22 Four-Day Workweek Statistics (2026): Pilots, Laws and Results
Results from the largest four-day week pilots, the laws that exist and our own tracker of 15 government and law entries. Every figure links to its source.
Four-day workweek statistics: the six numbers to know
Three come from our own tracker and three from official or primary sources. Each one has a Copy button with the source attached.
We tracked 15 government, law and large-pilot entries. 5 are a law or standing scheme and 10 are pilots, options or limited schemes.
Source: HR Stacks Four-Day Week Tracker, November 2026
Europe holds 7 of the 15 entries, ahead of the Middle East and Africa and Asia Pacific.
Source: HR Stacks Four-Day Week Tracker, November 2026
Two in three tracked entries are pilots, options or limited schemes, not settled law.
Source: HR Stacks Four-Day Week Tracker, November 2026
In the UK pilot, 56 of 61 companies were continuing the four-day week at the end of the trial, and 18 had made it permanent.
Source: Autonomy, June to December 2022 trial
95% of the companies in Portugal’s government-backed pilot rated the experience positively.
Source: Government of Portugal, June to December 2023 pilot
77% of US adults said a four-day, 40-hour week would be positive for worker wellbeing.
Source: Gallup, Survey fielded May 8 to 15, 2023
Four-day workweek statistics at a glance: the 22 numbers that matter
Each figure shows its period and source. Use Copy to take the sentence with its source attached.
Pilot results
- 1The UK four-day week pilot covered 61 companies and about 2,900 employees from June to December 2022.Autonomy, The results are in: the UK’s four-day week pilot, June to December 2022 trial
- 256 of 61 UK pilot companies were continuing the four-day week after the trial, and 18 had made it permanent.Autonomy, The results are in: the UK’s four-day week pilot, June to December 2022 trial
- 3Staff turnover fell 57% among UK pilot companies versus the same period a year earlier.Autonomy, The results are in: the UK’s four-day week pilot, June to December 2022 trial
- 471% of UK pilot employees reported reduced burnout.Autonomy, The results are in: the UK’s four-day week pilot, June to December 2022 trial
- 515% of UK pilot employees said no pay rise would get them to accept a five-day week again.Autonomy, The results are in: the UK’s four-day week pilot, June to December 2022 trial
- 6UK pilot revenue rose 1.4% on average over the trial, weighted by company size.Autonomy, The results are in: the UK’s four-day week pilot, June to December 2022 trial
Multi-country research
- 7A six-country study covered 2,896 employees in 141 organisations, published in July 2025.Nature Human Behaviour, Work time reduction via a 4-day workweek finds improvements in workers’ well-being, Six-month trials, published July 2025
- 8Employees in the six-country trial worked about five fewer hours a week.Nature Human Behaviour, Work time reduction via a 4-day workweek finds improvements in workers’ well-being, Six-month trials, published July 2025
- 9About 90% of companies in the six-country trial kept the four-day week, as reported by press coverage.Scientific American, The Biggest Trial Yet Confirms Four-Day Workweek Makes Employees Happier, Reported July 2025
Country and public-sector pilots
- 1095% of companies in Portugal’s 2023 pilot assessed the four-day week positively.Government of Portugal, 95% of companies assess positively the four-day week experiment, June to December 2023 pilot
- 11Portugal’s pilot cut average weekly hours from 39.3 to 34.Henley Business School, Results from Portugal’s government-backed 4-day week trial released, 2023 pilot, final report June 2024
- 12Only 4 of 41 companies in Portugal’s pilot returned to a five-day week.Henley Business School, Results from Portugal’s government-backed 4-day week trial released, 2023 pilot, final report June 2024
- 1373% of German organisations in the 2024 trial said they would continue the four-day week.Intraprenör, The 4-Day-Week in Germany: First Results of Germany’s Trial on Work Time Reduction, Trial from February 2024, published 2024
- 1483% of employees in Germany’s trial wished to continue.Intraprenör, The 4-Day-Week in Germany: First Results of Germany’s Trial on Work Time Reduction, Trial from February 2024, published 2024
- 15Staff very satisfied with work-life balance rose from 4% to 84% at nine months at a Scottish public body.Autonomy Institute, Introducing a shorter working week in Scotland’s public sector, 2024 to 2025 pilot
Company results and worker views
- 16Microsoft Japan reported 39.9% higher sales per employee in its August 2019 trial, though not due to the trial alone.Neowin, Microsoft Japan boasts 40% productivity jump thanks to four-day workweek experiment, August 2019 trial
- 17Perpetual Guardian staff rated work-life balance 78%, up from 54%, in its 2018 trial.The Irish Times, Trial of four-day working week an ‘unmitigated success’ for employees’ health, March to April 2018 trial
- 1877% of US adults say a four-day, 40-hour week would be positive for worker wellbeing.Gallup, American Workers Optimistic About Impact of Wellness Initiatives, Survey fielded May 8 to 15, 2023
- 1982% of US adults aged 18 to 29 say the same.Gallup, American Workers Optimistic About Impact of Wellness Initiatives, Survey fielded May 8 to 15, 2023
Law and policy
- 20Belgium’s four-day week right, in force since November 2022, keeps the 38-hour week.American Bar Association, Belgium approves the four-day work week, Law in force November 2022
- 21India’s labour codes, in force since 21 November 2025, set a 48-hour weekly cap.ANI, Mandatory appointment letters, fixed work hours, social security benefits among key changes in new labour Codes, 22 November 2025
- 22South Koreans worked 1,833 hours in 2025 against an OECD average of 1,736.Financial News, reporting OECD data, South Korea’s annual working hours last year totaled 1,833, 96 more than the OECD average, 2025 data, released July 2026
Four-day workweek pilot results: productivity, retention and revenue
Autonomy ran the UK pilot, and the Nature Human Behaviour team studied 141 organisations across six countries. This chapter pulls together what those trials and the government-backed pilots in Portugal and Germany found.
