Does a four-day workweek work?

Every six months we send out a wellbeing survey to check in on the whole team and to make sure our four-day workweek is having its intended impact of giving people the time off they need to recharge – however they want – after an intense four-day week. And, of course, to make sure they still feel appreciated, heard at work and feel that their working week was one they could both manage and feel proud of.

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In the name of transparency, we’re sharing the results right here. The video you see here will be the latest results, but if you want to see past results, just head over to our YouTube channel. 

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Here are the latest results from the last six months of 2024.

Why do we have a four-day workweek?

Because we want our team to be happy. A happy team means a productive team and a productive team means a successful company. 

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We knew that happiness at work was dependent on a number of factors. Job satisfaction, being part of an open and trusting community and feeling content with life outside of work. 

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The first two are relatively simple to influence as a workplace, but the third? That’s where it gets tricky. How could we have an impact on our teams’ lives outside of work – and should we? 

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And that, in a nutshell, is how we ended up with the four-day workweek. 

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The more we looked into the concept, the more we felt it would help. Studies show that a four-day working week:

• Improves mental and physical health
• Increases work/life balance
• Increases productivity
• Improves employees’ skillsets
• Increases community engagement and volunteerism
• Reduces employee turnover
• Reduces sick days
• Reduces a company’s carbon footprint
• And has a positive impact on a business's bottom line

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It’s a win-win for everyone. 

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In fact, in 2022, 61 UK companies took part in a study to test the benefits of a four-day workweek. It was a huge success with 29% of companies adopting it permanently. The four-day working week increased revenue by 1.4% and reduced the number of sick days by 65%. The companies also showed a 57% decline in the likelihood of an employee leaving. 

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Not bad, right? It would give people time to do whatever it is they want to do to rest, recharge and recuperate.

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They could spend more time with friends and family (or by themselves). It could be listening to podcasts the working week and family-filled weekends just don’t allow for. It could be working out, meditating or taking a walk. It could be cuddling a cat, volunteering, or just catching up on some much-needed sleep. Whatever it is, we knew it sounded good.

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And so far, so good. We take the results of our wellbeing surveys very seriously – after all, if we want to keep that extra day of weekend, we’ve got to make sure people are happy.

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If you’d like to learn more, read our post about how we work the four-day workweek (as a startup). We talk process, tips and tools and it’s definitely worth reading if you’re considering the transition.