The WTR-RN is a network to bring together researchers from universities and other research institutes with a core interest in working time reduction.

We are interested in collective working time reduction, whether at the level of employers, the national level, or through collective bargaining by trade unions. We are not interested in individual employees working shorter hours than others (i.e. part-time work). We are interested in initiatives that lead to more permanent reductions in working hours (not temporary reductions in hours to cope with business cycles).

​

We are interested in reductions that might be large, such as four-day week trials, or more modest, incremental changes.

We are interested in the multiple effects of these Working Time Reductions on, for instance, employee wellbeing, company performance, the environment, health systems, families, the economy, leisure providers, transport systems, etc.

We welcome the contributions of multiple disciplines in such research, for instance Sociology, Economics, Psychology, Public Health, Human Geography, Economic History, Labour Law, Social Anthropology, etc.

We welcome contributions using a variety of research methods including quasi-experimental designs, randomised controlled trials, in-depth interviews, time series, etc.

We are particularly focussed on processes to bring about working time reduction that do not involve the reduction of pay.