Work less, gain more? The 4 day working week (2024)

Responding to a recession in the early 1990s, the public sector in the Netherlands began offering a four-day week to staff to save money. Since then it has spread and become common employment practice, with the option offered to workers in all sectors of the economy.

As a result, job-sharing has become the norm in the health and education sectors. It is common to have part-time surgeons, engineers and bankers making the much hyped work-life balance in modern industrial economies a practical reality. It’s not just Northern Europe that’s seen the benefits of shorter working weeks. In the United States, in the midst of the financial crisis in 2008 – faced with recession, rapidly rising energy prices, growing lines at food banks, rising unemployment and mortgage foreclosures – instead of simply bringing a knife to public spending and pushing austerity measures, Jon Hunstman, Utah’s Republican governor, surprised people with an experiment to save money. At only a month’s notice, 18,000 of the state’s 25,000 workforce were put on a four-day week and around 900 public buildings closed on Fridays. Since then, the idea has taken hold in some parts of the private sector – in particular, for office work where people are not providing regular, time-sensitive services that need to be available every day.

Wider relevance

The idea of a shorter working week has been a long-standing aim of social progressives and one that has developed despite, rather than because, of the predictions of economists. The weekend has extended, thanks to social pressure on employers, from a half day to one and a half days, and finally to two days. J.M. Keynes predicted that with the logic of progressive economic, social and technological developments, by the 21st Century we would be working typically just a 15-hour week. The rest of our time would be devoted to the art of living. But instead of productivity leading to economic benefits liberating people from labour, in industrialised countries a combination of inequality and consumer culture has resulted instead in a combination of overconsumption and precarious work for many on low pay and long hours.

The advent of zero-hour contracts, all in the name of flexibility, threaten to remove even historically hard-won time off. In practice, time off has normally come via decisions by the church (Saints days) or by legislation, like Sir John Lubbock’s Bank Holidays Act in 1872. Now, however, interest in shifting to the norm of a shorter working week is rising again. Partly this is in response to economic necessity, but partly also through active choice and the discovery by both employers and employees of mutual benefits. Redistribution of paid work tackles the twin problems of overwork and unemployment, broadening access to the good things of being in work whilst moderating the worst aspects. Changes need to be backed however by supporting measures such as there being proper child care services available, affordable housing and living wages.

In the Netherlands the shift created conditions for greater equality at home and in the workplace between men and women. In the Utah experiment, it led to lower staff absentee rates, higher staff morale, an improvement in public experience of services and a significant carbon reduction resulting from closing buildings and using much of the vehicle fleet for one less day per week.

Context and Background

The main context for this kind of experiment is usually the need to save money, as in the case of Utah, or to save energy as in the case of the emergency Three Day Week, enacted by the UK Heath government in 1973-4. While it lasted, there were only marginal falls in production, confirming other cases which suggest that the benefits of working fewer hours can easily outweigh the challenges of making the transition – and helps demonstrate that people compensate for the time off, either because they are less jaded or exhausted or because they believe in what they are doing.

This is particularly true for office jobs, which are today a growing part of the global economy. Over the course of an eight-hour workday, the average employee works for about three hours — two hours and 53 minutes, to be more precise. The rest of the time, according to a 2016 survey of 1,989 UK office workers, people spend on a combination of reading the news, browsing social media, eating food, socialising about non-work topics, taking smoke breaks, and searching for new jobs (presumably, to pick up the same habits in a different office). The research has been clear for a while that long workdays hardly get the best from people. Some research has found people can only concentrate for about 20 minutes at a time.

