The 4-Day Workweek: How Companies Are Winning the Talent War

What if the secret to getting more done... was working less?

The four-day workweek isn’t just a radical idea anymore - it’s becoming a serious option for companies rethinking productivity, burnout, and what it really means to “work smarter.”

But it may not be a perfect fit for every business today. That’s why many companies are experimenting with different ways to reduce working hours without compromising performance. The goal? Boost productivity, keep teams happy, while driving business growth.

In this article, we’ll explore the rise of the four-day workweek, along with other flexible models that challenge the traditional 9 to 5 - all with a focus on long-term business benefits, performance, and well-being.

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The Productivity Illusion: Why More Hours Don’t Equal More Results

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Let’s bust a myth right out of the gate: more hours ≠ more productivity.‍

We’ve inherited a definition of productivity that’s deeply rooted in the industrial era, when output was easy to measure: how much could you produce, and how fast? Productivity back then was essentially a function of time over output. The more hours you worked, the more you were expected to produce.

And while that may have made sense for early 20th-century factory floors, it doesn’t hold up in today’s knowledge-based economy. Yet many organizations still cling to that outdated mindset - measuring productivity in hours worked instead of value created.

As a matter of fact, piling on extra hours can create a misleading illusion of productivity. Sure, you might complete more tasks or attend more meetings, but are those tasks driving value? Are those meetings the most productive they could be?

In truth, the real value comes from quality problem-solving, creativity, high-value collaboration, and smart decision-making. And those things don’t thrive under pressure, burnout, or back-to-back meetings.

That’s why forward-thinking companies are flipping the script. Productivity isn’t about squeezing the most out of people — it’s about creating the conditions where they can do their best work.

So while exploring shorter workweeks and other alternative work models, we’re not just chasing flexibility for the sake of it. We’re chasing better results, healthier teams, and real business growth.

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Why Businesses Are Exploring Shorter Workweeks (Spoiler: It’s Not Just About Perks)

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When people hear about companies trying shorter workweeks, the assumption is often: Oh, they just want to attract talent with cool perks. But is that really the only reason? 

In conversations with leaders who’ve implemented shorter workweeks, three key drivers consistently show up:

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1. Productivity - with real employee buy-in.‍

Improving productivity is often one of the main reasons companies consider a shorter workweek. But here’s the catch: most productivity initiatives fail to stick.

Why? Because while leaders may be excited about becoming more efficient, employees often aren’t motivated to change their behaviors, especially when they assume that working faster or smarter just means more tasks will be piled onto their plates. Without a meaningful incentive, productivity efforts stall out.

A shorter workweek flips that mindset. It creates a shared goal: If we find smarter, more effective ways of working, we’ll all benefit, with more time back. That’s a game-changer. Time is one of the most powerful motivators out there, and when people feel they’ll be rewarded with something truly meaningful, they’re far more likely to engage in driving productivity forward.

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2. Burnout is real, and it’s hurting performance.

Another major reason companies embrace shorter weeks is to tackle burnout. 

We’re in the middle of a burnout crisis in the workforce. A UK study shows that somewhere between a third and nearly half of workers reported experiencing burnout, hurting their ability to deliver their best work.  

And that’s not just a personal wellness issue - it’s a business problem. Burned-out employees can’t deliver their best work. In response, shorter workweeks offer people the time they need to rest and recover, so they can show up energized, focused, and ready to perform.

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3. A competitive edge in hiring and retention.‍

Still, this might be the biggest driver of all. In today’s talent market, companies need something that sets them apart. For small to mid-sized organizations, especially those that can’t compete with Big Tech salaries offered by giants like Amazon, Google, or Meta, offering a shorter workweek is a compelling advantage.According to Randstad’s latest global survey, for the first time in over two decades, employees now rank work-life balance ahead of salary. That’s huge. It means offering time, not just money, can help companies attract top-tier talent and hold on to their best people.

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How Companies Are Rethinking Work Hours

When it comes to the future of work, one thing is clear: there’s no single model that works for everyone.

Every business is different, whether it’s the nature of the work, team size, industry demands, or customer expectations. Some prioritize flexibility. Others are focused on energy management, seasonality, or shift work. The goal in each case? Boost productivity, improve wellbeing, and support business growth - on their own terms.

Here are some of the most popular work time reduction models:

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How to Make a Shorter Workweek Work for Your Business

Switching from a traditional 40-hour workweek isn’t as simple as blocking off Fridays and hoping for the best. To make it successful, you need a thoughtful, step-by-step approach rooted in your company’s unique context.

Here are the key steps businesses should take to ensure their work time reduction model is sustainable, strategic, and set up for real impact:

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Step 1: Diagnose Before You Design

Before jumping into any kind of work time reduction model, the first step is clear: diagnose what’s actually getting in the way of productivity and wellbeing inside your organization.

