The four-day working week has picked up in popularity in recent years, with 48% of jobseekers now wanting it as a benefit, and 92% of businesses in a recent trial opting to continue the change after the trial period.
But some employers are still sceptical, and the attitude among many seems to be that this is the latest workplace fad which will fizzle out as quickly as it has appeared. At Peak PEO, we have been implementing a four-day working week in some form since 2023.
In that time, I’ve seen first-hand an increase in productivity, greater employee satisfaction and a boost in our recruitment and retention. Having seen it work so well for my business, it’s high time we busted some common and persistent four-day week myths.
Employees are less engaged
The thing at the top of many people’s minds when a four-day week is mentioned is that it sounds less productive compared to a five-day week. If everyone takes an extra day off, won’t they achieve less, slow down or start to take their work less seriously?
My observations since implementing a four-day week at Peak have shown the exact opposite. Giving our staff an extra day off has enabled them to do more of what they love, be it language learning, running, reading or spending time with family, and that means they come back to work feeling refreshed, productive, engaged and full of energy.
A four-day week means longer working days for the rest of the week
Some employers worry that going down to a four-day week will mean asking employees to cram five days’ worth of work into a shorter space of time, resulting in more overtime and increased stress. However, at Peak we subscribe to a ‘true’ four-day week, which means no increase in hours during ‘on’ days to make up for days off.
Cramming time into any remaining days simply does not bring the same benefits to staff or businesses. It also goes against the fundamental essence of the four-day working week – giving people time back rather than redistributing that time – and means that employees lose out by spending even more hours at their desks on the four days in which they work.
We’ll have to pay our employees less
The second aspect of the ‘true’ four-day week means reducing employees’ working days without any reduction in their pay, which should come as welcome news to employers and employees. In addition, implementing a four-day week often reduces costs in other areas such as office supplies and utilities. Another hidden cost saving is that a four-day week means it’s easier to recruit and retain staff, meaning fewer expensive recruitment drives and more highly experienced (and therefore highly productive) long-term employees.
A four-day week will impact on customers and clients
Many people worry that a four-day week will mean unhappy customers who can’t get in touch with anyone on a Friday. But at Peak, we have two days off – Monday and Friday – with our staff divided into two groups to ensure full coverage throughout the week.
This might mean restructuring the week around the days when everyone is in together – moving catch-up meetings from Monday to Tuesday, for example. But it means there’s always someone in the office, and has the added benefit of a couple of quieter days when people can achieve their deepest work.
A four-day week is set in stone once implemented
If you’re still not convinced, keep in mind that the shift doesn’t have to be immediate and doesn’t have to be permanent. At Peak, we started with ‘ultra-flexible Fridays’, where staff had Fridays off but could work if they absolutely had to. This worked to an extent, but I noticed that staff, especially senior members of the team, were still online on Fridays monitoring emails and messages.
Fast forward to October 2024, and we now have a true four-day working week at Peak where an additional day off is viewed in the same way as a Saturday or Sunday would be. So although Ultra-Flexible Fridays did not work exactly as I wanted, they did ease my staff into the mindset of a four-day working week and act as a stepping stone towards our success. Therefore, you could start with a trial period or a softened version of the four-day week, before moving to the real thing if you find that it’s working for your business.
The four-day week can prompt some understandable scepticism, but it’s picking up in popularity and proving a powerful tool for improving productivity and employee wellbeing. We have been operating within the constraints of a five-day working week since the 1900s, and now we are well into 2025, something needs to change.
People, in their public and private lives, are under more pressure than ever and mental health issues are increasing. We all want our employees to be healthier and happier, and in return, boost our businesses, so we need to start treating them like the adults they are and trusting them to get on and do their jobs. Overlooking this long-overdue and heavily in-demand discussion will not make the idea go away…
Alex Voakes is the CEO of Peak PEO, the people-led Employer of Record, consistently providing a friendly, expert, and personalised service to support businesses around the globe.
The company has over 25 years of experience in the sector and its people-led approach has been finely tuned to guide its clients through the intricacies of global workforce management and expansion. Peak isn’t just about good business – it is 100% committed to being a force for good in the world.
By teaming up with B1G1, The Better Business Act and 4DayWeek, the company is committing to being a great place to work whilst also giving back to society and the planet.
