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What if every weekend was an extended 3-day weekend and every week was a four-day work week? 

For many, that may sound like a dream come true, and that dream was put to the test as companies in the U.K. participated in a 6-month trial to test the theory of implementing a shorter workweek to promote better mental health, reduce burnout, and retain employees.  

The four-day workweek hit the spotlight as a possible solution to a high level of employee burnout during the coronavirus pandemic. In early 2021, employees were voluntarily resigning en masse due to several factors.

According to a Pew Research study, low pay, feeling disrespected and a lack of advancement were the top reasons employees quit their jobs during what was dubbed, “The Great Resignation.”

A tight labor market, childcare issues, a lack of work hour flexibility, insufficient healthcare benefits, and no paid time off were also major factors for resignations, according to the same survey.

The number of people quitting their jobs by mid-2021 had hit a record high. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, 4 million Americans quit their jobs in July 2021. 

During the pandemic, the work culture changed as the needs of employees changed.  Company leaders had to quickly make decisions that affected their employees. Many employees left their jobs due to several factors and found better opportunities that worked for their post-pandemic situations. 

With remote work being widespread, many employees found obstacles with returning to the office. With remote work creating flexibility and better work-life balance some left jobs and found a remote or hybrid work environment.

 As leaders at companies strategize how to adjust to fit the new realities of their employees and shift with the changing work culture, retaining employees became a hardship and the unemployment rate increased. 

The focus has shifted less towards company demands and dictated by enhanced focus on the employee experience and keeping workplace satisfaction, wellness, and productivity at the center of all potential decisions. 

Flexible, alternative work schedules and shortened workweeks have proven to be one viable solution to meet the physical and mental needs of employees. Studies show a four day work week offered more flexible work schedules, a good work-life balance, decreased fatigue and burnout, and better mental and physical health outcomes among employees, according to the 4-Day Week Global, the organization that led the pilot program.

The 4-Day workweek was successful in a UK pilot program

The UK led the way in a global pilot program that included more than 3,300 employees and 70 employers who implemented the four-day workweek schedule on a six-month trial basis. The employees had a reduced work week, but their pay did not change. 

At the conclusion of the trial, employers saw an increase in engagement and an improvement in their employees’ performance. Employees noted positive changes related to their sleep, personal life, and mental health. They also noted a reduction in fatigue and stress levels.

The experiment was so effective, 91% of employees said they wanted to continue the four-day schedule and only 4% wanted to return to their regular schedule, according to the UK Pilot Report. 

To return to the five-day work week, 42% said they’d need an increase in pay. In fact, 15 percent of the employees who participated said “no amount of money” would convince them to go back to working five-days a week, according to the report. 

The majority, 97%, of the companies that participated wanted to permanently implement the schedule and reported they would continue to use a four-day workweek at the conclusion of the pilot. 

Only three companies returned to the five-day workweek and did not implement any elements of the pilot program. the report said. 

The results have sparked a global conversation. 

In the U.S., California Representative Mark Takano recently reintroduced the 32-Hour Workweek Act, a bill that proposed making a four-day workweek federal law. 

Takano suggested amending the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) by reducing the standard workweek from five-days to four-days, with no change in pay. Takano encouraged more time to enjoy life and truly obtain a work-life balance. 

“Workers across the nation are collectively reimagining their relationship to labor – and our laws need to follow suit,”  Rep. Mark Takano said in a news release. “We have before us the opportunity to make common sense changes to work standards passed down from a different era. The Thirty-Two Hour Workweek Act would improve the quality of life of workers, meeting the demand for a more truncated workweek that allows room to live, play, and enjoy life more fully outside of work.” 

Massachusetts, Hawaii, Maryland, New York, Pennsylvania and Washington have also introduced 32-Hour Workweek Bills. 

Experts say all companies can’t conform to a four-day work week and some workers wouldn’t want to.

Not all are on board with the thought of a four-day work week in the U.S. Some experts believe it isn’t feasible to enforce a four-day workweek because of the “hustle” work culture in America, the nature and various aspects of certain industries, and variables such as a possible decrease in productivity. 

Critics of the four-day workweek are for keeping the standard five-day work week and 40 hours a week, which was introduced by the Ford Motor Company in 1926. This was a reduction from Ford’s six-day work week.

