The 4 Day Week

What if working less could actually make us more productive, happier, and even help save the planet?

1. The Modern Work Model is Broken

The way many people work today doesn’t make sense anymore. Employment shaped by the gig economy requires workers to be constantly available, blurring the lines between work time and personal time. Freelancers and contract workers often lack job security, benefits, and the ability to unplug, creating a stressful, unhealthy lifestyle.

This insecurity damages not just individuals but companies themselves. Employees who are overstressed and undervalued make more mistakes, take more sick days, and are less productive over time. The obsession with staying connected at all hours has turned work into a source of strain rather than satisfaction.

For many workers, long commutes and rising living costs exacerbate these problems. Escaping this oppressive structure feels almost impossible, yet companies are realizing that their practices ultimately harm their success. It’s clear we need new frameworks to create healthier workplaces.

Examples

• Gig economy couriers are fired for arriving minutes late without consideration for circumstances.
• Rising burnout rates are strongly linked to a lack of job security and constant availability.
• Companies face lower productivity and higher turnover due to overworked and dissatisfied employees.

2. Modern Convenience Comes at a Human Cost

Society’s addiction to instant gratification fuels the undermining of workers' rights. Fast, cheap services like same-day delivery and ride-sharing apps prioritize consumers' needs without considering employees' well-being.

This focus comes at the expense of workers’ time, health, and job satisfaction. For example, to fulfill those fast deliveries, drivers push themselves through dangerous conditions like traffic congestion, putting in long hours without protection or a living wage. Meanwhile, the convenience comes with environmental tolls, like huge carbon footprints from increased transportation demand.

The entire system is structured to prioritize expedience at the cost of common sense and sustainability. In valuing cheap labor over fair working standards, companies inadvertently harm society as a whole—disrupting lives, creating financial instability, and worsening environmental problems.

Examples

• Amazon hires temporary employees during peak seasons who work under tough conditions without benefits.
• Ride-sharing platforms exploit contractors under the guise of flexibility but pay them unsustainably low wages.
• The logistics for urgent deliveries increase emissions, worsening the climate crisis.

3. History Shows the Power of Workers Organizing

In history, workers used unionization and collective action to demand better treatment and fair pay. In the harsh conditions of the Industrial Revolution, laborers took to strikes and advocacy, eventually winning protections such as the eight-hour workday.

These efforts improved lives significantly, but many challenges persist today due to the global nature of corporations and the gig economy. Workers now face an uphill battle against companies that straddle multiple jurisdictions, making accountability harder to enforce.

Still, stories like Gary Smith’s victory against Pimlico Plumbers in London prove that meaningful change is possible. When employees come together and advocate for their rights, they can still push back against powerful companies for fair terms, even in modern work environments.

Examples

• The creation of the National Health Service in the UK was driven by labor unions advocating for public health reform.
• Keir Hardie’s Labour Party advocated for the minimum wage and worker benefits.
• The Pimlico Plumbers case reaffirmed that gig workers can challenge unfair employment contracts.

4. A Paradigm Shift: The Productivity of Fewer Hours

The surprising truth is that most employees are only productive for a small part of their working day. Studies show office workers are effective for just 1.5 to 2.5 hours of an eight-hour shift, which raises questions about how companies can better utilize their time.

The four-day week proves employees can work fewer hours and still achieve the same or better results. Businesses trialing this concept found that employees met full productivity goals in four days instead of five. A rested workforce became more focused, motivated, and loyal.

By creating clear goals and valuing results over time spent at desks, the four-day model helps employees thrive while maintaining, or even boosting, company profitability. It redefines the workplace, giving people their time back while preserving economic output.

Examples

• Trials at Perpetual Guardian showed employees completed 100% of their work in four days at 80% of the hours.
• Canadian and UK studies confirmed office workers work efficiently for only 2.5 hours on average.
• Employees in four-day week trials reported improved well-being and stronger commitment to their organizations.