This isn’t about forcing the same workload into fewer hours. It’s about identifying the root causes of inefficiency, burnout, and overwork.

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Start by asking:

• What’s currently holding back productivity in the organization?
  
• What factors are negatively impacting employee well-being?
  
• What specific areas should we focus on to improve how work gets done?
  
• What would need to change in our workflows, culture, or expectations to make a shorter workweek feasible?

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These insights will help you spot what needs to change before you reduce working hours. Because if your team is already overloaded, jumping straight to a 32-hour workweek is more likely to backfire than succeed. Fixing the overwork problem comes first.

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Who should own the process? CEO vs. HR vs. External Consultant?

Who should take charge of this review depends largely on your organization's size and setup. In smaller companies, it's often the CEO who steps up. 

In mid-sized businesses, the Chief People Officer or someone from HR typically leads this initiative. They coordinate closely with senior leadership, including the CEO, COO, and CFO, to get everyone aligned.

At larger organizations, you can have a dedicated team or someone specifically tasked with rethinking workplace practices. This role is particularly valuable for managing bigger, more complex transitions.

Whoever takes the lead, remember: it’s a bad idea to rush into change. Sometimes it helps to bring in external consultants to provide fresh perspectives. Either way, focus on setting the stage for long-lasting, meaningful improvements in the way your organization works.

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Step 2: Pick a Model & Redesign Workflows

Once you’ve got clarity on the blockers, the next step is choosing a model that fits your organization’s specific needs. As covered above, this could look different depending on your structure and workflow.

For instance, you might consider ending each week early with half-day Fridays, or maybe a three-day weekend every other week, using a 9-day fortnight model would work best. If your company prefers something more ambitious, a four-day week with concentrated, focused workdays might be ideal. 

There’s no universal formula. The right approach is the one that aligns with your business reality, your team, and your goals. That’s why this diagnostic stage is so crucial - it sets the foundation for a sustainable, high-impact shift.

And here’s the real opportunity: many of today’s most draining inefficiencies - unnecessary meetings, constant interruptions, fragmented tools - are especially common in knowledge work. MeetGeek recent data shows that CxOs in enterprise companies attend an average of 19.2 meetings per week, while Sales teams follow closely with 14.6. These meetings typically last between 30 and 60 minutes, meaning many leaders are spending over 10 hours a week on calls alone. Meanwhile, functions like Engineering, even in large companies, still average nearly 6 meetings weekly.

How we work often matters more than when we work. The same factors that wear down employee wellbeing, like excessive meetings, constant interruptions, and fragmented workflows, also inhibit organizational productivity. That means there’s huge potential for improvement if you’re intentional about how work gets done, not just when.

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Step 3: Sustain the Momentum

One of the biggest questions companies ask after switching to a shorter workweek is:
“How do we keep it going?”

It’s common to see an initial surge in motivation and productivity - people are excited, energized, and invested in making the change work. But over time, old habits can creep back in. The risk? You slowly slide back into the same overloaded routines that made the change necessary in the first place.

That’s why sustaining a shorter workweek isn’t just about making operational tweaks - it’s about building new habits and a culture of continuous improvement.

Forming new habits takes time. So a one-time training session or kickoff workshop won’t cut it. Teams need consistent coaching, space to reflect, and the mindset that improving how they work is ongoing, not one-and-done.

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Ask regularly:

• What’s working well in our new rhythm?
  
• Where are we slipping back into unnecessary busyness?
  
• Are we truly using our tools and time wisely?

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The organizations that make shorter workweeks truly sustainable are the ones that treat it as a journey, not a destination.

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Who’s Best Positioned for a Shorter Workweek?

When it comes to adopting a shorter workweek (or any kind of work time reduction), there’s no one-size-fits-all playbook. The decision - and ease of its adoption - depends heavily on industry, company size, and cultural context.

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Industry: More inefficiencies = more opportunity

Different industries are finding their own reasons to embrace the four-day week. 

Shorter workweeks are gaining the most traction in white-collar, knowledge-based industries, and for good reason. These environments are often filled with inefficiencies - overlong meetings, constant distractions, and underused tools - that eat up time and energy.

That makes them realize that their best creative ideas often come during downtime rather than at a desk. Academic research refers to this as the “shower effect.” 

Even high-pressure sectors like professional services are experimenting with reduced hours, recognizing that long-term productivity and well-being depend on employees having enough rest and recovery time.

While non-profit organizations, often unable to match the private sector’s salaries, see shorter workweeks as a powerful way to attract talent and reduce burnout among employees dealing with emotionally demanding roles. 

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Company Size: Smaller teams move faster

Shorter workweeks tend to be more common among small to mid-sized businesses, typically between 30 and 300 people. These companies can plan and launch pilots in just a few months, with less complexity and fewer layers of approval.

