The 5-day workweek is coming to an end

The four-day workweek catches on around the world

In several countries, this perspective shift translated into a shorter workweek:

• In February 2022, Belgium introduced legislation to give employees the option of condensing the standard five-day workweek into four days. Those opting for the four-day workweek would work 9.5 hours per day.
• In August 2022, Australia piloted a 4-day workweek trial with 26 companies
• In September 2023, Brazil operated a 9-month trial with 22 companies.

Belgium was not the first country to test shorter workweeks: In 2015 and again in 2017, Iceland conducted trials of 2,500 workers and reduced their work hours from 40 to 35 or 36 hours per week, with no reduction in pay. A report published in June 2021 found productivity either stayed the same or increased in most of the sectors represented in the study. Workers in the study also reported a reduction in stress and burnout levels, better health and better work-life balance.

Despite the success of these pilot schemes, widespread adoption has not yet occurred, especially within the U.S. Five years after the first appearance of COVID-19, many companies are looking to return to business as usual rather than test new ways of working.

However, the evidence continues to build that the five-day workweek may no longer be the best system for both employees and companies. The U.S. could be on track to join the trend as employers, especially those in high-stress industries, look for ways to attract and retain talent.

History of the 40-hour workweek

For decades, labor groups tried to enact labor reform measures. The United States Department of Labor was officially established in 1913, though elements of it existed since 1884. But it was the onset of the Great Depression and Franklin D. Roosevelt's "New Deal" initiatives when momentum was gained.

In 1932, Sen. Hugo Black (D-Ala.) presented the Fair Labor Standards Act to Congress, but it was rejected due to its proposed 30-hour workweek. The proposal was designed to spread work around to reduce widespread unemployment.

Six years later, in 1938, Congress passed a revised version of Black's bill and codified the labor protections still observed today. It defined full-time employment as being eight hours per day, 40 hours per week. It also established a federal minimum wage, overtime pay and certain restrictions on child labor.

Since then, there has been no large-scale effort to replace the five-day workweek, which has been accepted as the default—until now.

Why the 5-day workweek is dead

Soon after remote working became the norm for many employees, those workers grew to appreciate the flexibility of a remote schedule. In its ongoing Survey of Working Arrangements and Attitudes (SWAA), WFH Research found that remote workers viewed the three biggest benefits of working from home as no commute (49.2%), flexible scheduling (42.9%) and less time getting ready for work (40.4%).

Being given back time is clearly a priority for workers. A lack of commute isn't just good for well-being; the National Bureau of Economic Research calculated an average daily time saving of 72 minutes for people who work from home, which equals six hours of additional time per week. When you add an hour for lunch and an additional 30-minute break, this equals nearly a full extra day of work.

Employees don't devote all this additional time to their jobs, but they might spend more if they knew they could get a day off in return. Some workers are also more productive by default when working remotely. Many people found that without office distractions, they could accomplish as much in six or seven hours as they could in an eight- or nine-hour workday. In some cases, that meant an employee could justify taking a day off work during the week and using that extra day to recharge, since they were already now fitting five days' worth of work into four.

In response, some management teams have decided to reverse engineer their workweek to support this shift in work style. When trialing a four-day workweek, employees are incentivized to fit their workload into the shorter week with the guarantee of more time off. Most trials have proved successful. When business performance doesn't suffer – and in fact improves, many of these trial periods become permanent fixtures; the 2022 Australian pilot saw full-time adoption of the four-day workweek by 95% of participants.

It should be noted, however, that although there is data to support the benefits of remote working, there is no consensus amongst business leaders over whether in-office or remote working is most efficient. Many companies have rolled back their earlier remote working policies, including Amazon and JP Morgan. This skepticism may also apply to the four-day workweek and explain the lower adoption rates in the U.S.

Read some reactions to the four-day workweek here.

What's next?

Attracting the best talent in 2025 often requires offering a range of new benefits that contribute to quality of life. Offering employees the option to work from home or a hybrid workplace is one way to do this, since many applicants prioritize this option.

In fact, it's considered a requirement for many. In a survey conducted by Pew Research Center in October 2024, 46% of respondents said they would be somewhat or very unlikely to stay in their current job if they were no longer able to work from home. Among those who currently work remotely, this number increased to 61%. The SWAA from June 2025 found similar results, with a majority of respondents saying they would quit (12.3%) or start looking for a new job (41.1%) if an employer newly mandated 5 days a week in the office.

With so many workers prioritizing flexibility, businesses sticking to the traditional 40-hour workweek may very well be the next group to run into resistance. With more and more countries trialing and implementing fewer work hours, it's possible that the U.S. will eventually follow suit.

