11 Countries That Only Have a 4-Day Work Week
Working 40 hours has been the norm based on the assumption that the longer you work, the more productive you are. However, countries that have embraced a 4-day work week are challenging this notion.
Countries such as Spain, Scotland, Iceland, and New Zealand have tested and implemented a 4-day workweek. They have shown that achieving 100% productivity in 32 hours (4 work days) is possible, saving on costs and giving employees a balanced life.
More and more countries are discovering that it’s possible to reduce work hours while maintaining the same levels of productivity. In this article, you'll find a detailed list of countries implementing a 4-day workweek and how it's working for them.
1. Spain
Spain is one of the countries in western Europe that prioritizes quality of life over career prospects. In fact, Spain is well known for its extensive social security programs.
As early as 1919, there were strikes in Barcelona to have a maximum eight-hour working day. It's no surprise that it was the first country in Europe to propose a 4-day workweek.
In 2021, the leftwing party Más País announced that the Spanish government had accepted its proposal to conduct a three-year trial of a 4-day workweek (32 hours). The aim of this pilot project that kicked off in September 2021 is to see if it's possible to increase productivity in fewer working hours while holding employees' wages constant.
The government allocated €50 million ($USD60 million) to fund over 200 to 400 Spanish companies voluntarily participating in the project. The amount covers the extra costs of implementing the changes and hiring more staff.
DESOL, one of the tech giants that adopted the project, has reported a positive 4-day work experience, with absenteeism declining by 20% and sales increasing by 20%.
2. Scotland
As countries around the globe keep reporting on the success of a 4-day workweek, Scotland has not been left behind. In September 2021, 525 members of the Scottish National Party (SNP) had a virtual meeting to discuss replacing the five-day workweek with a four-day workweek.
The proposal had overwhelming support, with 509 members supporting it and only 16 dissenting. In January 2022, 4 Day Week Global, in partnership with Boston College, Cambridge, and Oxford University, launched a 6-month pilot project to assess the effectiveness of the 4-day workweek in Scottish companies.
Companies participating in the trial would have to use the 100:80:100 model. That is, maintain salaries at 100%, deduct work time by 20%, and retain productivity at 100%. The government used £10 million ($13.8 million) to fund the project.
Advice Direct Scottland reported the project was a success as it improved productivity and enhanced employees' well-being. Research shows eight out of ten scots support the project, which opens room for more pilot projects.
3. Iceland
Iceland tested and tried the 4-day work week earlier and has been an inspiration for other countries because of the success it reported. The pressure to engage in this project came from civil society organizations and trade unions demanding shorter work weeks.
In response, the Icelandic national government and Reykjavik City Council started conducting trials of reduced workweeks while keeping the salary constant from 2015 and 2019. The tests involved 1% of Iceland's working population—more than 2500 employees.
The participating institutions included police stations, schools, city maintenance, and the Reykjavik mayor's office. At the end of the trial, the success was overwhelming. The companies reported that:
Productivity improved or remained the same.
Employees' well-being improved as it was possible to maintain a work-life balance.
There was less burnout and stress.
Expenses such as electricity bills went down.
Currently, around 86% of Icelandic companies have adopted the 4-day workweek without reducing employees' salaries. However, some jobs, such as healthcare, demand more hours of work. Companies would have to hire new staff, increasing the budget.
4. New Zealand
Many European governments have been eager to welcome 4-day workweek trials, but it has not been so for the New Zealand government. However, the 4 Day Week Global has been running errands to support New Zealand businesses willing to give the new reform a trial.
Preparations for the pilot program began in March 2022, while the implementation happened on August 1 and will run till January 2023 (6 months). It involves 20 companies in the software, digital marketing, health, finance, and construction industries.
Activities involved in the pilot project include:
Mentoring and workshops: 4 Day Week Global, alongside its partners, offers resources and webinars to help businesses avoid pitfalls that would arise along the way. Additionally, each company has a mentor experienced in its unique activities.
Networking and Research: Participating companies form a peer-support network to share experiences and lessons. Also, there are academic researchers to help with metrics to show the performance of the company.
5. Netherlands
According to the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), the Netherlands has the shortest workweek, which averages 29 hours or four days a week. This dates back to the early 90s recession, which pushed the public sector to offer a 4-day week to employees to save on costs.
Since then, it's common practice for Netherlands companies to offer workers a 4-day work week option. Also, the Dutch law advocates for a work-life balance and the right to work part-time while retaining hourly pay and prorated health benefits. As a result, it's a norm to have part-time teachers, surgeons, and engineers.
The Netherlands also adopts the 4-day workweek trial as it gains traction in other countries. In April 2022, two tech giants, Canon and Dell, announced they'll offer employees an option for a 32-hours work week.
However, Dell deviated from the initial plan by deducting employees' salaries in the proportion of hours reduced. Canon's pilot project started in June and will run till December 2022 while maintaining its workers' benefits.
6. Ireland
Ireland is among the countries where a 4-day workweek with retained salary and employee benefits keep bubbling. There are petition campaigns seeking quorum for advocating a 4-day workweek to be legalized. A March 2022 survey involving 1500 professionals showed that 54% believe a 4-day work will be the norm in 5 years.
