Does Finland Have A 4-Day Work Week? (Status: Soon?)
Does Finland have a 4-day work week?
No.
Finland does not have a four-day work week. The Prime Minister of Finland informally stated that she is in favor of the four-day work and sees it as the future, but nothing has officially been proposed to change Finland’s work week.
Why are people talking about a 4-day work week in Finland?
Sanna Marin, the Prime Minister of Finland, discussed on a 2019 panel how a four-day, 24-hour-work week could be the future.
Marin added that the party should consider a shorter work week as one of the objectives to add to its agenda in the future.
“A four-day work week, a six-hour workday. Why couldn’t it be the next step? Is eight hours really the ultimate truth? I believe people deserve to spend more time with their families, loved ones, hobbies and other aspects of life, such as culture. This could be the next step for us in working life.”
Sanna Marin, the Prime Minister of Finland (2019)
How many hours per week do people work in Finland?
The average work week in Finland is 29.4 hours.
In ranking countries from the shortest work week to the longest, Finland ranks 110 out of 187 countries tracked by OECD (41st percentile).
- 109 countries have a shorter work week than Finland
- 77 countries have a longer work week than Finland
The average work work is calculated by taking the total annual hours worked per year divided by the average number of people in employment per year, divided by 52 weeks. Therefore, the average work week includes hours for full-time, part-time, and self-employed people. It is not the standard work week for full-time employees.
Source: OECD (2022), Hours worked (indicator). doi: 10.1787/47be1c78-en
View the average work hours per week for every country.
Have any 4-day work week bills been proposed in Finland?
No.
There are no active bills or proposals in the Finnish government to change the definition of the standard work week from five days to four.
Track every four-day work week bill around the world here.
Have there been any 4-day trials or studies done in Finland?
No.
The most well-known four-day work week studies have taken place in Iceland (a country-wide study), Spain (a three-year, €50 million study), Japan through Microsoft’s Japanese arm, and New Zealand through a private company called Perpetual Guardian.
A non-profit, 4 Day Week Global, runs just about every well-publicized four-day trial you’ve read about. Recent trials have occurred in the United States, United Kingdom, and Ireland.
Track every four-day work week study here.
How many companies in Finland have a 4-day work week?
0.
Buildremote’s database of four-day work week companies, the most comprehensive list available, does not include any companies headquartered in Finland.
Do you think our database is missing a company? Add a company here.
In which countries are the most 4-day companies located?
Right now, we have 177 four-day work week companies in our database across 20 countries. 38% of four-day work week companies are located in the United States, 36% are located in the United Kingdom, 7% are located in Canada. No other country takes more than a 3% share.
Here is an analysis of company adoption of the four-day work week by country.
View every country that has tested or implemented a four-day work week.
Learn more about the 4-day work week
I’ve personally run a four-day work week company since 2020. I’ve seen employee happiness and retention increase with no loss to productivity. Now I strive to provide the most comprehensive coverage of the four-day work week.
It seems that many individuals, companies, and countries are finally starting to question to standard, 40-hour work week for the first time in nearly a century. Follow along as we break down the trend.
