The four-day working week: A fad, or the future?

The traditional 9 to 5 has been a cornerstone of the British working world for decades. Working Monday to Friday, British workers have consistently adhered to this pattern, a schedule that provides structure and a conducive environment for productivity in the workplace. However, as of January 2025, 200 UK companies have signed up to follow the permanent four-day working week model, believing that the 9 to 5, five-day working week is unfit for purpose in the modern day. By offering employees the same salary alongside the benefit of a three-day weekend, businesses believe that the extra free time allows employees to lead happier lives, as well as attract skilled workers. 

The initiative, flagshipped by the 4 Day Week Foundation, is not something that has arisen out of the blue. Following the Covid-19 pandemic, working habits have shifted radically, especially with the advent of remote work and e-commerce platforms. As many Britons were required to work from home, the return to the workplace introduced a new sense of flexibility, and although the time away from the traditional workplace was feared to provoke a productivity drop, the more casual approach to work has often proven more beneficial.

66% of businesses offering the four-day week were able to reduce their costs

The 4 Day Week Foundation, in their case for this change, argues that workers will experience a ‘better work-life balance’, promoting the importance of rest, leisure, and taking care of ‘life admin’. These issues, once neglected in the hubbub of daily life, can be resolved quicker, and as a result, improve the overall well-being of employees, and thus their incentive to work. For employers, these alterations to the mental well-being of their workers will allow for higher performance in the workplace, with stress and sick days being less prevalent, and therefore sustaining an optimal environment for efficient work. 

The research, although being in its infancy, is nevertheless rigorous, offering a multitude of attractive benefits. It can improve mental and physical health and boost gender equality – since traditionally ascribed female roles can be managed more easily. The four-day working week seems ideal, if not utopian. The businesses involved share the same sentiment, with a report published by the think tank Autonomy stating that 92% of businesses involved in the six-month trial period decided to continue with the scheme. With the trial comprising 61 companies, and around 2,900 workers, the evidence presents a notable breakthrough and proven success, with employees revitalised and less stressed when balancing their work. The breadth of businesses involved is also notably diverse, with a mixture of sectors such as finance, scientific research, and creative agencies, all reaping the benefits in a uniform fashion. Businesses equally felt their costs reduced in a way that balanced well with their profits. With electricity usage, water bills and office maintenance requiring less financing, 66% of businesses offering the four-day week were able to reduce their costs.

Wellbeing in the workplace can be achieved through other measures that require far less structural change to the status quo.

This provokes the question: if the four-day working week is proven to be so beneficial, then what are the downsides, and why aren’t more businesses turning to this model? Yes, the employees and employers will be seeking benefits, but what about the customer? Surely customers who are unable to reach businesses on a certain day will become frustrated with the service, and opt out of using them on a regular basis. In turn, perhaps customers will choose a company that upholds the traditional working week, feeling more satisfied with the contactability and presented commitment to the service they are seeking, rather than those who are known to have a day off every week. This often proves to be the major issue that puts businesses off implementing this scheme, with 75% of companies concerned about customer availability, and their outward presentation to clients.

Aside from the blatant pros and cons, where in many circumstances, the pros win, there is a lot of change necessary for the four-day week to become the new norm. Although protecting the well-being of employees is important and highly relevant, it is unexpected that businesses would turn to a new way of employment that is different from the traditional model. With the five-day working week so cemented in British employment culture, regardless of whether this work takes place in an office or online, a turn so significant is too great a shift that feels unfeasible given the standard schedule. Therefore, whilst the four-day working week is gaining popularity, the change to promote wellbeing in the workplace can be achieved through other measures that require far less structural change to the status quo.