available & the other service activities industry has been excluded.
Construction
For the construction sector, a four-day workweek could result in a turnover increase of £5.2 billion – taking the total annual projected turnover to £376.3 billion, up from £371.1 billion.
A shorter workweek for businesses in this industry would require careful planning to balance reduced working hours with customer expectations, project budgets, and schedules. This could present a big challenge for the sector, which is already under pressure to meet demand.
However, with the trial suggesting that employees with better work-life balance work more efficiently, it’s possible that this could counteract the shortfall. The industry could also benefit from cost savings by being more efficient and reducing hours spent on site, including electricity usage and machine operational costs.
Information and communication
If information and communication businesses implemented the four-day workweek, the industry would have a projected turnover increase of £5 billion, bringing its estimated revenue up from £355.7 billion to £360.7 billion.
Businesses in this sector thrive on innovation, yet many studies have shown that long working hours and stress can stifle creativity.
Implementing a shorter workweek and allowing employees a better work-life balance could improve creativity, problem-solving, and innovation, ultimately driving the sector forward.
Mining, Quarrying and Utilities
The mining, quarrying, and utilities industries (covering electricity, gas and air conditioning supply, water supply, sewerage, and waste management and remediation activities) could see a revenue boost of £2.8 billion, raising the sectors’ combined projected turnover to £205.1 billion.
These industries can be mentally and physically demanding for workers, and excessive staff turnover or labour shortages can hinder productivity. A four-day workweek could improve worker satisfaction and reduce burnout, making it easier for employers to attract and retain skilled employees.
An improvement in employee retention could lower the costs involved in hiring and training new staff, which can help boost profitability.
The industries that could face the biggest challenge on a shorter workweek
While many industries might thrive with a four-day workweek, it could make it challenging for some sectors to reach their target audience and generate enough sales due to decreased touchpoints with key decision-makers or potential customers.
These are the sectors that already suffer from the lowest lead rates of any industry that could be worst affected:
| Rank | Industry | Average lead rate in 2024 | Projected lead rate |
| 1 | Computer Software | 1.28% | 1.02% |
| 2 | Investment Banking | 1.30% | 1.04% |
| 3 | Banking | 1.32% | 1.06% |
| 4 | Internet | 1.33% | 1.06% |
| 5 | Venture Capital and Private Equity | 1.34% | 1.07% |
| 6 | Wine and Spirits | 1.37% | 1.10% |
| 7 | Insurance | 1.39% | 1.11% |
| 8 | Telecommunications | 1.41% | 1.13% |
| 9 | Accounting | 1.47% | 1.18% |
| 10 | Luxury Goods and Jewellery | 1.49% | 1.19% |
Computer Software
The computer software sector is the most likely to experience significant challenges in generating new business if a four-day workweek is implemented.
The sector currently has the lowest average lead rate of any industry at 1.28%, but – based on the loss of one whole working day – this could drop to just 1.02%.
A four-day workweek would limit the amount of time that sales teams have to engage with prospective clients, which is crucial for this sector. Already a highly competitive industry, a reduction in touchpoints with potential customers could make it even tougher for firms to secure new business.
Investment banking and banking
Investment banking and banking rank as the second and third-worst industries for lead rates, and a reduced workweek could see these decline even further to just 1.04% and 1.06%, respectively.
Firms in the financial sector rely on strong customer engagement and service, which reduced workdays would impact. Another highly competitive industry with a fast-paced market, this sector could experience difficulty in maintaining its current output if touchpoints are reduced.
Insurance
The insurance industry’s current average lead rate is 1.39%, which could fall to 1.11% with the reduction of the working week. Timely responses are essential in this sector, and delayed responses due to reduced working hours could result in more leads going cold.
Businesses in this industry would need to significantly improve their prospecting and lead generation efforts in order to retain stability in the changing business landscape.
Telecommunications
A four-day workweek is projected to reduce the telecoms sector’s average lead rate from 1.41% to 1.13%. The sector is a highly competitive marketplace, with several suppliers offering comparable services that differ only by cost and customer service.
Businesses in the sector may be impacted by competitors offering a speedier service, with potential leads deciding to use other suppliers because they are more responsive than businesses operating on a four-day week.
Likewise, for telecoms businesses retaining a full workweek but outreaching to companies operating on shorter working hours, the decreased touchpoints could mean more missed opportunities if a competitor gets to them first.
Accounting
The accounting industry is also among the bottom 10 industries for lead rates, at 1.47%, and could see this reduced to 1.18% if the four-day workweek is introduced for most UK businesses.
A decreased work schedule could be challenging in the accounting sector, which already faces tight deadlines, frequent financial landscape shifts, and urgent customer needs.
The amount of time accounting firms have available for proactive sales outreach and engagement with potential customers would be further reduced, resulting in less new business if adequate measures aren’t taken to offset the change.
Steve Harlow, Chief Sales Officer at Sopro, comments on how sales teams can adapt and maximise prospecting efforts to avoid a dent in sales productivity:
“Even if your business doesn’t implement a four-day workweek itself, the growing popularity of a shorter workweek could mean that touchpoints with other business contacts and potential customers embracing the change are reduced.
“For any sales team, maximising prospecting efforts to make up for this shortfall will become increasingly important. These are some ways you can do this:
- Implement a CRM system: CRM systems like Salesforce and HubSpot can be used to manage customer interactions, track leads, and organise and streamline the sales pipeline. This can improve efficiency and free up more time to drive more high-value leads and sales.
- Focus on outreach personalisation: Personalisation is extremely valuable in sales and can make all the difference in cutting through the noise, particularly as touchpoints are decreasing. Invest time in researching your prospects’ pain points and needs so that your messaging is truly personalised and effective.
- Improve lead nurturing processes: Filter your leads by industry, behaviour, and demographics to provide more relevant and timely communications. Email drip campaigns are one way to stay in touch with leads over time until they’re ready to convert. But it’s also wise to ensure you prioritise high-value leads for the most efficient use of your time.
“By putting these strategies into practice, you can streamline your operations and continue to generate sufficient leads and sales, allowing you to successfully navigate the changing working world.”
