What Is the Four-Day Week and Why Is It Being Discussed? (Part 2)

The call for a four-day working week is not some utopian fantasy. It grows out of a long history of trade union struggles to shorten hours and improve the quality of life for working people. Today’s debate rests on the same principle: fairer hours, without loss of pay, so that gains in productivity benefit everyone, not just employers.

A Tradition of Shortening the Week

For more than a century, Trade Unions have fought to win shorter working hours.

• The 8-hour day movement was the cornerstone of the labour struggles of the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Slogans such as “eight hours labour, eight hours recreation, eight hours rest” inspired strikes across England and internationally.
• The weekend itself is a Trade Union victory. The spread of the two-day weekend across the 20th century was not handed down from generous employers, it was won through collective action.
• The 40-hour week became standard in post-war Britain as a result of Trade Union bargaining power. By the 1970s, most full-time workers enjoyed a five-day week, a significant reduction from the six-day norm that had dominated Victorian industry.

The demand for a four-day week without loss of pay is a continuation of this trajectory: building on historic advances to make sure technological progress translates into better lives, not just higher profits.

Recruitment and Retention

Since the pandemic, surveys have shown a decisive shift in worker priorities.

• A 2022 YouGov poll found that 65% of British workers wanted a four-day week.
• The same year, a 4 Day Week Global UK pilot covering 61 companies and around 2,900 employees found that 92% of organisations decided to continue after the trial, citing better recruitment and retention.
• Staff turnover fell by 57% across participating firms.

For Trade Unions, these numbers matter. Workers across England want quality of life, and employers who ignore this risk losing staff to competitors who can offer it.

Productivity: Less Time, More Focus

The central question is whether shorter hours reduce output. Evidence increasingly says no.

• The Icelandic trials (2015–2019) involved over 2,500 workers across the public sector. Productivity was maintained or improved in most workplaces, while worker well-being rose significantly.
• The UK 2022 trial found that average revenues actually rose by 1.4%, and absenteeism dropped by 65%.
• Microsoft Japan’s 2019 pilot reported a 40% productivity boost when staff moved to a four-day schedule.

The evidence suggests that better-rested, healthier workers achieve more in less time. This is especially relevant in the NHS and other high-pressure services, where burnout undermines both productivity and safety.

Cost Savings and Environmental Benefits

The shift can save money on both sides.

• Employers cut bills for energy, cleaning, and on-site catering when offices close an extra day.
• Employees save on commuting: the UK pilot estimated workers saved an average of £200–£300 per month.
• Fewer commutes mean less traffic and emissions, aligning with employers’ environmental pledges.

Health and Well-Being

Stress and burnout are at crisis levels.

• In 2021/22, the HSE (Health and Safety Executive) reported that 17 million working days were lost in Britain due to work-related stress, depression, or anxiety. This directly impacts workers across England as they are the largest workforce within Britain.
• A TUC survey in 2023 found one in three workers regularly work unpaid overtime, contributing to exhaustion and ill health.

Trials of the four-day week consistently report reduced stress, lower sickness absence, and better work–life balance. For workers juggling childcare, elder care, or health conditions, that extra day is not luxury but survival.

What Kind of Four-Day Week Works? The Model Matters.

A successful four-day week is not simply squeezing five days’ work into four.

Evidence shows:

• 32 hours, not 40: The Icelandic and UK trials emphasised reducing total working hours, not stretching the day. Staff worked shorter hours but were more focused.
• Flexibility is key: In some sectors, staggered schedules ensured coverage across the week without exhausting staff.
• Worker involvement matters: Where Trade Unions and staff helped design the rota, the results were strongest.

Work–Life Balance: A Modern Necessity

The modern workforce faces pressures unknown to earlier generations:

• Dual-income households mean most parents juggle work and childcare.
• England has some of the highest childcare costs in Europe. An extra day free each week reduces the reliance on overstretched nurseries and after-school clubs.
• For older workers, caring responsibilities for ageing relatives are increasing. A four-day week gives breathing space to balance family and work life.

Conclusion for Part 2

The case for the four-day week is strong. History shows that cutting working hours has always been a win for workers without destroying economic performance.

Modern evidence confirms that when done properly, the four-day week boosts productivity, saves money, improves health, and strengthens family life.

For Trade Unions, it is both a bread-and-butter demand and a transformative vision, offering members a tangible improvement in their daily lives while continuing the historic struggle for shorter working hours and fairer work.

Part 3 – Will Discuss the Case Against and the Challenges Ahead