The goals of the campaign are:
Adopting new rostering arrangements that allow businesses to run for five days while allowing employees to work 32 hours instead of 40 hours.
Challenge the narrative that working long hours equates to being more productive.
To give workers the flexibility to improve both career and personal life.
In February 2022, Ireland was the only European Union country participating in a six-month pilot trial of the effectiveness of a 4-day workweek. The project works under a 100:80:100 model aiming to test:
Gender equality within companies participating.
The productivity level.
Environmental impacts.
Employee work satisfaction.
While tests and trials are underway, Hays' research shows that 6% of workplaces have already adopted a 4-day workweek. 4% have made it a permanent policy, while 2% are on a trial basis. These companies have reported success in maintaining the same level of productivity of a 5-day workweek and achieving a more balanced work-life for employees.
7. Denmark
While the Danes are the most efficient and productive workers in Eastern Europe, they also prefer a balanced life. If you were to visit a Danish office at 5:00 p.m, you'd find no one there to attend you.
A survey run by the European Commission shows that 47% of Denmark workers are more satisfied with a work-life balance compared to the other 27 EU countries in the survey.
Such information reveals that Denmark cannot trail behind in responding to the recent trend of a 4-day workweek. The Odsherred Municipality was Denmark's first local authority to actualize a 4-day workweek. The initiative started in September 2019 and would see 300 staff receiving a three-day weekend.
8. Australia
The 4-day workweek is gradually gaining traction, especially in the Scandinavian countries that value employee well-being. Countries such as Finland, Sweden, and Norway have adopted this concept, mainly in the health sector.
Although most Australian companies still embrace a five-day work week, there are signs that this is starting to change.
In August 2022, Australia began a pilot project for the 4-day work week trial, which would run till January 2023. Like in other countries such as New Zealand, the 4 Day Week Global runs the project in partnership with Boston College, the University of Queensland, the University of Sydney, and Auckland University.
Twenty companies are participating from diverse industries such as marketing, finance, technology, and mental health. They have adopted the 100:80:100 model with the goal of proving it's possible to achieve a 5-days output in 4 days. The other motivation behind the project is to restore climate balance.
Australia is on a path to improving employees' work-life balance and mental health. However, it may take time before all industries adopt the 4-day work week.
9. Germany
Germany is among the top countries in Europe that enjoy reduced work hours. According to World Economic Forum (WEF), Germany's average weekly working hours are 34.2. Despite having fewer hours, the IG Metall trade union has been calling for a further reduction to save the economy from the additional effects of the pandemic.
Most laborers in Japan work in the car industry, which has been struggling with electric transitioning. The trade union argues that reducing working hours per week would help retain skilled workers and eliminate redundancy.
Though the German government has not shown much support for the proposal, it's open to allowing employers to initiate the 4-day work week in their companies. A survey released one week after Belgium implemented a 4-day work week showed that 71% of German employers wish to have working hours reduced to 32.
Today, over 150 companies in Germany in software engineering, data science, marketing, and product management enjoy a 32-hour work week without wage reduction.
10. Canada
Though there have been rumors of a 4-day work week in Canada for years, open conversations jumpstarted with the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic. Seeing the project's success in other countries, 50% of small, medium, and large companies in Canada have expressed an interest in adopting the project.
The Nova Scotia municipality was the first to start a nine-month pilot project of the 4-day workweek. The municipal offered a 32-hour week to its 60 employees without wage deduction. Due to the nature of jobs, employees would take Friday or Monday as an extra free day.
The municipal warden reported the project was a success: productivity improved and employees were more satisfied. As a result, other municipalities have been in talks and preparing to start the trial. Individual companies like Alida Inc. and Juno college have also implemented the 4-day work week to support employees' well-being.
The prospects of a 4-day work week in Canada are likely to grow steadily. This would come with the challenge of setting new customer expectations since they're accustomed to a traditional work schedule.
11. Japan
Japan's postwar prosperity has been built on sacrificing rest and family life. It has been known as one of the workaholic countries to the extent of having employers collapsing from burnout and, in the worst cases, dying. A high population of the elderly and few birth rates have contributed to this scenario.
But, since the coronavirus pandemic happened, their tunes have been changing, and employees in Japan are in the course of enjoying a work-life balance.
Microsoft Japan was among the first companies to do a 4-day work week pilot project in 2019. Employees in the company enjoyed a 3-day weekend without salary deduction, which increased productivity by 40%.
Since 2021, the Japanese government has encouraged employers to implement a 4-day workweek. An extra off day would help employees take care of their families, advance their education, and have time to meet, marry and give birth.
So far, around 8.5% of Japanese companies have embraced the 4-day workweek. However, some reduce the risk by deducting employees' salaries by 20%.
Sources
The Guardian: Spain to launch a trial of the four-day working week
The Washington Post: Spain will experiment with a four-day workweek, a first for Europe
Scottish Business News: What you need to know about 4-day workweek trials in Scotland
Stuff: Businesses trial four-day working week, but expert says employers should go even further
Rapid Transition Alliance: Work less, gain more? The 4-day working week
NPR: 4-Day Workweek Boosted Workers' Productivity By 40%, Microsoft Japan Says