The Four-Day Work Week: Benefits, Challenges & How to Implement

The pandemic and The Great Resignation forced employers and businesses everywhere to ask questions like: What will the future of work look like? How can we re-work our norms to adapt to employee needs?

One surprising answer made major news in 2021 and 2022: a four-day workweek. It appeared in headlines and rippled through Congress. As it did, the four-day workweek captured the attention of employers and employees everywhere. While a shorter workweek might sound like a fantasy, countries and companies have been experimenting with the idea for years. 

What is a four-day workweek? What are the pros and cons of working fewer hours? What companies and countries have tried this model, and what did they experience? How do you even go about implementing a shorter work week? 

This post will answer those questions, dive into the three undeniable benefits of a four-day workweek, and prepare you for common challenges. If you’re considering trying a four-day workweek or making a case for one, this post will give you the data, tips, and best practices needed to pursue a reduced working week.

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What is a four-day work week? 

As the name suggests, in a four-day workweek, employees work over four days per week instead of the traditional five days. 

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The models vary based on business needs. The major difference is the total number of hours employees have to work. 

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In some companies, employees work four days per week but must still log 40 hours by working ten-hour days. Other companies are experimenting with four-day workweeks that include fewer hours, targeting 32-hour workweeks through traditional eight-hour workdays (without reducing pay or healthcare benefits). These are the most common structures of this model.

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Companies experimenting with four-day work weeks 

Below are five companies that are experimenting with and embracing four-day workweeks and the model they’re using: 

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Primary

Primary, an online children’s clothing store, launched a four-day week experiment in 2020, working 32-hour weeks. The company gave employees every Friday off from May to December. Because of its success, they extended the experiment through the end of 2020 and told Fast Company in 2022 that they were sticking with it. 

Primary reported that the four-day workweek allowed employees to return to work on Monday feeling recharged. In addition, the company’s voluntary attrition rate fell to a mere 7% during The Great Resignation, when employees left their jobs en masse.

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Buffer 

Tech company Buffer is a pioneer of the four-day week. In May 2020, Buffer conducted a four-day workweek experiment in direct response to the pandemic. Buffer rolled out 32-hour weeks for one month, and it successfully helped team members manage their stress levels. 

While the experiment was positive for many, feedback revealed that some teammates struggled with the schedule change for two reasons. First, not everyone had the same day off. Plus, public holidays conflicted with time off, making keeping up with schedules confusing. But since the one-month trial went so well overall, Buffer pursued a six-month pilot of their four-day workweek. 

The extended pilot also proved to be a success. Results showed it boosted autonomy from 4.3 to 4.7 out of 5, decreased stress levels from 3.3 to 2.9 out of 5, and established stable happiness levels at around 3.7 out of 5, even in a world flipped upside down. 

As of 2023, the Buffer team reported:

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• 100% of survey respondents stated that they’d like to continue working a four-day workweek for the rest of their careers
• 99.1% of survey respondents reported they were less stressed since switching to a four-day workweek
• 61.5% of survey respondents found it easier to balance work and life with three-day weekends

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In the sign-off of the Buffer blog post, Tamilore Oladipo wrote: “We aren't planning on moving away from a four-day workweek – we’ll keep refining our approach to ensure its success for both our teammates and Buffer as a whole. We look forward to more data on this new way to work and more companies joining us on this journey.”

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Elephant Ventures

Elephant Ventures put their own spin on the four-day workweek, running a two-month trial in August 2021. Instead of cutting back hours, the company shifted toward 10-hour days Monday through Thursday. 

While it was a change for employees initially, the excitement around three-day weekends grew. Workers shared that the new flexibility gave them more time for personal commitments and errands. A shift in their meeting schedule (fewer meetings for more focused work time) improved efficiency. Elephant Ventures has since moved to a permanent condensed four-day workweek schedule.

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Bolt 

San Francisco-based tech firm Bolt announced the decision to transition to a permanent four-day workweek after their 2021 pilot. Bolt reported great success after the initial pilot. The company shifted to 32-hour weeks with downtime on Fridays to catch up on any tasks as needed. The company found that:

• 94% of employees wanted the four-day workweek program to continue
• 86% of team members were more efficient with their time 
• 84% of respondents felt their work-life balance improved 

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Kickstarter 

In July 2021, Kickstarter announced plans to pilot a four-day workweek beginning in 2022. The company pursued a 32-hour week model and shared, “The consensus is that the four-day work week has enabled us all to live brighter, fuller lives and has allowed us to return to work refreshed—every Monday brings great new stories about projects and experiences that our staff members have finally had the time to pursue.”

