A  recent study by BuchhaltungsButler in collaboration with DataPulse Research found that companies implementing a four-day work week—permanently, partially, or on a trial basis—reported higher morale. Many also saw the shorter week as beneficial for business.

In the United Kingdom, the largest trial of the four-day working week to date included 61 companies and 2,900 workers. Employee burnout decreased by a remarkable 71%, while productivity remained stable or improved. Employees received 100% of their pay for 80% of the hours they would usually work. Unsurprisingly, 89% of participating companies had opted to stick with the four-day working week one year after the research trial concluded.

In Iceland, the theoretical has evolved into real-world implementation. Following successful trials involving 1% of the population, Iceland officially shortened the working week from 40 hours to 36 hours in 2019. Today, nearly 90% of the population has the right to or is already working shorter hours.

In Spain, around 360,000 people in Valencia who took part in a month-long trial reported using the additional time to rest, exercise, and run their household. In New Zealand, one of the largest financial services firms switched to a four-day workweek for 240 employees and reported a 20% increase in productivity.

These results underline the potential of shorter workweeks to increase personal well-being without compromising productivity. After all, workers in the U.S. today are 4.5 times more productive per hour than they were back in the 1950s, just two short decades after the five-day workweek was adopted. Despite their productivity, workers in the U.S. are working more hours than most European nations. Notably, as a World Economic Forum study found, the five happiest countries work over 100 fewer hours annually than the OECD average, while the five least happy countries consistently exceed the average.

The results speak for themselves. According to 4-Day Week Global, companies experimenting with the four-day week have reported a 25% boost in revenue, a 32% reduction in employee resignations, and 83% find it easier to attract top talent. Microsoft Japan, for example, experienced a 40% increase in productivity and a decrease in costs. 

Business leaders are taking note. According to KPMG's 2024 CEO Outlook Pulse Survey, 30% of CEOs are exploring four-day or 4.5-day workweeks as a way to reduce burnout and enhance employee retention. Both Bill Gates, Founder of Microsoft, and Jamie Dimon, the CEO of JP Morgan Chase, have suggested advances in AI will lead to a workweek that's even shorter in the future. Tomorrow's workforce is enthusiastic too; 81% of Americans aged 18-34 believe a four-day working week would improve productivity and benefit their work-life balance, according to a CNBC and Generation Lab poll. Likewise, the survey from BuchhaltungsButler concluded that 75% of the youngest workers would even consider switching jobs for a four-day workweek.

This movement is building momentum to such an extent that it has now reached the U.S. Congress. In 2024, Senator Bernie Sanders (I-VT) introduced the Thirty-Two Hour Workweek Act (H.R. 1332), proposing to reduce the workweek to 32 hours without cutting pay. While the bill is unlikely to advance in the near term, its introduction reflects a growing recognition that it's time to rethink outdated workplace norms.

The four-day workweek is not merely an idea—it's a proven strategy for enhancing worker well-being while giving firms a competitive edge. In a world where modernity often feels like a battle against time, the four-day workweek challenges the burnout-driven status quo and reintroduces a sense of balance to our lives. As more companies and countries embrace this model, the focus will shift from "if" to "how" quickly it can become the standard, redefining work-life harmony for a modern age.