A four-day week, usually one day less on full pay with output maintained, can improve wellbeing, retention and focus. Of the 61 organisations in the 2022 UK trial, at least 54 were still using it a year later and 31 had made it permanent. It suits some sectors less well, and workload, operational complexity and cost need careful planning.
The traditional five-day working week has remained largely unchanged for generations, despite major advances in technology, automation and workplace flexibility. Hybrid working has already led organisations to question when and where work must take place. The four-day working week extends that conversation: should productivity be measured by time spent working, or by the results people deliver?
Supporters argue that a shorter week can reduce burnout, improve work-life balance and push organisations to operate more efficiently without losing output. Others question whether it is practical for every organisation and industry. Trials in the UK and Iceland have moved the idea from experiment to serious option for some employers, but there is no one-size-fits-all answer.
What Is a Four-Day Working Week?
Under the most widely discussed model, employees work one day less each week on full pay, provided agreed productivity and service standards are maintained. In most versions people work fewer hours overall, rather than compressing the same hours into four longer days.
The aim is to protect or improve output through more focused working, while giving employees more time to recover.
What the Trials Show
The UK Trial
In 2022, 61 UK organisations took part in a six-month four-day week trial organised by 4 Day Week Global with the 4 Day Week Campaign and the think tank Autonomy, and studied by researchers at the University of Cambridge and Boston College. Employees moved to a shorter working week with no reduction in pay.
According to Autonomy's one-year follow-up report, published in February 2024, at least 54 of the 61 companies were still operating the four-day week a year later, and 31, just over half, had made it permanent. Reported benefits included better wellbeing, higher employee satisfaction and stronger staff retention, while many organisations maintained their previous levels of productivity.
That so many employers kept the model after the trial ended suggests they saw enough value to continue beyond the experimental stage.
Iceland's Shorter Working Week
Iceland is the most cited national example. Trials run from 2015 to 2019 by Reykjavik City Council and the national government reduced the standard working week to 35 to 36 hours with no reduction in pay. It is a shorter week rather than a strict four-day week, but the principle is the same. According to a 2021 analysis by the Autonomy Institute and Alda, around 86% of Iceland's workforce had since moved to shorter hours or gained the right to do so.
The economy has continued to grow since the change. A follow-up analysis by the Autonomy Institute and Alda, published in October 2024, found that Iceland's economy grew faster than most European economies in 2023 while unemployment remained low.
The researchers say these findings suggest a strong link between balanced working hours and economic benefit. Workers report a better quality of life, more time for personal commitments and greater engagement at work. Countries including Spain, Japan and Germany are watching Iceland's results and considering similar policies.
Major Employers Testing the Idea
Interest has spread across industries, though employers have adopted different versions of the model. Some have offered four-day schedules within particular roles or teams; others have introduced monthly or trial-based arrangements rather than changing the whole organisation at once.
- Lamborghini announced revised working arrangements for production employees that included shorter working weeks for some shift patterns without reducing pay.
- Samsung has explored a limited version, allowing eligible employees to work a four-day week once a month, provided they complete their required monthly hours.
- Microsoft and Panasonic have experimented with alternative working patterns in selected markets or parts of their businesses.
These examples do not represent one universal model, but they show growing interest in more flexible approaches to working time.
The Benefits of a Four-Day Working Week
Improved Wellbeing and Work-Life Balance
The strongest argument for a shorter week is its effect on wellbeing. An extra day away from work gives more time for:
- Family, friends and caring responsibilities
- Exercise and physical health
- Rest and recovery
- Personal appointments and household responsibilities
- Personal development, hobbies and interests
It can also cut commuting time and costs, help with childcare, and create clearer boundaries between work and personal life. Many employees, particularly younger people entering the workforce, value flexibility as highly as salary. People who have time to recharge tend to return to work more focused and motivated, and a healthier balance often leads to stronger long-term commitment to an employer.
