What is the Four Day Workweek? 

The Four Day Workweek is what it says on the tin; working for four days in a week and having three days of rest. The principle behind this working arrangement is to increase productivity in the working week and increase the amount of rest that an individual can have over the weekend. The idea is that adding an extra day of rest to the week allows workers to fully recharge their batteries, complete all their “life admin” (i.e. washing, cleaning and the like) and come back to work productive as ever each week. Increasing everyone’s work/life balance is the goal of the four-day workweek, while ensuring that the organisation does not lose the output and productivity that they are looking to produce.

What are the different forms of the Four Day Workweek? 

The four-day workweek (4DW) doesn't look the same in every work environment; in fact, it can take many different forms! The work environment and needs of the customers/clients, employees, and employers all must be considered to ensure that maximum benefit is reaped with minimum drawbacks.

In those organisations that have implemented the 4DW, the most common forms that we see are fifth day stoppage, staggered, decentralised, annualised, and conditional.

Fifth Day Stoppage: 

The company shuts down operations for one additional day per week. This is a popular choice in companies where staff collaboration is more important than five-day coverage. For example, a company shuts down on a Friday, and its normal working days are Monday-Thursday.

Staggered: 

Staff take alternating days off: For example, the staff may be divided into two teams, with one team taking Mondays off, and the other taking Fridays off. This is a popular choice in companies where five-day coverage is important. 

Decentralised: 

Different departments operate on different work patterns, possibly resulting in a mixture of the two models above. This may also incorporate other arrangements, such as some staff working a four-day equivalent over five shorter working days. A decentralised model is usually chosen in companies whose departments have highly contrasting functions and challenges. 

Annualised: 

Staff work a 32-hour average working week, calculated on the scale of a year. For example, a restaurant whose business is highly seasonal may opt to incorporate an annualised four-day week, with longer opening times in summer compensated for by shorter opening times in winter. 

Conditional: 

Staff entitlement to the four-day week is tied to ongoing performance monitoring. Seniors in the company may decide to temporarily suspend the four-day week for certain departments or individuals, if there is evidence that staff are failing to meet agreed performance targets. This may lead to uneven situations where some staff/departments continue to work for five days over periods of time. 

Flexible working arrangements such as the four-day workweek are adaptable and don’t all look the same. However, the principle remains in all of the above scenarios – each staff member is to gain more recovery time from their workweek, with the goal to maintain productivity while increasing staff wellbeing and work/life balance.

If you are looking to understand how you may implement a flexible working arrangement such as the four-day workweek in your organisation, check out the Flexible Work Guide created in collaboration with Gillian Brookes, including templates in how to have a Flex team discussion. Access this guide and templates here!