Why the 4-Day Work Week is Gathering New Momentum

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One topic I’ve written about time and time again is the 4-day work week — and for good reason. Typically defined as a reduction in hours from 40 hours/week to 32 hours/week (but with no corresponding reduction in pay or employee output), it’s been widely lauded as a better workplace model and what should be the path forward for most organizations.

In my own research, I’ve found that most workers feel they could complete all of their tasks in less than 8 hours a day, and they’d prefer to work less than 5 days a week if their pay remained the same. The leaders I’ve surveyed also agree that a shorter work week is both feasible for their business and better for their staff, and they acknowledge that employee satisfaction and retention would improve if they were to implement this approach.

But despite the widespread appetite for a 4-day work week, organizations have been decidedly reluctant to adopt it. Some companies fear that a reduction in working hours would result in less revenue, and there are doubts about employees being able to complete all of their tasks within a shorter timeframe. Workers, meanwhile, have expressed concerns that they might be forced to work at a more intense pace, which could offset any benefits they’d gain from having an extra day off.

However, most experts agree that the real reason behind the slow adoption of the 4-day work week is that the 5-day week is simply considered the norm. It’s been widely accepted by both organizations and employees for decades, and there’s a common misconception that 40 hours is the optimal amount of time that people should work, when in fact all of the data says otherwise.

Thankfully, new research shines a light on how a reduction in work hours is objectively the better way forward. In one of the largest trials to date, 4 Day Week Global, a non-profit organization, collaborated with researchers at Boston College, University College Dublin, and Cambridge University to conduct a pilot program with 33 companies employing 903 people in total.

The trial offers definitive proof of just how successful the 4-day work week can be. Participating organizations saw their revenue go up nearly 38% compared to the same period in 2021, and they also enjoyed increased hiring, reduced absenteeism, and fewer resignations. Employees benefited immensely as well, reporting less stress and burnout, better physical and mental health, and greater satisfaction with their lives and relationships.

Overall, companies and employees rated the trial a 9 out of 10, and 97% of workers said they’d like to continue with the 4-day work week. Perhaps more notably, two-thirds of the companies said they’re definitely continuing with the 4-day week, and over a quarter are planning to continue but haven’t made a final decision yet. None are leaning against or not planning on continuing with the new schedule.

In many ways, the timing for this study couldn’t be better. The employee burnout dilemma is still a pressing issue for most organizations, and in my own research with Deloitte, I found that only around 1 out of 3 workers say their job has a positive impact on their well-being. We also uncovered that less than two-thirds of employees report being in “excellent” or “good” physical and mental health.

It’s clear from the trial that the 4-day week presents a compelling opportunity for businesses to make a real impact on employee well-being, and perhaps leaders should be paying more attention to this. We know that many companies are struggling with ongoing talent shortages, which leaves job candidates in the unique position to make greater demands from prospective employers — demands which might soon include a 4-day work week. In fact, 86% of the study participants said they’d require more pay to go back to a 5-day schedule, and 13% said that no amount of money would make them give up the 4-day week.

For businesses, this means that offering a 4-day work week could play a vital role in boosting their employee retention and recruitment efforts. But if that’s not enough to convince you of the merits of a shorter week, 4 Day Week Global will soon release the results from a separate six-month trial in the UK. The trial, which includes 70 companies and 3,300 workers, wrapped up this month and is the world’s biggest to date.

I’m excited to see the results of the second trial, and I promise to revisit these in a later article. Today, however, I want to offer some advice for organizations contemplating making the shift to a 4-day week. Despite all of its benefits, there are some common missteps you should aim to avoid in order to ensure a seamless transition for your business and your workforce.

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