Productivity Through Greater Focus
Reducing working time does not automatically reduce output. Many organisations trialling a shorter week have reported that productivity stayed stable or improved. Knowing there is less time available encourages people to prioritise, limit distractions and make quicker decisions.
When work is redesigned properly, teams typically:
- Shorten or cut unnecessary meetings
- Reduce low-value administration
- Automate routine processes
- Clarify priorities
- Protect uninterrupted working time
- Measure outcomes rather than attendance
Success depends less on removing a day and more on improving how work is organised.
Recruitment, Engagement and Retention
Flexible working is now a core part of the employee proposition. Employees who feel trusted are generally more engaged, and candidates increasingly weigh wellbeing, flexibility and culture alongside salary, benefits and career development. A four-day week can help employers:
- Attract a wider pool of candidates
- Stand out from competitors and strengthen the employer brand
- Improve morale and loyalty
- Reduce absence and staff turnover
- Reduce recruitment costs
In competitive labour markets, that can be a real advantage.
The Challenges of Implementation
Not Every Sector Can Adopt It Easily
Industries that need continuous cover or extended operating hours will find a shorter week harder to introduce, including:
- Healthcare and emergency services
- Hospitality and retail
- Manufacturing
- Security
- Customer service and support
- Facilities Management
In these settings, keeping service levels while reducing working days may mean extra recruitment, redesigned shift patterns or staggered rest days. For FM teams providing site cover, helpdesk response and contractor supervision, the rota question comes first: who is on site on the day that is now off?
Workload Pressure
A shorter week should not mean squeezing five days' work into four. If workloads stay the same, employees face longer days, more stress, fatigue and eventually burnout, which defeats the purpose. A genuine four-day week involves reviewing workloads, priorities and processes, not just extending each working day.
Operational Complexity
A four-day week usually requires changes to staffing rotas, customer service cover, team collaboration, project management, meeting schedules and internal communication. Organisations need to protect business continuity while giving employees the flexibility promised.
Cost
For some businesses, reducing hours without reducing pay increases operating costs. Additional recruitment, overtime or temporary staff may be needed to maintain service levels. Each organisation should assess whether long-term gains, such as better retention and lower recruitment costs, offset that investment.
Different Businesses Need Different Models
There is no single version of the four-day week. Options include:
- Closing the organisation for one additional day
- Staggering non-working days across teams
- Operating shorter working days
- Introducing seasonal arrangements
- Trialling the model within selected departments
- Offering compressed hours
Each organisation has to weigh its customers, workforce, operating hours, team structure, employee preferences and finances. For some, other flexible arrangements will be more practical, such as hybrid working, flexible start and finish times, part-time working or job sharing.
Measuring Success
Before making a shorter week permanent, set clear measures of success. These may include:
- Productivity and revenue
- Customer satisfaction and service levels
- Absence
- Employee wellbeing
- Staff retention
- Recruitment performance
A structured trial shows whether the model works before a wider rollout. Employee feedback matters, but so do business performance and customer experience.
What Do Employees Think?
Employee opinion is generally positive, but not unanimous. A poll run by Maxwell Stephens on LinkedIn found that 83% of respondents supported the introduction of a four-day working week. The remaining participants either questioned its practicality or felt it would not work as a standard model.
That reflects the wider picture: many employees want more flexibility, but recognise that what is workable will vary by industry and role.
Final Thoughts
The four-day working week challenges long-held assumptions about productivity and working time. It sits within a wider shift towards judging work on outcomes rather than hours, helped by technology, automation and digital collaboration tools.
For some organisations it can improve wellbeing, retention and efficiency. For others, operational demands make it difficult or inappropriate. The continued adoption of shorter weeks by organisations that took part in major trials, and Iceland's experience, suggest the idea is not going away.
The lesson is not that every business should adopt the same working pattern. It is that employers should be willing to examine how work is organised, plan carefully, communicate honestly and keep the arrangements that deliver for employees, customers and the business.
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