Larger enterprises are showing growing interest, but for them, the path is usually more gradual. Giants like Unilever have taken an experimental approach, rolling out pilots in select regions before scaling. In global organizations with complex structures and time zones, the shift often becomes a multi-year strategy rather than a quick fix.

The transition to a shorter workweek is especially smooth in remote and hybrid companies. These teams already focus more on outcomes rather than hours spent online, and they're already familiar with asynchronous communication, which makes the switch feel more natural.

A recent UK study showed that when employees were asked whether they preferred a traditional five-day remote schedule or a four-day week fully in-office, a surprising 63% chose the shorter in-office week.

Culture: Mindsets matter

Work culture plays a huge role in how (and whether) shorter workweeks are adopted. 

In some countries, like Japan and South Korea, long hours have traditionally been a sign of dedication and success. In fact, Japan even has a word for "death by overwork" (karoshi).

And yet, these same countries are now exploring shorter workweeks - not just to improve work-life balance, but to address much bigger societal challenges like declining birth rates and population strain. 

The idea is simple but powerful: by creating more time for life outside of work, governments hope to make it easier for people to start and support families.

And while the pace of change varies across regions, forward-thinking companies, regardless of location, are beginning to embrace the idea that less time at work can actually lead to better work.

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Metrics That Matter: How Companies Track Success

Switching to a shorter workweek can feel like a bold step - but how do you know if it’s actually working? The good news is that there are several practical ways to measure whether your shorter schedule is bringing meaningful results.

1. Retention & recruitment
   
   If a key reason for exploring reduced hours is to solve recruitment or retention challenges, monitor:
   - Employee turnover: Are fewer people leaving your organization?
   - Hiring pipeline: Are you attracting more qualified candidates for open roles?
   
   
2. Employee wellbeing
   
   Improving well-being is often a key goal of a shorter workweek, but it’s important to dig deeper than surface-level happiness.
   Ask yourself:
   - Are people feeling healthier, less stressed, and more satisfied at work?
   - Or are they simply cramming the same workload into fewer days?
   
   One critical signal to watch is work intensity. If employees feel like they’re just working faster and harder to fit everything into a tighter schedule, that’s a red flag. That kind of intensity isn’t sustainable, and it defeats the purpose of the change.
   
   A successful shift should reduce stress by redesigning work, not by compressing it. That means streamlining processes, removing friction, and giving people the time and space to do their best work, without burnout.
   
   
3. Business Performance
   
   Track core business metrics to understand how the shift is impacting the bottom line.
   
   - Revenue per employee can indicate improved focus and efficiency.
   - Client satisfaction metrics (like NPS) reveal whether your external service standards are holding strong, even with fewer hours worked.

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While these metrics offer a solid starting point, there’s no one-size-fits-all way to measure productivity anymore.

Each team and each organization needs to define what productivity means for them and build a measurement approach that reflects their unique goals, workflows, and value creation.

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The AI Factor: How Technology Fuels Work Time Reduction

Even before generative AI took the spotlight, many companies were already using technology to simplify everyday tasks and save time. But now, with AI advancing so quickly, the opportunities to work smarter (and less!) are bigger than ever.

We’re still early in this journey - we’re probably at the BlackBerry stage of AI, not quite at the iPhone moment. The potential is enormous, and it’s only going to grow.

But here’s the challenge: not everyone’s on board. Many companies are finding that rolling out new AI tools comes with real resistance from employees:

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• “Great, another tool I have to learn.”
  
  
• “If I do my job faster with AI… will I just get more work?”
  
  
• “Am I automating myself out of a job?”‍

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This hesitation makes sense. People don’t want technology to extract more from them - they want it to support them, so we’re introducing a new concept: the time dividend.

If AI tools free up, say, eight hours a week, the business might reinvest part of that time into new projects and initiatives, but also give two to four hours back to employees in the form of reduced working hours. It’s a practical, win-win approach that helps build buy-in and turns efficiency gains into something everyone benefits from.

Beyond just productivity, this approach reflects a much bigger picture. In previous waves of tech change, globalization, and digitalization, many workers felt left behind. If we’re not careful, AI could repeat that cycle, widening divides between those who benefit and those who don’t.

That’s why integrating AI into the workplace thoughtfully - and pairing it with work time reduction - can be a powerful way to make this next leap forward feel more inclusive, more human, and more sustainable.

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Closing Thoughts 

The idea of working less to achieve more might have once seemed idealistic. But today, it’s becoming a practical strategy for companies that want to stay competitive, attract top talent, and build resilient, high-performing teams.

What we’re seeing isn’t just a trend - it’s a shift in how we define productivity, value our time, and design the future of work. And while the four-day workweek grabs the headlines, the real story is much bigger. It’s about giving people the space to do their best work, the support to stay well, and the tools to work smarter, not harder.

Because in the end, the future of work isn’t just about working fewer hours. It’s about working better for people and for business.

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