Ford said, at the time, the reduction was for the laborers to spend more time with their families and enjoy more than one day of leisure. Ford wanted to change the notion that leisure for workmen was lost time or a class privilege.

However, increasing productivity was the top priority for Ford's five-day workweek. With a shortened week, workers were still expected to expend more effort to meet company goals. 

The five-day workweek was passed as a law by Congress in 1940.

Some say the productivity-driven American work culture, established 80-plus years ago, isn't likely to change. 

The way American work culture focuses on hard work, competitiveness, accolades and accomplishments, could represent a major obstacle to the introduction of the four-day workweek at a nationwide level, according to experts. 

American work culture puts a high value on hard work and long hours, with many employees willingly and proudly working more than 40 hours a week to contribute to the overall success of their team, department, and company. .

Although this mindset can lead to burnout, decreased productivity, and negative health outcomes, many employees still pride themselves in their dedication and loyalty to their jobs, especially in high paid salary jobs. 

Some workers in lower paying hourly jobs would rather work more and earn more money, versus conforming to 32-hours and an extra day off, experts say.

Opponents of the four-day workweek say it’s not feasible for all industries, because industries such as child care, healthcare, hospitality, manufacturing and retail are all industries that require physical presence and  round-the-clock coverage. 

These opponents argue that the four-day workweek is modeled strictly for office workers at small to midsize companies who rely on knowledge-driven workers that can manage their time and still achieve the amount of work in four days that they typically accomplish in five. 

Additionally, they believe the structure is not financially sustainable, and will decrease productivity, and economic growth.

Only time and leadership will tell the future of the four-day workweek. Some companies in the US have implemented the schedule and found success. 

One US-based marketing company first did a six-month trial of a 4.5 workweek in December 2020 and transitioned to the entire team moving to the schedule with no reduction in salaries.

The company made the decision based on their desire for employees to spend time with their families, focus on passion or engage in additional learning and thus when they are at work they focus on productivity. 

By using a  mixture of technology, employees and teams in multiple time zones and an agile mentality they saw success in maintaining the quality of their services.

According to Newsweek, at least 31 companies in the US have trialed a four-day week—and  made it a permanent option offered to their staff.

There are Pros and Cons to the Four-Day Work Week

Internationally the concept of a four-day work week is catching on with the majority of the workforce in Iceland adapted to the schedule. Companies in Spain, New Zealand and Japan are also implementing the schedule among their workforce.

Surveys of employees who have worked the schedule have shown there are pros and cons to working the four-day work schedule. 

Better Work-Life Balance

A company in New Zealand implemented the four-day workweek  schedule and hired researchers to gather data on the results. The results: 1 in 4 employees felt like they could successfully balance their work and personal lives with the 4-day workweek. Stress levels decreased by almost 10%, while the overall work satisfaction rates rose by 5% without a change in job performance.

A better work-life balance meant employees could spend more time with family and friends and thus lead a happier and healthier life. 

Higher Productivity

Employees who work a four-day workweek are aware of their time management and know they have less time to complete their tasks.  This creates fewer opportunities to scroll social media, play games, and take unneeded breaks, experts said. 

Tasks are efficiently chosen and lead to better professional development and there are fewer meetings, social conversations and other time-wasting tasks. 

Time is used more efficiently, experts say. 

Better Team Morale

Due to less stress at work, there’s less time to waste on disputes and the focus to finish tasks efficiently becomes a common goal. 

When conflict does occur, problem-solving is the goal, which isn’t seen in the traditional 40-hour workweek, experts say. 

Employees working on the same tasks or projects, interacting more and with the knowledge of their schedule will most often collaborate and develop positive relationships from those successful interactions. 

This adds another level of productivity as employees focus on their schedule and better manage their time which creates higher productivity.

Employees who have transitioned to the schedule reported they were able to get all their work finished within a 32-hour week and had increased satisfaction with their jobs.

Burnout Avoided

The average American currently works 44 hours a week and reports experiencing  burnout. Some workers put in  more hours and have become workaholics, an issue many struggle with due to a very unbalanced work-life balance.

