The four-day workweek has become one of the most talked-about workplace shifts of the last decade. Large corporations are experimenting with it. Startups are embracing it. And small to midsize businesses are beginning to ask whether fewer days could deliver better performance, not just better morale.
But the decision isn’t about trends. It’s about how the work in your business gets done, the needs of your customers, and the capacity of your team. A shorter week can be a real advantage, but it isn’t universal.
This article helps you evaluate the idea from a business-first perspective: operationally, strategically, and realistically.
The biggest predictor of success isn’t industry or business size. It’s how work moves through your organization. Some roles rely on long stretches of uninterrupted focus. Others depend on quick collaboration or steady responsiveness throughout the day. Certain teams operate in defined cycles, while others spread tasks evenly across the week.
Understanding these patterns helps you determine whether a shorter week will support the work or get in the way. Businesses with predictable or project-based workflows often adapt well. Those with real-time service expectations may still succeed, but only when coverage and communication are planned intentionally.
Businesses that thrive with a shorter week often share a common trait: their work is already organized. Teams know what’s expected, understand how work moves from start to finish, and follow processes that hold up even when someone is off. When planning, priorities, and communication are already solid, shifting the schedule is easier. And momentum stays intact.
Eric and Mark have a practical conversation about the real-world factors that determine the success or failure of a four-day work week.
Shorter weeks fail for predictable reasons, almost always tied to structure, not hours. If customer expectations aren’t aligned, gaps show up immediately. Roles that depend on quick responses feel strained without clear coverage. Teams without documented processes lose momentum when one person is out. And when performance isn’t measured consistently, it becomes difficult to understand whether the new structure is helping or hurting.
A four-day week doesn’t solve underlying issues. It works when the systems already support the work.
Businesses use a handful of scheduling approaches to balance flexibility, coverage, and workflow. Here are the most common approaches.
✔ Rotational Schedules
Teams alternate which weekday they’re off, preserving full coverage for customers while giving employees predictable flexibility.
✔ Compressed Workweeks (Four Tens)
Employees work four 10-hour days instead of five 8-hour days. The total weekly hours remain the same, but the work is condensed.
✔ True Four-Day Workweek (32 Hours)
Employees work four standard-length days (usually 32 hours total). The goal is to maintain or increase output through efficiency, not longer days.
✔ Partial-Team Flex Days
Some roles shift to a four-day schedule while others remain on five days. This allows the business to offer flexibility without reducing visibility where it's needed most.
Before testing anything, step back and identify the levers that keep your operation steady. Look at what customers expect from you during a typical week and which roles must stay available to maintain service standards. Consider how much of your work is tied to specific deadlines versus broader deliverables, and think through where staggered schedules might maintain coverage without introducing strain.
Equally important is identifying inefficiencies that should be addressed before the trial begins. A new schedule won’t fix unclear processes, inconsistent communication, or gaps in workflow structure.
Sometimes the barrier isn’t the number of days, it’s the system. When the underlying structure is strong, a four-day week can support it. When the structure is unclear or inconsistent, the schedule will expose that fast.
A successful trial starts with clarity about what you need to evaluate. The goal isn’t to test one outcome; it’s to understand how a shorter week affects productivity, team health, customer experience, and overall workflow.
Before the trial begins, identify which parts of your operation may be impacted, who will communicate updates inside and outside the organization, and what expectations need to be reset.
Track the essentials each week:
Most businesses find that four to eight weeks is enough to see whether the structure supports or stresses the business.
A successful four-day week doesn’t just “feel good.” It shows up in the work. Teams use their time more intentionally. Meetings get shorter. Priorities become clearer. Communication steadies. Fatigue drops. Daily performance becomes more consistent because people have the margin they need to recharge.
When the schedule aligns with how the business operates, the improvements are both measurable and sustainable.
The four-day workweek is not an identity shift. It’s an operational strategy. And like any strategy, it should earn its place with data.
If a shorter week strengthens productivity and team health, it becomes a worthwhile adjustment. If it introduces bottlenecks or customer strain, it reveals where structure or staffing needs work.
Either way, testing the model gives you clarity you didn’t have before.
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Eric Joern