Across Europe, parts of Asia, North America, and Australia, four-day work week trials have expanded from experimental pilots into long-term workplace models. Countries such as Iceland demonstrated productivity gains during national trials. The United Kingdom ran one of the largest four-day work week pilots in 2022-2023, with the majority of participating companies choosing to continue the model.
The Australian Education Union (AEU) is recommending a 30.4 hour job-share model in state schools to expand working from home options for teachers, while keeping kids at school five days a week. The union has warned the government will need to get creative to ensure roles that can't be done from home are still appealing. Under the proposal, if you can reasonably do your job from home, you would have the right to do so for at least two days a week.
Despite the shift towards a four-day work week, some companies like AIB are attempting to increase in-office attendance, illustrating resistance to changing work trends.
A council trialling a four-day working week has reported improvements across multiple services, according to independent research, leading to increased staff retention and improved service delivery.
