What It’s Really Like to Have a 4-Day Workweek

April 12, 2024 11:16 AM EDT

For many people in corporate America, working five days a week—Monday to Friday, 9 to 5
—feels as normal as brushing their teeth. But it wasn’t always like this. In the late 1800s, a
full-time factory worker could work 100 hours per week. It wasn’t until around 1940, after
hard work from labor unions, that the 40-hour workweek became standard in the U.S.

Now, nearly 100 years later, there is growing support for an even shorter schedule, with big
companies trying out four-day workweeks. “We’ve all been working too hard and missing
out on life,” says Charlotte Lockhart, co-founder of 4 Day Week Global, “It’s affecting our
health, our planet, and our communities.”

Lockhart’s group supports the “100-80-100 rule”: workers meet 100% of their productivity
targets in 80% of the time, while earning 100% of their normal pay. For some companies, this
is as simple as canceling some meetings and using technology better to save time. Others
need to completely change their workflows and schedules. But, Lockhart says, companies in
different fields, from hospitality to law enforcement, have seen success with shorter
workweeks.

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. Employers see perks, too, including lower rates of turnover and absenteeism. The
study in Spain even showed a drop in fuel emissions due to fewer commuting trips.

Additional trials are underway in countries including Germany, Brazil, and the Dominican
Republic. Much of the research on shorter workweeks, however, has been done by advocacy
groups like Lockhart’s. Independent surveys, like one conducted by Gallup in 2022,
sometimes show a more complex picture.

In the Gallup survey, people who worked four days a week were slightly more likely to feel
burned out compared to those with traditional schedules. This might be because they had to
fit the same amount of work into fewer days. This result conflicts with the findings of pilot
studies by groups like 4 Day Week Global. In fact, Lockhart said that reducing burnout is one
of the biggest benefits of a shorter workweek.

Lawmakers in states seem to be focusing on the positive, introducing bills that would
encourage four-day workweeks or at least enable further research on them.

It's not new for people to want to work less, says Juliet Schor, a sociology professor at Boston
College who studies working hours. But with more support from employers and lawmakers,
she believes big changes are coming. “Before the pandemic, it seemed like a great idea but
unrealistic,” Schor says. “When the pandemic hit, people felt so stressed and burned out that
it became common sense to do this.”

Companies that have adopted a shorter workweek have used different methods. Some fully
implement the 100-80-100 system, while others make smaller changes, like having
employees work four 10-hour days each week or giving half days off. TIME spoke with
employees at four companies testing these schedules to find out the real effects of a shorter
workweek and whether it is as life-changing as people say.

Name: Ashya Majied

Age: 37
Location: Cleveland, Ohio
Job: Brand and marketing lead at Be Equitable, a company that partners with organizations to
advance equity and inclusion in workplaces.
Schedule: Monday to Thursday, with Fridays off for the entire company.

The first Friday off, I woke up, made tea, and enjoyed the sunny day. I felt happy and
understood why this schedule works. It makes me work harder the other days to enjoy this
feeling. I manage my time well during the week, and everything gets done in four days.
Having a weekday off for errands is great. This Friday, I’ll get my nails done without guilt or
working late. That peace of mind is priceless. As a Muslim, having Friday off means I can go
to the mosque, which I love. I needed an extra day to rest. The four-day workweek eases the
world's heaviness and gives me more energy. I wouldn’t want to go back to five days, but I
would if needed. Every job has pros and cons, and this is a big pro.

Names: Greg and Kelsey Brown

Ages: 36 and 33, respectively
Location: Missoula, Mont.
Jobs: Greg is the vice president of operations at Linehaul Logistics, a freight brokerage.
Kelsey is a counselor at a public school.
Schedules: The Browns, a married couple, both have four-day workweeks. At Greg’s
company, employees have different days off (Greg’s is Friday) and work 10-hour shifts on
the days they are scheduled. Kelsey’s school has a Monday to Thursday schedule for
students, faculty, and staff. She works nine-hour shifts.

Kelsey: It’s great to get chores done on Friday and fully enjoy the weekend. I also work out
at Orangetheory Fitness, which has improved my health. I use the three-day weekend to catch
up on sleep since I wake up at 5:30 a.m. for work. Although I wish I could start work later,
the benefits of my schedule outweigh that. I do more with my personal time compared to
working five days a week. By the end of my three days off, I’m ready to go back to work
feeling refreshed. It makes me better at my job because I’m ready to go on Mondays. Before,
weekends felt too short. It’s awesome that Greg and I both have a four-day schedule. We
spend extra time together or go out of town spontaneously.

Greg: It helps with traveling with our daughter, too. We love camping, and the three-day
weekend extends our trips. I don’t always take Fridays off because I’m a manager and leave
early some weeks to meet my daughter at the bus stop. I feel bad taking four days off without
doing my full shifts. Covering for others on their day off can be stressful, but when I can take
Fridays off, it helps me decompress. As a manager, I’ve seen less turnover and easier hiring
because of this schedule. One person prefers the five-day workweek, but everyone else
wouldn’t go back. Implementing and maintaining a four-day workweek is hard, but worth it.
Name: Siobhan Stewart
Age: 36
Location: Richmond, Va.
Job: Marketing communications manager at Pixite, a company that makes creative apps.
Schedule: Monday to Friday afternoon, for a 4.5-day week.

A five-day workweek feels unbalanced to me. It's hard to manage exercise, hydration, social
life, mental health, and self-care in that time. In previous jobs, I couldn't do this in a way that
felt restful. As a writer, I didn't have energy for writing when I worked five days a week.

Now, on a 4.5-day schedule, I feel lighter and happier. I don't get the Sunday Scaries because
I have enough time to rest and recharge. On Friday afternoons, I read, work on my novel,
journal, do chores, walk with my husband, or just relax. We take long weekends and travel.
Even a few extra hours feel like more space. During winter, I use the extra daylight to get
outside.

Less stress and feeling better make me a more productive worker. I can't imagine leaving this
job. Being middle-class often means trading time for money, so when a company gives you
time, it's like getting a piece of your life back.

Edited from: https://time.com/6964101/4-day-work-week-benefits/