FAQs
Some frequently asked questions about the four-day week and how to get there.
What is a four-day week?
Does working the same amount of hours in four days instead of five count as a four-day week?
Is a four-day week realistic?
Is a four-day week across the entire economy realistic?
A four-day week for the entire economy cannot happen overnight and there would have to be a transitional process over a number of years to get there. But, ultimately - just as moving to a five-day week was possible and beneficial -yes, it is realistic for the entire economy to move to a four-day week.
Is it difficult to implement a four-day week?
The best implementations of the four-day week are well planned and involve a thorough consultation with staff beforehand. It is easier to implement in some sectors of the economy compared to others but is possible across the entire economy in the longer-term. For advice on implementation see here.
How would it work for schools and the NHS?
Schools and hospitals would remain open 5 days a week but shift and rota work patterns would need to be smartly organised so that teachers and NHS staff can work a four-day week with a mix of different days off. A limited number of additional teachers and NHS workers would need to be hired, which has been costed by the think tank Autonomy here.
How would it work for the construction and manufacturing industries?
What happens to employees' hours/salary where they are already working part-time but the rest of the organisation is moving to a four-day week?
The most important thing is to speak to everyone and come to a solution which works for as many people as possible, but there are four basic options available:
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Increase the pay of staff on part time hours to adjust for hourly increases in pay the reduction in working time would result in
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Reduce the hours of people working part time in line with reductions everyone else is going through
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Adjust annual leave entitlement to recognise the large uplift created by a four-day week
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A combination of the above.
How does a four-day week apply to the self-employed and those on zero hours contracts?
Many self-employed people already have the freedom to choose to take a four-day week.
How would it work for the service economy where a business has to be open for customers at least 5 days a week?
Beyond re-organising shift and rota work patterns, some organisations may find that they have to hire a limited number of additional staff. To cover this cost, we're calling for a National Level Subsidy to be introduced by the Government in the same way that the German Government's Kurzarbeit scheme works by subsidising workers’ to have an extra day off – which in turn creates more employment.
For more detail, see our advice for employers and advice for workers pages.