Why should you implement a 4-day workweek? Because it makes your team happier and healthier, helps you recruit and retain great talent, and has a positive impact on your bottom line.
Here are the stats that prove it—plus an infographic you can tweet at the bottom of the page.
1. Increased employee wellbeing
Businesses should be designed to support human beings—and the 4-day workweek is a powerful way to improve your team’s wellbeing. Companies that have adopted the 4-day workweek say their team is...
“Switching to a 4-day week helped improve our employees’ lives and, consequently, their job satisfaction.”
Dan Giuliani, CEO at Volt Athletics
“We’ve always wanted to maximize our team's ability to have a life outside of work.”
Natalie Nagele, CEO at Wildbit
2. Positive impact on the bottom line
“But doesn’t a cut in work hours hurt your business?” No. It doesn’t.
Companies that have adopted a 4-day workweek see a positive impact on the bottom line.
“After having the company’s three best consecutive months, the 4-day workweek was set permanently. And to date, Wanderlust Group had its strongest six months of growth and productivity, with profits up by 121% year over year.”
Mike Melillo, CEO at The Wanderlust Group
Case study: Microsoft Japan
After closing its offices every Friday in August 2019, Microsoft Japan found that productivity grew +39.9% compared to the previous year. Switching to a 4-day workweek also helped the company save electricity and office resources:
- The number of pages printed decreased -58.7%
- Electricity usage decreased -23.1% compared to the previous year
3. Hiring and retaining talent
Brands that offer a 4-day workweek have a competitive advantage in finding and keeping great team members.
Job postings offering a four-day week:
- Receive 15% more applications
- Help 63% of employers attract and retain the right talent
- Help 71% of employers attract and retain employees with children or caring responsibilities
4. The number of companies switching to a 4-day workweek is growing
- In 2016, there were fewer than 20 roles offering a 4-day workweek per 10,000 postings.
- In 2020, that number had grown to 60.
- In the first quarter of 2021, there were already seen >60 4-day workweek roles per 10,000 listings.
5. Some companies have been running a 4-day schedule since 2015
Brand Administrate Cockroach Labs MailPoet Wildbit IIH Nordic The Mix Synergy Vision Planio UpBuild Welcome to the Jungle Versa MRL Recruiting The Chrysalis Crew Elektra Lightning Design Volt Athletics Uncharted Awin Buffer Wanderlust Group 1SecondEveryDay Piktochart TGW Studio Stoked Target Publishing Gracefruit | 4-day week since 2015 2016 2016 2017 2017 2017 2018 2018 2018 2019 2019 2019 2019 2019 2020 2020 2020 2020 2020 2020 2020 2020 2020 2020 2020 |
For an up-to-date list of companies offering a 4-day week, check out our company directory.
The 4-day workweek visualized
Is your team ready to embrace a 4-day workweek?
Learn more about how Wildbit and other people-first businesses adopted a 4-day workweek and what we learned along the way.
Learn more about the 4-day week →
Special thanks to Chase Carpenter for the beautiful artwork for this infographic. 💚