In July 2021, Rep. Mark Takano (D-Calif.) proposed a bill to reduce the standard workweek to 32 hours. Under the bill's provisions, employees could still work more than 32 hours, but they would be paid overtime. Takano said that with a shorter workweek, unemployed or underemployed Americans would have more opportunities for work once more hours were available to spread around. Those who previously worked 40 hours would either receive the same compensation for working 32 hours or be paid overtime for continuing to work 40-hour weeks. However, the bill was not passed.

More recently, in May 2025, New York assemblymember Phara Souffrant Forrest introduced two bills that would establish a four-day workweek for state employees (Assembly Bill A5423) and offer a tax incentive for private companies that pilot a four-day workweek (Assembly Bill A5454). Both bills are subject to review, but demonstrate a growing interest in a shorter workweek, at least at the state level.

Benefits of a 4-day workweek

Lower stress levels, lower risk of burnout and improvements in overall happiness are a few of the commonly cited reasons for moving to a reduced-hour workweek. But there are several lesser-known reasons as well.

Employee benefits:

• Work-life balance. With fewer hours spent at work, employees can achieve more in their personal time and feel more rested when they return to work.
• Community engagement. Often, helpers are discouraged from their good work by a simple lack of time. Reclaiming time from the workplace enables them to devote time to their favorite causes. This can lead to lower stress levels and a greater sense of community involvement.
• Lessened environmental impact. A three-day weekend could eliminate 45 million metric tons of carbon emissions in the U.S. alone, according to a 2021 Forbes article. Moreover, workers would be less tempted to go out for lunch or grab a fast-food meal on the drive home, resulting in less packaging waste.

Employer benefits:

• Better work results. The idea behind shorter workweeks is that employees are paid for the work they perform and the value they bring to their organization, not just the number of hours worked. Once employees know they are being paid for their performance and not just for showing up, they will begin to provide better-quality work more quickly.
• Reduced absenteeism. When employees are burned out, they are more likely to take sick days and be absent from work. Four-day workweek pilot programs consistently reported reduced absenteeism among employees, as they could use their extra weekend day to recharge; at Microsoft Japan, extra time off dropped by 25%, according to the international NGO 4DWG.
• Greater talent acquisition. Attracting the best talent is easier when you can offer superior benefits and opportunities. Employees value the flexibility of a four-day workweek, so companies that support this will be more appealing places to work.

How to move to a 4-day workweek

For employers who decide to move to shorter workweeks, there are some ways to transition employees into the new schedule.  

1. Assess business needs

A four-day workweek isn't suitable for every business. For example, if a business model relies on 24/7 service, the company will need to ensure at least part of their staff is available at all times. This can be managed using a staggered schedule and shift work.

Learn how cybersecurity teams can conquer the four-day workweek.

2. Determine how reduced hours might affect benefits

If businesses move employees from five to four days a week but maintains the same number of hours, this is less of an issue. But hours are reduced in a four-day workweek, businesses need to address how this will affect things such as vacation time accrual, sick time and overtime pay.

3. Ask employees for input

A good manager knows to ask employees for and listen to their input. Some employees might prefer a five-day workweek while others prefer a four-day week. It's important to listen to employee arguments for each and let everyone know their opinions matter.

4. Consider a trial run first

Before going all in on a reduced workweek, start with a single department, or for smaller companies, a few willing employees. If employees find the arrangement beneficial and company goals are still met or exceeded, businesses can expand the trial until the entire workforce is operating under the same parameters.

5. Give employees a choice, if possible

Some employees may prefer the five-day workweek. Maybe they just feel more comfortable with the traditional eight-hour days in a Monday-to-Friday schedule, or maybe they feel less productive when working fewer hours. Regardless of their reason, businesses should let workers choose if they would like to switch to a shorter workweek, if it is an option.

6. Teach employees how to work without interruptions

This might be harder in a remote or hybrid environment, but businesses should try their best to help employees develop the concentration necessary for a solid day of work without frequent breaks. This doesn't mean demanding that employees never leave their desk. Instead, remind them that if they're used to stretching their work out through the week, they'll need to buckle down and concentrate a bit harder to get through their workload for the day.

7. Clarify expectations with your team

Employers should communicate with their teams so they know what is expected of them in a shorter week. This could be done through informational sessions, company handbooks or knowledge bases. Businesses should let employees know that they want them to succeed and are interested in their feedback.

Read more here about how knowledge bases can assist with training.

Madeleine Streets is a senior content manager for WhatIs. She has also been published in 'TIME,' 'WWD,' 'Self' and Observer.'