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Can you imagine your weekend starting on Thursday afternoon while your pay stays exactly the same? In several European countries this is no longer just an idea but something companies are actually testing. We look at what the pilot schemes really showed, and whether the model only makes sense in offices or in logistics and manufacturing too.
The debate about cutting working hours has been going on for years, but recent large-scale trials in Europe have produced hard data. In many cases a shorter week did not mean worse results, as long as the way work was organised changed, not just the number of hours.
The German trial: the 100–80–100 model
In Germany, a number of firms tested what is known as the 100–80–100 model. It means:
- 100% of pay,
- 80% of the previous working time,
- 100% of productivity maintained.
Firms from a range of industries took part, not just office-based ones. Many reported stable business results alongside a clear improvement in staff wellbeing. Some decided to keep the shorter week after the trial ended.
In research accompanying the pilots, employees more often reported better sleep and lower stress. For employers, the key point was that a shorter week forced better planning, fewer unnecessary meetings and a sharper focus on the tasks that really drive results.
The Belgian trap: 4 days, but 10 hours each
It is important to tell a genuinely shorter week apart from so-called compressed hours. In some countries you can work 4 days while keeping your full weekly hours, which means very long shifts.
This can look appealing on paper, but in physical jobs it carries real risks. Working 10-hour days in a warehouse, on a production line or behind the wheel means more fatigue, more mistakes and potentially a higher risk of accidents. That is why there is growing talk that the future lies in actually reducing hours, not squeezing them into fewer days.
Does it make sense in logistics and warehousing?
The sceptics' favourite argument is: "A warehouse has to run all the time." True, but that does not mean every worker has to be there 5 days a week.
Some companies are testing rotating shift patterns. For example:
- Team A works Monday to Thursday,
- Team B works Tuesday to Friday.
The operation runs without a break, while each individual works a shorter week. Firms that introduced arrangements like this often saw lower staff turnover and fewer sick days. In sectors struggling to find staff, such as warehouse work, that is a very strong financial argument.
And in the UK?
The UK hosted one of the largest trials of its kind in 2022, when 61 companies switched to a four-day week on the same pay for six months, and the large majority chose to carry on afterwards. As with the European pilots, the key turned out to be not "working faster" but working smarter: better shift planning, less downtime and a clearer division of tasks.
In practice, the biggest problem is often not the number of hours but organisational chaos, unnecessary tasks and badly designed processes. A shorter week forces companies to sort these out. It is also worth knowing that UK employees can make a flexible working request from their first day in a job, and the employer has to deal with it reasonably. Our guide to whether your employer can still say no to hybrid work explains how those requests are handled.
What does it mean for you as an employee?
More and more job adverts mention extra days off, a shorter working week or flexible rotas. It is a sign that some employers are starting to compete not just on the hourly rate but on time for life outside work. Workers have shown they are willing to fight for that flexibility, as Airbus staff did over hybrid working.
For employees it is a real change in quality of life: more time for family, rest and recovery. And a well-rested person usually works more consistently and makes fewer mistakes.
In summary
The 4-day week is not a miracle cure for every company or every industry. It needs good organisation and a well-thought-out shift system. But the trial data shows it is not a utopia, it is a model that simply works in many places.
Looking for an employer that values results rather than hours spent at a desk? Browse the latest job vacancies and see what working conditions employers are offering.