Enabling factors

Almost certainly, this transition has come about because people have complex lives and they want to work more flexibly. The Dutch example saw one in three men either work part time or compress their hours, working five days in four to enjoy a three-day weekend. Three quarters of women now work part time. The popularity of the different pattern is such that 96 percent of part time workers do not want to work longer hours. In Utah, eight out of ten employees liked the introduction of the 4 day working week and wanted it to continue. Nearly two thirds said it made them more productive, and many said it reduced conflict both at home and at work. Workplaces across the state reported higher staff morale and lower absenteeism. There were other surprises. One in three among the public thought the new arrangements actually improved access to services. It wasn’t the main objective, but at a stroke the four-day week also reduced carbon emissions by 14 percent, a huge annual saving. In a sign of the growing appeal of the idea, in 2013, the Gambia also introduced a four-day week.

Scope and evidence

In the Netherlands, the take up and re-arrangement of public sector working took place very quickly, to keep institutions open. The private sector has been slower, but now has the same benefits. Dutch laws promote a work-life balance and protect part-time workers. All workers there are entitled to fully paid vacation days, maternity and paternity leave. A law passed in 2000 also gives workers the right to reduce their hours to a part-time schedule, while keeping their job, hourly pay, health care and pro-rated benefits. Overall, the entire workforce averages around 29 hours a week – the lowest of any industrialized nation, according to the OECD.

Even though hugely popular, the experiment in Utah fell victim at the state level to a change of administration in 2011. Those wanting to revert to the 5-day system pointed to complaints from the public about services not being available, and falling energy prices that meant savings were not as high as predicted. However, many cities retained the 4-day week for local offices. In Provo, Utah, one of the state’s largest cities with more than 100,000 people, the four-day workweek has been in place for years, with city offices open Monday to Thursday, 7 a.m. to 6 p.m. Provo Mayor John Curtis believed the 4/10 system improved employee morale and saved money. Interestingly, when state employees were forced to return to work on Fridays, many of them gave up voluntary work they had taken up on their “free” day – a factor that was not considered in the decision to revert to a 5-day week.

In the private sector, it is mainly service industry companies that have found benefits in a 4-day week. The New Zealand law firm Perpetual Guardian moved to a 4-day week and reported their workers said the change motivated them to find ways of increasing their productivity while in the office. Meetings were reduced from two hours to 30 minutes, and employees created signals for their colleagues that they needed time to work without distraction. The company’s founder said he believed his was the first business in the world to pay staff for 40 hours when working 32; other firms have allowed employees to work shorter weeks by compressing the standard 40 hours into fewer days, or allowed people to work part-time for a reduced salary. He was inspired by a report that suggested people spent less than three hours of their work day productively employed, and that distractions at work could have effects on staff akin to losing a night’s sleep.

However, there is still some clash between the feeling that more hours should be squashed into fewer days, and a deeper understanding of how productivity works. A 2019 April survey by the Society for Human Resource Management in the US reported that 15% of organizations offer 4-day working weeks of 32 hours or less to at least some employees, up from 13% in 2017. But a poll in 2018 by staffing firm Robert Half found that 17% of companies had compressed work weeks that squeeze the same number of hours into fewer days. There are also questions about parity – could those doing physical work or offering services that must be available every day get left behind, creating a 2-tier workforce?

Work less, gain more? The 4 day working week (2024)

FAQs

Does a 4-day work week increase profits? ›

Our research has shown revenue increases up to 35% for a six-month pilot of the four-day work week, when compared to a similar financial period. Revenue continues to improve for longer trials of the four day work week, proving its not just a short-term phenomenon.

Is it more productive to work 4 days a week? ›

The four-day workweek is proving to be the gift that keeps on giving. Companies that have tried it are reporting happier workers, lower turnover and greater efficiency. Now, there's evidence that those effects are long lasting.

Does 4-day work week mean less money? ›

What could a four-day work week mean for my paycheck? Here's the good news: If you're a salaried employee, a four-day work week would likely mean you get more time off while receiving the same pay. In other words, no change to your regular paycheck. If you're an hourly employee, here could be changes to overtime pay.

