In this guide
The four-day work week has moved from fringe idea to mainstream experiment. Several countries and hundreds of companies have run pilot programmes, and some made the change permanent. But "four-day week" means different things in different places, and the details decide whether it works.
Three versions of the four-day week
| Version | Hours | Pay | Typical trade-off |
|---|---|---|---|
| Reduced hours (often called 100-80-100) | About 32 hours | Full pay | Output expected to stay the same; needs real efficiency changes |
| Compressed hours | Same total hours in four longer days | Full pay | Longer days can be tiring; works best for focus-heavy roles |
| Part-time four days | About 32 hours | Reduced pay (around 80%) | Simple to arrange; costs the employee income |
The "100-80-100" model — 100% pay, 80% time, 100% output — is the one most pilot programmes have tested.
What makes it work
Teams that succeed with a shorter week usually change how they work, not just when:
- Fewer, shorter meetings — see meeting hygiene
- Async by default — see async communication
- Clear priorities so the team stops doing low-value work
- Coverage plans for customer-facing roles, often by staggering days off
- Measuring outcomes rather than hours
What makes it fail
- Cramming five days of meetings into four
- No coverage plan, so customers or colleagues feel abandoned
- Measuring presence instead of results
- Rolling it out to some teams but not others without explanation
Who it suits
Deep-focus work styles (Cartographer, Tinkerer) often thrive, because a shorter week forces the meeting cuts they wanted anyway. Highly social styles (Coordinator, Catalyst) may need to be deliberate about keeping connection in a tighter week.
How to pitch it to your employer
- Start with the business problem it solves — hiring, retention, burnout, focus — not your personal preference.
- Propose a time-limited pilot, for example three months for one team.
- Define success metrics up front: output, customer satisfaction, response times, sick days.
- Include a coverage plan showing how the team stays reachable.
- Agree a review date and what happens if the metrics drop.
A note on contracts and law
Working-time rules, overtime and holiday entitlements differ by country, state and contract. If you're designing a programme for employees, check the rules where you operate or ask an employment lawyer before you commit.
Want help designing a pilot around your team's actual work styles? Request a team assessment.
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