Every development you need to know about the four-day work week, updated as news comes in
The 40-hour work week is so ingrained in office culture that most business leaders don’t even think about it. But maybe you should. Henry Ford developed the 40-hour, five-day workweek nearly 100 years ago. And it would be an understatement to say that business — and the way we do business — has changed since then. The 40-hour week may still be right for your…
Just about 100 years ago, Henry Ford popularized the five-day, 40-hour work week. Since then, most of the working world has operated on that schedule or something similar. But there are other options, folks! And many of us do different work than Ford assembly-line workers. In this article, we break down everything you’ll need to know about the 9/80 work schedule which allows for an…
Does Lithuania have a 4-day work week? Yes, sort of. In 2022, Lithuania passed a law that public-sector employees with children two or younger are allowed to work 32 hours per week. Private sector employees and people who do not have young children do not qualify. Why are people talking about a 4-day work week in Lithuania? A standard work week is 40 hours in Lithuania….
Does Spain have a 4-day work week? No. Spain does not have a four-day work week. They have a well-funded, well-publicized plan to trial a four-day work week. The trial has not started. Why are people talking about a 4-day work week in Spain? The political party, Más País, included the four-day work week as part of it’s platform when it launched in 2019. The…
Does Japan have a 4-day work week? No. Japan does not have a four-day work week. Why are people talking about a 4-day work week in Japan? There are two main reasons people have heard about the four-day work week in Japan. 1) Microsoft Japan ran a four-day work week trial called the “Work Life Choice Challenge” in the summer of 2019. The company claims…
Does Iceland have a 4-day work week? No. From 2014 – 2021, Iceland ran two well-publicized trials of a 35-36 hour work week sponsored by the federal government. The combined studies came to be known as Iceland’s four-day work week study, but that title and the results are misleading. As a result of the studies, many organizations did reduce their working hours. However, on average…
Does the US have a 4-day work week? No. The United States does not have a four-day work week. However, multiple bills have been proposed across the country to change the average work week from five days and 40 hours to four days and 32 hours. Plus, hundreds of companies have either implemented or trialed the four-day work week in the last few years. Why…
Here are 20 common questions about the four-day work week from every angle. Click a question below to jump to the answer. What is a four-day work week? How does a four-day work week work? How many hours are in a four-day work week? Is working four days a week considered part-time? What are the benefits of a four-day work week? Is a four-day work…
Does Belgium have a 4-day work week? Yes. Belgium does have an optional four-day work week. In February 2022, a series of labor law reforms in Belgium passed, one of which gives workers the right to condense their work week from five days into four. Belgium has a 38-hour work for full-time employees. Workers who choose a four-day week would be expected to deliver the…
Does the United Kingdom have a 4-day work week? No. The UK does not have a four-day work week. A group of private companies in the UK are trialing a four-day work week and there has been a bill proposed and discussed in the House of Commons, but there is no official four-day work week in England, Scotland, Wales or Northern Ireland. Why are people…