From July 2024, 200 employees across frontline and support functions — including the entire IT team — have been working a 32-hour, four-day week on full pay. Here's what that looks like, why it matters, and how to find roles that share the same values.
The British Red Cross is part of the world's largest humanitarian network, supporting people in crisis across the United Kingdom and internationally. Operating as an independent charity since 1870, the organisation runs emergency response services, mobility-aid loans, refugee support, and first-aid training — sustained by 2,800 employees and tens of thousands of volunteers.
Its services span 24/7 emergency response to fires and floods, in-home crisis support, asylum-seeker assistance, and international disaster recovery. Behind that operational scale sits a quieter but equally radical experiment: redesigning the working week itself.
Launched on 1 July 2024, the pilot includes 200 employees drawn from a deliberate mix of frontline service teams and back-office support — among them, the entire IT function. The aim: to test whether reduced hours can coexist with the operational intensity of humanitarian work without compromising the people the charity serves.
The four-day week sits inside a wider benefits stack designed around long-term wellbeing, learning, and life outside work.
Including bank holidays, with the option to buy 5 additional days each year.
A contributory pension scheme that grows with your tenure.
Employee assistance programmes and occupational health support across all roles.
Funded training, professional qualifications, and structured leadership pathways.
Access to the Blue Light Card scheme plus an internal benefits platform.
Flexible split between home and office, calibrated to the role and team.
Yes. The charity began a four-day work week pilot on 1 July 2024 covering 200 staff across frontline and supporting teams, including its entire IT function. Pilot participants work 32 hours across four days while retaining full pay.
Fridays. The standard pilot pattern runs Monday to Thursday, though specific frontline rotas may differ to maintain 24/7 service coverage.
Not yet — the pilot covers 200 staff in selected functions. The charity has stated it will use the pilot's outcomes to evaluate a broader rollout.
36 days, inclusive of bank holidays. Staff can also purchase up to 5 additional days, taking the total possible time off to 88 days a year when combined with the four-day schedule.
You can browse vacancies at organisations operating reduced-hours schedules on our jobs board, including charities, tech companies, and public-sector employers across the UK and beyond.