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Countries piloting four-day work weeks 

The idea of a shorter workweek isn’t entirely new. Companies in countries across the globe are on board with shorter workweek experiments, too. 

Shorter workweeks across Iceland

From 2015 to 2019, Iceland conducted two large four-day workweek trials that included 2,500 workers. Researchers deemed the experiments an “overwhelming success,” with a dramatic increase in employee well-being and unchanged or improved productivity and service. Workers averaged 35-36 hours per week with no cut in pay.

Because of these studies, Iceland reevaluated working patterns across the country. As of July 2021, BBC reported that 86% of Iceland’s workforce moved to shorter hours or will have the right to do so. 

New Zealand makes headlines for four-day workweek success

It’s not just Iceland realizing the benefits of the four-day workweek. Companies like Perpetual Guardian in New Zealand reported similar positive results following its four-day workweek trial in 2018. After reading productivity statistics, CEO Andrew Barnes felt inspired to pilot a four-day workweek. He wondered if productivity would increase if he gave his employees an extra day off.

It turns out Barnes was right. Employees brainstormed ways to shift how they used their work time, including spending less time in meetings, reducing interruptions by signaling to coworkers that they were unavailable, and reducing distractions. Outside researchers surveyed employees before and after the trial. They published a complete analysis of their findings, which ultimately outlined persistent themes, including increased focus, more motivation at work, and a more resilient organization, to name a few.

Andrew Barnes is so passionate about shorter workweeks that he partnered with Charlotte Lockhart to establish a not-for-profit community, 4 Day Week Global, to encourage and support businesses who want to pilot four-day workweeks.

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Governments in Spain and Japan advocate for four-day workweeks

Spain swept headlines when they announced that the country would complete a multi-year trial run of the four-day workweek concept in response to the pandemic. The Spanish government agreed to back a 32-hour workweek without cutting pay and invested 50 million euros ($60 million) in the program.

The experiment is among the first to extend across an entire country. Will Spain’s country-wide program succeed at permanently reducing the country’s working hours? Only time will tell.

Spain isn’t the only country where government officials are exploring and encouraging more time off for workers. In early 2021, the Japanese Parliament opened discussions on a proposal permitting workers to opt for a four-day workweek and reduce the likelihood of “karoshi” or “death by overwork” (a brave pursuit toward better mental health). 

In June 2021, the Japanese government included new recommendations in its annual economic policy guidelines that companies allow their employees to opt for four-day workweeks.

In the years before the proposal, Microsoft Japan tested a four-day workweek and saw productivity climb 40%. Panasonic announced it would start offering a four-day workweek to support its employees, following the Japanese government’s recommendation.

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Four-day work week pros and cons 

Research shows that a four-day workweek can increase productivity, save businesses money, and reduce their carbon footprint. But it’s not a one-size-fits-all approach, and it can unintentionally lead to more stress if designed poorly. Here’s a look at a few pros and cons of a four-day workweek.

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Pro: Increased productivity 

The first benefit of a four-day workweek is the increase in productivity that most companies experience when piloting shorter weeks. Let’s face it—just because employees are on the clock for eight hours (or more) per day doesn’t mean they’re doing productive work the entire time. A recent study on workplace productivity showed that the average worker is productive for just over four hours during an eight-hour workday. 

The four-day workweek has proven to maintain (and, sometimes, increase) productivity levels compared to a traditional 5-day work week. Remember the Microsoft Japan experiment? The company reported a 40% increase in productivity after giving its employees Fridays off during their trial. When Andrew Barnes conducted a four-day workweek experiment at Perpetual Guardian, Barnes reported a 20% spike in employee productivity.

When employees have more free time to take care of personal matters, they focus more on work (rather than think about the personal matters they can’t get to). It’s a win-win for employers and employees.

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Pro: Reduced business expenses

Companies that embrace a four-day workweek can reduce business expenses. Office costs, commuter benefits, employee perks, and competitive salaries can add up. Add free lunches, happy hours, and other charges to boost your company culture. 

In one example, a four-day workweek eliminated 20% of variable overhead expenses (think about the lights you must keep on at the office). The same story suggested a business can save thousands of dollars on employee parking or public transportation costs and 20% on daily workplace perks spending, another win-win for companies looking to cut back and employees wanting more time for life outside of work. 

One tangential way businesses can save money because of the four-day workweek is through boosted employee engagement, which reduces costly turnover. Turnover is incredibly expensive, with one estimate that losing an employee costs a company upwards of two times that employee's salary. 