Are people happier with the 4-day work week? ›

Employees' physical and mental health improves when organizations embrace a shorter workweek. Research shows people are less stressed, value their jobs more, and have better lives outside of work. Job satisfaction and employee engagement increase.

Could a four day work week save your business money? ›

Shifting to a four-day workweek reduces overhead expenses such as electricity and other office costs. Cutting such costs would save you a lot of money with time. In addition, office supplies will last longer, and equipment such as printers, scanners, and copiers will depreciate slower.

Is a 4-day work week still 40 hours? ›

In a four-day workweek, workers log 32 hours per week rather than 40 hours per week. Benefits and pay, however, remain the same. The four-day workweek certainly existed before the COVID-19 pandemic, but the pandemic increased conversations around and adoption of the alternative schedule.

Is it better to work 5 days a week or 4? ›

While the four-day workweek offers potential benefits in terms of employee motivation and work-life balance, it may not be suitable for all industries. The five-day workweek remains the standard, although it presents challenges in maintaining work-life balance and productivity.

What are the negatives of a 32-hour work week? ›

However, a mandatory 32-hour workweek is bad policy, said Sen. Bill Cassidy, R-La., the ranking HELP committee member. Shortening the workweek, he predicted, will hurt productivity, which could result in the U.S. losing its status as the world's wealthiest nation and potentially lead to offshoring of jobs.

Who benefits from a 4-day work week? ›

Pilot studies in countries including the U.K., Spain, Portugal, and South Africa suggest that shorter workweeks can help employees reduce burnout, manage stress, get more sleep and exercise, spend additional quality time with loved ones, and feel all-around happier and healthier.

Is California going to a 32-hour work week? ›

Despite its failure in 2022, Congressman for the 39th District of California, Mark Takano reintroduced the bill, now named the Thirty-Two Hour Workweek Act, in March 2023. This new version seeks to replace the current national standard of working 40 hours a week with a 32-hour workweek at a federal level.

Does a 32-hour work week increase productivity? ›

What are the benefits of a 32-hour workweek? Improved work-life balance. By gaining an additional day, employees may experience less stress and burnout. Increased productivity.

Does a 4-day work week improve mental health? ›

Health Benefits of a 4-Day Workweek

Participants' mental health scores increased from an average of 2.95 to 3.32 on a five-point scale, some 54% reported a reduction in negative emotions, and their rates of anxiety also fell from 2.26 to 1.96 out of a maximum of four points.

What day of the work week are people happiest? ›

Days of the week. The general rules that come from studies into mood based on the day of the week show that we think Mondays are terrible, but they're generally no worse than any other weekday (except Friday afternoons). And most of us love weekends—but no weekend day outshines any other.

What is the best day to take off for a 4-day work week? ›

Mondays and Fridays off might seem like the best thing about the four-day workweek, but it turns out neither is recommended by experts. Instead, Wednesdays are considered the best for reducing stress and minimizing burnout.

How does a 4-day work week benefit the company? ›

Recruitment and retention

Research shows that 63% of businesses found it easier to attract and keep quality staff with a four-day working week. This work-life balance benefit is still a relatively rare offering and can be a great way to get the best talent through the door - and keep them engaged, too.

Will the stock market ever go to a 4-day work week? ›

Why It's Hard For Wall Street To Switch To A 4-Day Week. "To put it bluntly, a four-day trading week will never happen," says Giles Coghlan, chief market analyst consulting for HYCM. "As the old saying goes, money never sleeps, and speculative market activity is as much a compulsion or hobby as it is a job."

What are the results of the 4-day work week? ›

"Improvements in physical and mental health, work-life balance and general life satisfaction, as well as reductions in burnout, found at the end of the original pilot have all been maintained one year on," researchers said.

How does a 4-day work week affect hourly employees? ›

Increased Productivity and Employee Morale

Rather than forcing employees through hours of unproductive labor, the four-day workweek model allows them to rest so that they can reemerge with a refreshed outlook and optimism for their jobs.

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