Remember when “I’m so busy” was the corporate humble brag? That status symbol is dying a much-needed death, and the 4-day workweek is driving the final nail in its coffin.
Last year, my company joined the growing list of businesses experimenting with a 4-day workweek—same pay, same expectations, just compressed into four days instead of five. Six months in, our productivity is up 18%, employee turnover has plummeted, and I’ve gone from skeptic to evangelist.
If your immediate reaction is “that could never work in my industry,” you’re not alone. I had the same thought. But after seeing the results firsthand and studying companies across sectors implementing this model, I’m convinced the traditional 5-day, 40-hour workweek is as outdated as fax machines and pantyhose.
The data backs this up. A Stanford study found that productivity drops sharply after 50 hours per week, and 55-hour workweeks result in such diminishing returns that the additional 15 hours produce almost nothing of value. We’re not machines—we’re humans with finite cognitive resources that need regular replenishment.
When my team knew they had only four days to accomplish their goals, fascinating behavioral changes emerged:
Meetings got ruthlessly efficient Our 60-minute meetings became 30-minute meetings. The “this could have been an email” conversations actually became emails. One team implemented a “no meeting Wednesday” policy and saw their output double that day.
Deep work replaced busy work With less time to signal productivity through presence, people focused on actual output. One developer noted: “I’m writing better code in four days than I was in five because I’m not constantly context-switching between tasks.”
Decision-making accelerated When you don’t have the luxury of “let’s circle back next week,” you make decisions now. Our average project implementation time decreased by 23% simply because we stopped procrastinating on key decisions.
People returned refreshed Three-day weekends aren’t just about leisure—they provide genuine cognitive recovery. Monday mornings went from dreaded to energized because people had truly disconnected.
Not every company can implement a 4-day model the same way. Some businesses need 7-day coverage and use staggered schedules. Others maintain 5-day operations but give each employee a floating day off. The hospitality chain Sage Hotels uses a “4-day work, 3-day operations” model where administrative work happens during the compressed week, while customer-facing operations maintain traditional hours.
If you’re interested in experimenting with this model, start small. One department, 90-day trial, clear metrics for success. The shift requires cultural changes beyond just the schedule—you’ll need to audit workflows, eliminate inefficiencies, and be willing to kill sacred cows like unnecessary meetings and reports.
The biggest lesson? Work expands to fill the time available. Give people 40 hours, they’ll use 40 hours. Give them 32 and a reason to make it work, and they’ll find a way to deliver the same value—often more—in less time. The question isn’t whether you can afford a 4-day workweek; it’s whether you can afford not to consider it.