Study: Four-Day Workweek Momentum Rises Year on Year

The four-day workweek is growing in popularity year-on-year, original research from Tech.co finds. As revealed in the latest “The Impact of Technology on the Workplace” report, 38% of senior leaders are openminded about the prospect of implementing a four-day workweek at their business, compared to just 23% last year.

While the number of businesses actually following a four-day workweek remains relatively low, the 15% uptick in employer favorability is highly encouraging.

In recent years, debate has raged over remote working, with advocates pointing to the impact that it can have on employee wellbeing, burnout, and productivity. Similarly, the four-day workweek has been linked to a range of benefits. It’s only a matter of time before it too becomes a flashpoint for debate.

More Business Leaders Favor a Four-Day Workweek Year-on-Year

38% of employers are open to one day implementing a four-day workweek, it has been revealed. The latest report from Tech.co points to a growing appreciation for the working model, with the figure representing a 15% increase on the previous year.

In practice, relatively few companies are actually utilizing the working model. The report shows that just 14% of businesses already have it in place, which represents a slight decline from 2023, when 17% of businesses did.

Elsewhere, 19% of surveyed companies are actively considering whether or not to implement the model, with a further 8% indicating that they’re unsure. 21% have no intention to introduce a four-day workweek. Our Tech.co report surveyed over 1,000 senior executives and workplace managers of businesses with 10 or more employees, across a range of industries.

Four-Day Week Findings Highly Encouraging for Employees

In the last few years, the four-day workweek has begun to gain traction. There are variations on the model. In one iteration, employees work one fewer day per week, but retain the same workload, compensation, and benefits. In another, working hours are reduced, which in turn impacts pay and benefits. Proponents argue that both types will bring benefits to businesses and staff.

The idea is almost universally popular among employees, with around 80% respondents to a Work in America survey saying they believe they would be happier and just as effective with a four-day workweek. It has yet to find the same foothold among senior leaders, but, as the report demonstrates, momentum is building.

Research is in its infancy, but these hypotheses are certainly borne out by preliminary findings. For instance, a 2024 study of 247 construction company workers who followed a four-day workweek had a beneficial impact on “work-life harmony and did not increase fatigue.”

Debate To Become Next Business Battleground for Four-Day Week

Employee wellbeing has become a hot-button corporate issue in recent years. The remote work phenomenon ushered in by the Covid pandemic not only transformed attitudes to where we could carry out our work, but also its value when stacked up against our collective wellbeing.

We’ve seen this tension play out in the hotly contested remote work debate. On a near-monthly basis, another tech company ends remote working, or insists that employees at least partially increase their office attendance. With Donald Trump back in the White House, and notorious remote-skeptic Elon Musk at his side, the issue has become international news in recent months.

As momentum for the four-day workweek grows, it’s inevitable that it will soon become the next battleground for corporate interests and employee wellness. It will be fascinating to see how it plays out over the course of the year.