A 4-day work week may seem like a pipe dream to the average worker, it is a work arrangement where people work for four days and have three days off.
For many parts of the world, a 4-day work week is coming to reality for many employees.
Although individual companies are the ones that are leading the change towards a future with a four-day work week, many countries are experimenting with this change.
Which Country Has 4 Day Work Week?
In today’s society, the traditional five-day work week is the standard for most full-time jobs. However, there are a handful of countries around the world that have implemented a four-day work week.
Here is the list of countries with a 4-day work week.
Americas Country
Canada
4-day work week pilot program joined by 38 companies in North America.
“The idea is for employees to work 80% of the time, with 100% productivity for 100% of the pay and benefits.”
United States
4-day work week pilot program that is organized by 4 Day Work Week Global, a movement that is gaining popularity after the Great Resignation, with almost 48 million Americans walking away from their jobs in 2021.
“There are so many parts of the workweek that are just a waste of time… the numbers do not lie, we’re producing better results than we have in any year prior.”
Asia Pacific Country (APAC)
Australia
4-day work week pilot run by not-for-profit 4-Day Week Global in partnership with researchers from the University of Queensland, University of Sydney, and Boston College.
“Our Community has been a traditional office-based company and, with what we have learned in the past two years, we are now in a position to implement changes, trust employees to maintain productivity and make sure work-life balance is supported.”
Japan
4-day work week pilot program by Microsoft Japan reported a 40 percent increase in productivity, reduced electricity consumption, and paper printing.
“A five-day workweek was never something that was unchangeable or immutable.”
Singapore
4-day work week pilot program solves manpower issues for the F&B industry. A Japanese restaurant solves manpower issues by offering 4 day work week and a 10% pay raise for eligible staff.
“In order to entice more people to join the typically laborious and time-consuming F&B industry, the company need to come up with some kind of benefit.”
New Zealand
4-day work week pilot run by not-for-profit 4-Day Week Global in partnership with researchers from Auckland University of Technology.
“It’s time we as leaders find ways to return some of this investment to them, not just in wages, bonuses and equity, but with time, so they can use the rest of those things to build a life they love.”
European and Scandinavian Country
Belgium
4-day work week option to help the labor market to become more flexible.
“The goal is to give people and companies more freedom to arrange their work time,” he said. “If you compare our country with others, you’ll often see we’re far less dynamic”.
Denmark
4-day work week implementation with Friday off. Odsherred Municipality is the first local authority in Denmark to implement a four-day working week.
“Members of the public will be able to call earlier and later in the day in return for us being closed on Friday.”
Germany
Short work week (34 hours). Germany is calling for 4 days work week to save jobs.
“The four-day week could make it possible to keep industrial jobs instead of scrapping them.”
Iceland
4 day work week pilot run is an overwhelming success with fewer working hours but the same or improved work productivity.
“Workers reported feeling less stressed and at risk of burnout, and said their health and work-life balance had improved.”
Ireland
4-day work week pilot program with 70+ companies and 3,000+ workers. Part of a worldwide initiative joined by the US, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand.
“The impact of the ‘great resignation’ is now proving that workers from a diverse range of industries can produce better outcomes while working shorter and smarter.”
Spain
4-day work week pilot run supported by Spain’s government. 50 million euros will be distributed to 200 companies to trail on the 32-hour workweek for 3,000 to 6,000 employees in Spain for up to three years
“From a competitiveness standpoint, employers who are successful in developing an effective four-day workweek scheduling system will gain a clear and compelling advantage from an attraction and retention standpoint.”
United Kingdom
4-day work week pilot program with 32 working hours or 35 working hours. 6 months pilot joined by 70+ companies and 3300+ employees, organized by the nonprofit 4 Day Week Global.
“This is a historic day, as the lives of over 3,000 workers and their families are transformed by the pioneering, forward-thinking approach of their firms to embrace a new approach to how we organize work.”
Middle East/Africa Country
United Arab Emirates (UAE)
4 and a half-day work week is the new norm for the UAE. With 4.5 days work week, employees in the UAE have their Friday afternoon, Saturday, and Sunday forming the new weekend.
“The extended weekend comes as part of the UAE government’s efforts to boost work-life balance and enhance social wellbeing, while increasing performance to advance the UAE’s economic competitiveness.”
The four-day workweek is not a new concept. In fact, it’s been around for quite some time. The idea is simple: instead of working five days a week, people would work four days a week.
The 4-day work week has a few benefits. Employees have more time to enjoy life outside of work, which can lead to a better work-life balance. Shorter work weeks can also lead to increased productivity and creativity. However, there are some drawbacks to the 4-day work week.
With a 4-day work week, the extra day off would allow people to have more time to spend with family, pursue hobbies, or simply relax.
There are a few countries that have implemented the four-day workweek, and the results have been positive.
4 day work week is an ever-growing trend, that more companies and countries will be adopting.
Thus, the list of countries with 4 days work week will grow as our society evolves into the future.
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