How it works
The best-known model, sometimes called the 32-hour week, cuts weekly hours while keeping pay and output targets the same. The idea is that people can deliver the same results in less time when low-value meetings and tasks are removed.
Implementations vary. Some companies close on the same day each week; others stagger days off so the business stays open five days. Some tie the extra day to productivity goals, such as adopting new tools, and some offer it every other week as a shorter working fortnight.
For the workplace, a four-day week changes the weekly rhythm. With a shared day off, the office may close or run lightly on that day and fill more on the others; with staggered days, attendance spreads out. Workplace teams can use occupancy data to see the new pattern and adjust space and services.
How to measure it
- Agree output and service measures before a trial and compare them afterward.
- Track wellbeing, sickness absence and retention alongside productivity.
- Watch customer coverage on the day off, especially in staggered models.
- Measure office occupancy by weekday to adjust space and services.
Examples
- A bank shortens its standard week by a few hours, spread over four days, with no cut in salary.
- A consultancy staggers teams between Monday and Friday off so clients can reach someone every weekday.
Benchmarks
Of the 61 companies in the UK four-day week pilot, 56 were continuing with the four-day week after the trial, and 18 confirmed it as a permanent change.
Autonomy: The results are in, the UK's four-day week pilot
Common mistakes
- Squeezing five days of work into four without removing any work, which raises stress.
- Confusing a four-day week with a compressed week when explaining the change to staff.
- Running a trial without agreed measures, so nobody can tell whether it worked.
How Kadence helps
Kadence shows how a shorter week changes office use. Workplace Insights reports attendance and occupancy by weekday, Closure Management closes buildings on days the office is shut, and team coordination helps teams keep their shared days on the days everyone works.
Workplace occupancy · Workplace analytics
Frequently asked questions
How does a four-day work week work?
Employees work four days instead of five. In most four-day week models, total hours fall and pay stays the same, on the expectation that output holds up through better focus and fewer low-value tasks. Some companies close one day a week; others stagger days off to stay open.
What is the difference between a four-day week and a compressed work week?
A four-day week usually reduces total working hours with no cut in pay. A compressed work week keeps the same total hours and fits them into fewer, longer days. Both give employees an extra day off, but only the four-day week reduces working time.
Has the four-day week been tested?
Yes. Large trials have run in several countries. In the UK pilot, 56 of the 61 participating companies were continuing with a four-day week after the trial, and 18 confirmed it as a permanent change. Results depend on how well work is redesigned, not just on removing a day.
Is a three-day work week possible?
Some business leaders have predicted three-day weeks as automation takes on more routine work, but they remain rare. Most employers exploring shorter weeks start with four days or a shorter fortnight, and test the effect on output, service and wellbeing before going further.
Related terms
- Compressed work week A schedule that fits full-time hours into fewer, longer days, such as four ten-hour days, in exchange for extra days off.
- Flexible working Any arrangement that changes when, where or how much someone works, such as flextime, hybrid work or part-time hours.
- Recharge day A company-wide paid day off, given to everyone at once, meant to help employees rest and prevent burnout.
- Hybrid work policy The written rules for how hybrid work runs: office days, booking, meetings, manager duties and how success is measured.
Sources
Kadence editorial team · Last reviewed