5. Transition Depends on Communication

Rolling out a four-day week isn’t simple—it requires extensive collaboration between employees and employers. Success depends on ensuring everyone understands the purpose of the shift and how their role fits into it.

Managers need to set clear expectations, engage staff in open discussions, and remain flexible to individual needs. Missteps, like rigid rules about which day employees can take off, can doom the plan. Adjustments and feedback loops are key to ensuring the system works seamlessly for everyone.

Avoiding a top-down, authoritarian approach helps create a shared sense of purpose. Employees need to feel they’re part of the process rather than passive recipients of management’s decisions.

Examples

• At Perpetual Guardian, employees were asked which adjustments would help them succeed.
• Surveys at Deloitte showed that flexible policies attracted top talent by meeting worker priorities.
• A failed rigid Friday-off policy demonstrated the importance of choice in work schedules.

6. Flexibility Paired With Security Works Best

Flexible Working Agreements (FWAs) empower employees to choose how and where to finish their work. By combining FWAs with the four-day week, companies introduce a long-term model that balances freedom with accountability.

Both employers and employees win. Businesses reduce their costs, and workers feel valued, leading to better retention and productivity. These arrangements also support work-life balance, which boosts mental health and job satisfaction.

Organizations that adapt to flexibility stay competitive. Companies like JP Morgan and Deloitte consistently find that flexible workplaces increase hiring success while employees report greater commitment to their roles.

Examples

• JP Morgan’s surveys found employees with FWAs expressed higher job satisfaction.
• Parents working remotely amid caregiving duties saved companies money on leave costs.
• Deloitte’s management credits flexibility for their hiring advantages over competitors.

7. A Collective Responsibility for Productivity

The four-day week works because employees buy into the concept of protecting their extra time. They self-motivate to maintain productivity rather than abusing the system.

A slip in productivity brings the team collectively back to a five-day schedule when necessary, which sets clear expectations. This pragmatic approach ensures time becomes the currency that employees value most, creating a shared commitment.

Success depends on managers framing the policy in realistic terms while giving employees autonomy. When the workforce views this model as a privilege, it fosters efficiency, teamwork, and accountability.

Examples

• Teams that struggled to meet targets in trials willingly returned to five days when needed.
• Perpetual Guardian found that groups worked harder to protect their extra day off.
• Workers became more mindful of time during four-day implementations.

8. Equity Through Reduced Hours

The four-day workweek directly addresses the growing wealth disparity by creating more equitable working conditions. As a response to gig economy abuses, it ensures job security while preserving workers’ rights.

America's workforce increasingly mirrors a feudal system where power concentrates in the hands of a few. Introducing models like the four-day week can bridge that divide, providing stability to previously vulnerable workers.

It aligns with calls for fair capitalism, showing companies that profits and ethical practices don’t have to be at odds. Workers gain breathing room and set boundaries, which improve their overall quality of life.

Examples

• Gig workers transitioning to four-day week-based contracts get better security.
• Income disparity reduction strategies often go hand in hand with shortened hours.
• Principles from successful labor history campaigns prove relevant once again.

9. Working Less, Helping the Planet More

The four-day week has one of the most immediate environmental benefits: fewer cars on roads during commutes. Reducing in-office demands creates a huge opportunity to cut emissions from transportation.

Beyond this direct impact, companies implementing this approach often encourage community contributions. Imagine millions of employees using their extra time to volunteer, plant trees, and educate others about sustainability, amplifying our collective impact.

By lowering consumption patterns linked to work and unnecessary errands, this change also encourages more thoughtful resource use and waste reduction.

Examples

• Fewer commute days could remove the equivalent of 10 million cars’ worth of emissions in the U.S.
• Perpetual Guardian employees volunteer one day per quarter toward environmental causes.
• Urban air pollution rates drop significantly on days with fewer work commutes.

Takeaways

1. Advocate for a four-day workweek within your organization by presenting its benefits for productivity, well-being, and profits.
2. Support flexible work policies that empower employees to choose how and where they work.
3. Reduce environmental impact by advocating for remote work options and minimizing unnecessary commuting days.