Four-day week becomes reality for hundreds of companies

Hundreds of companies in the United Kingdom have signed up for permanent four-day working weeks.

Why It Matters

The push for a four-day working week—typically a reduction of the usual work schedule to four days instead of the usual five, all while retaining full salary—has gathered momentum in the U.S. and across the world in recent years. In 2024, 22 percent of respondents to American Psychological Association’s Work in America survey said their employer offered a four-day working week, compared with just 14 percent in 2022.

According to 4 Day Week Global, an organization that runs 4-day workweek trials around the world, participating companies experienced 42 percent decrease in employee resignations; 36 percent increase in revenue; and a 64 percent reduction in burnout among staff.

What To Know

A report by British newspaper The Guardian said some 5,000 U.K. workers from across 200 companies have signed up for a permanent four-day working week.

Marketing, advertising, and public relations firms took the lead, with 30 companies implementing the policy. Close behind, 29 organizations in the charity sector made the commitment, while 24 businesses in the realm of technology, IT, and software also dropped a working day.

Joe Ryle, campaign director of the 4 Day Week Foundation, said that the “9-5, five-day working week was invented 100 years ago and is no longer fit for purpose. We are long overdue an update.

“As hundreds of British companies and one local council have already shown, a four-day week with no loss of pay can be a win-win for both workers and employers,” Ryle continued.

Research indicates a reduced week at work improves the well-being of workers and job satisfaction and can reduce certain costs for organizations, according to the American Psychological Association. In 2024, 80 percent of its Work in America survey respondents said they would be happier and just as effective when working four days instead of five.

The idea has gained the attention of lawmakers too. In 2024, Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders pushed for four-day weeks in Congress.

What People Are Saying

Bernie Sanders told lawmakers at a health committee hearing in March 2024: “The sad reality is, Americans now work more hours than the people of most other wealthy nations.

“In 2022, employees in the U.S., and I hope people hear this, logged 204 more hours a year than employees in Japan, and they’re hardworking people in Japan; 279 more hours than workers in the United Kingdom; and 470 more hours than workers in Germany.”

Michael Baynes, cofounder and CEO of Clarify Capital, previously told Newsweek: “Depending on the industry, compressing the same amount of work into fewer hours could lead to burnout, making it crucial to support the shorter workweek with efficient workflows and streamlined processes.

“While the four-day workweek presents numerous possibilities, a one-size-fits-all solution seems unlikely. Success will likely depend on meticulous planning and adaptation to meet the specific needs of each business.”

What Happens Next

In the U.S., the concept has already been tested and implemented at some American companies, including Kickstarter, Bolt and Dolby—although, like elsewhere, it is still far from replacing a five-day week as the working norm.