Henley Business School ran a four-day week trial a couple of years ago and claimed, “The four-day week trial is a success.” However, it went on to say, “The report spent a lot of time reporting how happy employers and employees were with the four-day week; much less attention was given to customers.”

So, will it work for everyone?

Thinking back 100 years, practically everyone used to do a six-day working week, with Sunday reserved as the day of rest and for going to church. At the start of the 20th century, the weekend was agreed upon for all UK workers, and a five-day week was adopted.

The world of work has moved on, but a typical full-time job is still a five-day week, even allowing for weekend work (i.e., five days out of seven).

Working from home (WFH) is common in some jobs, and hybrid working involves a combination of WFH and going into the office or other places of work.

Of course, there are many jobs, predominantly in the low-pay sector, for which WFH is impossible. Hospitality, healthcare and social care, maintenance and cleaners, retail workers and the transport sector (e.g., bus and train drivers) need to be present. Even in the construction sector, one of the UK’s biggest employers, workers have to be on-site.

However, there are many jobs where work can be done effectively and efficiently, thanks to modern tech, in a full-time or hybrid capacity.

If the four-day week, without pay reduction, is to succeed without damaging the economy or profitability of business, it needs to prove the case.

On the face of it, workers are attracted to the idea of fewer days at the same level of pay.

An extra day off a week, especially if it is a Monday or Friday, is enticing.

However, there are questions:
Will I need to work extra hours on workdays?

Will I need to improve my output to match five days in only four days?

Will it make work more stressful and increase pressure?

Who will cover my day off, and will I have to cover other colleagues' days off?

Some businesses have found that implementing a four-day workweek is feasible for certain types of work, but challenging for others.

If clients or customers are still working the traditional Monday to Friday, will they be happy if the person with whom they interface will only be there 80% of the time?

Sussex University ran a trial for three months between July and October 2024 in which 117 employees participated. The four-day week did not involve compressed hours, where participants worked four days for ten hours each. Instead, they worked for 32 hours for the same salary.

The study showed that working a four-day week can improve employee well-being. It showed reductions in stress levels, improved sleep quality and a greater detachment from work.

Many employers remain unconvinced and worry about the impact on service and profitability.

One employer thought introducing a four-day week to their business would be a good idea. They imagined that the team would be pleased to get an extra day off, with no reduced pay or additional hours. However, early in their trial, it became evident that they weren’t succeeding as expected.

Many of the team members experienced serious stress from pressing so much work into just four days. They weren’t comfortable with the added level of pressure. It was never the boss's intention to put more stress or more pressure on people, but in fact it did.

Some people think the four-day working week is an idea whose time has come; others think it remains to be seen.

Ian Garner is a retired Fellow of the Chartered Management Institute (FCMI) and the Institute of Directors (FIoD).

Ian is a board member of Maggie’s Yorkshire. Maggie’s provides emotional and practical cancer support and information in centres across the UK and online, with their centre in Leeds based at St James’s Hospital.

He is the founder and director of Practical Solutions Management, a strategic consulting practice, and is skilled in developing strategy and providing strategic direction, specialising in business growth and leadership.