Shorter workweeks promote rest and avoidance of overworking, which is a huge benefit to mental and physical health. 

Workers who don’t experience burnout are more likely to be invested in their work and produce better quality work. 

Increased Mental Well-being and Physical Health

Employees who worked fewer days said they made positive changes such as exercising more, finishing their Master’s degree, volunteering, starting therapy, spending more time with family, and traveling. 

These positive changes had a good effect on their productivity in the office. 

Having less stress, and having time to do the necessary things as a parent, caregiver, spouse, and friend contributed to more satisfaction and balance. 

The Cons

Some employees could suffer financially 

Some industries operate outside of a 9-5 or 40 week schedule and those professionals in that field would struggle to earn a living if they were forced to work within a limited 32-hour schedule each day. For example, real estate agents, emergency care workers, freelancers, media personnel, and a variety of other professionals typically work out in the field vs. in an office and work non-traditional  hours due to the nature of their work. If forced within the restraints of 32 hours, these workers' quality of work and income would suffer. 

Possible Increased Stress

Employees who may have complicated work may feel the pressure to cram as much work, meetings, and reports as they can into a four-day week. Their stress level could actually increase because they are struggling or rushing to accomplish what they did in five days. This could lead to workers working off the clock just to alleviate the stress. 

Business Scheduling and Deadlines can Become an Issue

Government offices that essentially run as businesses such as the driver’s license, taxes, clerks, and court offices could suffer from backlogged workloads, customer and public dissatisfaction, and financial hits.

The Utah government office had to switch back to a five-day workweek after trying the four-day workweek for 3 years. The lack of availability in government offices presented a hardship for the public.

In 2008, Utah was the first state in the nation to adopt a four-day workweek for state workers. The state had moved to working 10-hours per day, 4 days a week, 40-hour week. The governor at the time said it would save the state $3 million, boost customer service, improve employee morale, and decrease energy consumption. 

In 2011, Utah ended the four-day work week, after the $3 million in savings didn’t materialize. Some cities in Utah did report better employee morale and savings during the three-year trial.  

One of the largest global e-commerce retailers did a trial with a four-day week for some employees but the employees' salaries were reduced by 25% after 10 hours were cut out of their schedule. This led to issues with their benefits status and overall financial situation. 

Additionally, there were schedule gaps and missed deadlines. The company’s bottom line suffered. 

Costly Overtime

Employers risk spending more money on overtime as employees work more hours to finish their work, basically working a 40-hour work plus week anyways. 

The overtime may not be purposeful, but there are certain jobs that take time to do, and reducing the hours just creates a new issue of unfinished products, employee frustration, and employers spending more money to get the work completed. 

Employees who work with an exempt-position status don’t receive overtime hours or financial compensation due to a salaried status and wouldn’t benefit financially from any overtime worked. 

If these particular employees participated in a four-day week they may be pressured to call into a meeting or respond to messages even on their off day to stay up to date on their work. This could impact the team overall as everyone works on a variety of schedules. 

Childcare difficulties can occur with alternative schedules

An alternative schedule still gives you a day off but still requires working 40 hours per week. Most companies implement a 4/10 schedule and this can put a hardship on parents who need childcare. Many daycare centers aren’t open for extended hours which creates great challenges for parents as well as decreased productivity as the day ends. 

Time Will Tell

In conclusion, the positive aspects of having a four-day workweek are clearly noted and celebrated as trials show a shorter workweek increased productivity, promoted good mental health and increased employee satisfaction. 

Many companies adopted the schedule permanently after the trial ended. There are many pros and positive results of adopting a four-day workweek.  

However, there are cons that may have the opposite effect of what is hoped for. Stress levels could increase, productivity could decrease and employers could lose money and face other internal team issues. 

It’s still early to know if the new concept of a 32-hour work week will take flight in the US as it has in other international job markets. 

Whether it’s the American work culture mentality, which has typically been defined with pride in working hard and maximum productivity, or the lack of feasibility to implement a new system in industries that need more time and days to produce quality products and services. 

If an employee can do 40 hours of work in 32 hours and uphold the quality of their work, it is worth an employer researching and trying to analyze the results, because an extra day off has more pros for their employees, increased mental health being one of them and worth the effort.