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Pro: Reduced carbon footprint

In a time when climate change and emissions are at the forefront of our minds, a smaller carbon footprint is an excellent benefit of the four-day workweek. A 2021 4 Day Week Campaign report highlighting the UK revealed that a four-day workweek could shrink the UK’s carbon footprint by 21.3%. Another analysis suggests that four-day workweeks could help us reduce our carbon footprint, 

ecological footprint, and carbon dioxide emissions.

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Con: It’s not one-size-fits-all 

Those in client-facing or customer service roles may not have the luxury of being able to shut down for an entire day. If you’re providing a service, there’s a good chance your clients will run into urgent issues that require support, which means employees may need to be available Monday through Friday. You can combat this through a staggered schedule where employees have different days off to ensure coverage. However, this could produce different results than a four-day workweek offering a consecutive three-day weekend.

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Con: It could lead to more stress

While working fewer days per week may sound nice, many dependent factors can impact whether the model reduces—or adds—more stress. For example, if employees spend 20 hours per week in meetings and that expectation doesn’t change, a four-day workweek would give team members less time to finish their work. A four-day workweek may require a productivity adjustment to help employees succeed. 

This brings us to the need-to-know tips for successfully transitioning to a four-day workweek. 

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Tips for transitioning to a four-day work week 

It’s important to remember that changing your work schedule to a four-day workweek or any other structure requires careful planning and consideration. Indeed, you can learn as you go, but there are some things to consider before you dive in that can help set you up for success, including:

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• Start with a pilot before going all in: The best thing about pilots is that they’re time-bound and impermanent, so you can test, iterate, and explore along the way. Running a pilot allows the team to spot gaps or weaknesses that require attention before they cause long-term issues. 
• Assess your organization’s cultural readiness before making any moves: Are you positioned well to make this shift? Be honest! For example, if you work in a meeting-heavy environment, cutting one workday out will likely cause your team to panic and wonder how they will have time to do it all. How will you adjust your meeting culture to accommodate this change? (If you aren’t already using Clockwise, it’s the perfect tool for ensuring your team balances meetings with Focus Time.) If your business provides client support five days a week, how will you address this? Do you have a communication plan in place both internally and externally? Preparation is critical to making this a success.
• Gather feedback from the team: This is a great time to listen closely! Find out what’s working and not working well to iterate and improve. 
• Using an internal or hiring an external change management consultant: ‌this is a behavioral change. You may need expertise and extra hands to help ensure you can move each individual in your organization through their change journey.

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How to implement a four-day work week 

Ultimately, the approach to implementing a four-day work week depends on your organization and readiness level. Regardless of your level, 4 Day Week Global recommends running a trial when first getting started. 

Here are the high-level steps you can take to ensure your trial (and future plans) are a success:

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1. Start with the readiness piece first. Consider addressing any cultural behavior shifts that need to occur before you even dive into the pilot. You don’t have to make these changes now, but you need to understand what you’re working with because your culture can affect whether a shorter workweek will be successful for your teams. 

2. Define the goals and objectives you hope to achieve because of the shift. What are you working toward? More productivity? Better work-life balance? Higher employee engagement scores? Less burnout? Better retention rates? There are many possibilities and potential outcomes, so define what you hope this does for your team members. Then, consider how you can measure those objectives as you move through the experiment phase. 

‍3. Build a solid communication plan. Significant changes can only be successful with the right level and amount of communication. Consider your internal stakeholders and your external ones, too. As part of your communication plan, you want to give every key group enough time to understand what’s changing, how it will impact them, and any other critical information needed (e.g., how can clients get in touch on the non-working day for emergencies?). 

4. Roll out the pilot program. With the foundation in place, it’s time to experiment! Run the pilot for a set period. Be sure to set firm boundaries around when the experiment begins and ends to ensure everyone agrees. 

5. Gather feedback, iterate, and proceed accordingly. Consider conducting pulse surveys and other small check-ins throughout the pilot across all stakeholder groups. At the end of the pilot, run a more extensive survey or input session to understand how it went. Don’t forget to measure your success! Refer to your objectives and build questions into your survey that help you know the difference between where you started and where you are netting out. Use the feedback you gather to determine what’s next. 

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Shorter work weeks ahead!

As companies strive to find unique ways to support their employees’ mental health and happiness, four-day work weeks are a hot option. A shorter workweek has significant benefits, including increased productivity, decreased business expenses, and a smaller carbon footprint. One way to explore the four-day workweek is to run a short-term experiment like many countries and companies have done to determine the impact on your business. Considering a four-day workweek? Think about how you’ll adjust your workflows and expectations so your employees can make the most of their time.