The 4-day work week is nothing new. In fact, this idea has been around for decades. It started in the 1960s but took off after the pandemic, kicking off new research. When work shifted from the office to the kitchen table back in 2020, subjects like work-life balance, employee wellbeing, and the way they impact productivity came to the forefront — so much so that five years and a hybrid work model later, we’re still talking about them.
According to a 2023 Johns Hopkins University study, a lot of people care more about work-life balance in the post-pandemic world, making a 4-day work week sound very appealing. Similarly, a 2025 study hosted by ASA found that working fewer days boosts well-being.
But what about employers? A 2023 research project about the impact of the 4-day work week found that out of the 61 participating companies, 92% said they would continue with this policy, while nearly a third confirmed permanent implementation.
All things considered, the benefits of a 4-day work week make it a win-win situation: the employees are happier, which leads to better results for the employer. But that is not to say there are no disadvantages. A 4-day work week means increased work hours and, for some companies, operational challenges they can’t afford. Depending on the industry, some businesses may not be able to try it at all. And if you can try it, how do you know if it’s right for you?
This answer is: you test it.
How? In six steps.
- Establish your goals
If you’re considering trying out a 4-day work week schedule, you must first define your reason why. Some companies choose it to decrease employee burnout — studies show the 4-day work week can help with that. Same with employee retention: a 4-day work week can help, as well as provide a competitive edge, especially for small businesses looking to recruit and retain talent. Other reasons may include cost efficiency and higher productivity.
- Practical Tip: Use the power of numbers in your favor. Make a list of measurable goals, such as reducing turnover by 15% or improving engagement scores by 10%. That way, you’ll know exactly what you’re looking for, and easily find out whether you achieved it.
- Decide on a model
Will you go for a reduced 32-hour model, or a compressed 40-hour model? The answer depends on your needs, which are the next to establish after your goals.
Are there any departments that must stay fully staffed, such as customer support, operations, or sales? What would be the more flexible departments? Which ones must pair with what others? You will need answers to all these questions, as they are critical when deciding how to implement the 4-day work week schedule.
- Practical Tip: Make a list where you pair each team with their core hours, flexibility level, and dependencies. That way, you can compare and organize them accordingly within the new schedule. As an example, an HR team would likely have its core hours between 9 AM and 5 PM. Also, their flexibility would be limited because most other employees depend on them. By contrast, a marketing team would have fewer dependencies and high flexibility.
- Work out the details
Switching to a 4-day work week is the kind of move you must model first. In other words, check the data you already have and estimate post-change results. The idea is not to guess what the 4-day work week will do but to know what to expect from it.
How many sales are typically closed per week? How many tickets are resolved, campaigns delivered, products shipped, or features deployed? What is the average time it takes your employees to finish a specific task? How many projects are completed per quarter? Answering these questions will give you an overview you can later use to make comparisons.
- Practical Tip: Treat the 4-day work week trial like you would a big financial project: gather data, build a model, and present the case, stating why it’s so promising. That will help win leadership over and make the process run smoothly.
- Check the conditions
Before switching to a 4-day work week, you must consider compliance, payroll, and labor laws. In the US, for example, the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) defines overtime as anything over 40 hours per week, not per day. Some states, like California, for instance, calculate daily overtime after 8 hours. That means you will need to adjust pay and employment terms depending on where you are, and whether your 4-day model is a 40-hour week or a 32-hour week. Consequently, you must update internal documents, policies, and tools.
- Practical Tip: Get your HR or payroll provider involved. They will let you know whether your plan checks out from a legal perspective.
- Run a pilot
You have the goals, the data, and the plan — now it’s time to put it all into action. Implement the 4-day work week as a test, making sure to track the metrics that interest you. You should aim to see improvements in employee wellbeing, burnout rates, and productivity. There might not be major changes, but they will give you a solid enough confirmation on whether you could go on with this type of schedule or not.
- Practical Tip: Draw sets of conclusions at the end of each week to more easily compare the results at the end of the test.
- Draw the conclusions
The test is over. It’s time to see those long-awaited results.
Looking back at the data you gathered, you should see how a 4-day work week increased productivity, for instance. If productivity didn’t improve, but stayed neutral, that is still a good thing — especially if paired with improved morale or employee retention. The conclusions are yours to draw; just keep in mind that the bigger picture is what matters most in a test like this.
- Practical Tip: Seek direct feedback from your employees. Ask them what they thought about the experiment. While your decisions will ultimately be data-driven, this approach ensures they remain human-centered.
Final thoughts
The 4-day work week is one of those ideas that works for some and not for others. No matter how you approach it, trying it out could be a game-changer for your company. And if shifting your schedule means you need a more flexible workspace (maybe to support new team routines or collaboration), WeWork has you covered. From shared workspaces and meeting room access to private offices for teams of all sizes, the choices are diverse and yours to make.