37.5 Hour Work Week: The Quick Guide

What is a 37.5-hour work week?

The 37.5-hour work week has 7.5-hour work days for five days per week. Typically, the structure is a standard 9 AM – 5 PM with a half-hour unpaid lunch break.

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Use the links below to jump to a section that interests you the most.

• Benefits
• Schedule examples
• Where to find shorter work week jobs

 

Benefits Of Working 37.5 Hours Per Week

Implementing a 37.5-hour work week offers numerous advantages, both for individuals and companies as a whole:

For Individuals & Freelancers

• Improved Work-Life Balance: Wrapping up work a bit earlier every day can free up time for cooking, working out, spending time with family, etc.
• Reduced Meeting Hours: A shorter work week prompts a reevaluation of time management, encouraging more efficient meeting schedules.
• Enhanced Personal Development Time: An additional half-day off per week provides opportunities for personal growth, hobbies, or skill development.

For Companies & Managers

• Attracting Talent: Unique work schedules can distinguish a company in a competitive job market.
• Boosted Employee Retention: A more flexible schedule makes for happier employees that choose to stay with the company longer.
• Cultural Shift Towards Output: Your company moves away from a fixed-hour mindset to focus on results and efficiency.

See Also:

• 36-Hour Work Week
• 32-Hour Work Week
• Average Work Hours Per Week For Every Country

 

37-Hour Work Week Schedule Examples

Here are some common variations if you’d like to work 3-4 fewer hours per week.

7.5-Hour Work Days

This is the most common format for a 37.5-hour work week. You are at work for eight hours per day and take a 30-minute unpaid lunch break to get to 7.5 hours of work per day.

 

Short Fridays (37.5-Hour Work Week)

Another way to structure the 37.5-hour work week is to work four full days, followed by a short Friday:

• Mon – Thu: Eight hours per day
• Fri: 5.5 hours 

 

Half-Day Fridays (36-Hour Work Week)

This is the schedule that I worked for six years. Monday – Thursday for eight hours per day with four hours on Fridays (Friday afternoons off every week).

 

Four 9s (36-Hour Work Week)

A variation of the four-day work week is to work four nine-hour days to get to a 36-hour work week. If you currently work eight hours per day, however, this would increase the daily workload to reduce the weekly workload. 

 

7-Hour Work Days (35-Hour Work Week)

Another example schedule is to work 7-hour days. This gets you to 35 hours of work per week.

 

Where To Find Shorter Work Week Jobs

Flexjobs

The first place I’d look is Flexjobs, the world’s biggest job board for remote and flexible work. You’ll find dedicated filters to “flexible” and “alternative” schedules.

Search for alternative week jobs on Flexjobs.

 

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