Does a four-day workweek work?
In the largest trials so far, most employers kept it. In the UK pilot, 56 of 61 companies were continuing afterwards. In Portugal, 95% of companies rated it positively. In Germany, 73% of organisations said they would continue. The samples were self-selected, so these are results for willing employers, not a forecast for every company.
UK pilot: what happened to 61 companies
Continuing and permanent are shares of the 61 companies (56 and 18). Burnout is the share of employees reporting less. Leavers is the fall in staff turnover.
Source: Autonomy, June to December 2022 trial
German trial: what organisations plan next
Employees were more positive than employers: 83% of them wished to continue.
Source: Intraprenör, Trial from February 2024, published 2024
Portugal: weekly hours before and after
Hours fell 13.7%. Only 4 of the 41 companies went back to five days.
Source: Henley Business School, 2023 pilot, final report June 2024
Six-country trial in numbers
The ninety percent figure comes from press coverage of the study.
Source: Nature Human Behaviour, Six-month trials, published July 2025; Scientific American, Reported July 2025
Source: Neowin, August 2019 trial
UK revenue rose 1.4% on average over the trial, weighted by company size.
Four-day week tracker: laws, government pilots and public schemes
We compiled 15 government, law and large-pilot entries from published sources. Each row names its source. A place missing from the table has not been confirmed either way.
| Place | Type | Status | Start | Scale | Hours model | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Belgium | Law | In force | Nov 2022 | National | Compressed week, 38 hours kept | American Bar Association, Euronews |
| India | Law | Pilot or option | 21 Nov 2025 | National | Four 12-hour days possible within a 48-hour cap | Reuters, ANI |
| Iceland | Government pilot, then agreements | In force | 2015 to 2019 | About 2,500 workers | 35 to 36 hours at full pay | Alda, British Chamber of Commerce Singapore |
| United Kingdom | Organiser-led pilot | Pilot or option | Jun 2022 | 61 companies, about 2,900 staff | Four days, no pay cut | Autonomy |
| Scotland public bodies | Public-sector pilot | Pilot or option | 2024 | 259 staff in two bodies | 32-hour week | Autonomy Institute, Civil Service World |
| Portugal | Government pilot | Pilot or option | Jun 2023 | 41 companies, 1,000+ workers | 34 hours, cut from 39.3 | Government of Portugal, Henley Business School |
| Spain | Government programme | Pilot or option | 2024 | 503 workers applied | Reduced hours with subsidy | Reuters |
| Germany | Organiser-led pilot | Pilot or option | Feb 2024 | 41 organisations analysed | Six-month trial, 3.95 fewer hours | Intraprenör |
| Six-country trial | Organiser-led pilot | Pilot or option | 2022 to 2024 | 141 organisations, 2,896 staff | About five fewer hours a week | Nature Human Behaviour, Scientific American |
| Tokyo Metropolitan Government | Public-sector option | In force | Apr 2025 | Metropolitan staff | One weekday off per week on request | Tokyo Weekender, Il Sole 24 Ore |
| UAE federal government | Standing scheme | In force | Jan 2022 | Federal staff | 4.5-day week | Gulf News |
| Sharjah | Standing scheme | In force | 2022 | Government staff | Four-day week | Gulf News |
| Dubai government | Seasonal pilot | Pilot or option | 2024 | Government entities | Summer four-day week | The National, Gulf News |
| South Korea | Subsidy programme, no law | Pilot or option | 2026 | Programme participants | 4.5-day week | The Korea Times, Herald Business |
| South Africa | Organiser-led pilot | Pilot or option | Mar 2023 | 28 signed up, 22 reported | Four-day week, 100-80-100 | 4 Day Week Global, The Citizen |
What is changing
- India: the four labour codes took effect on 21 November 2025, which allows four 12-hour days inside a 48-hour weekly cap.
- Tokyo: staff can take one weekday off every week from April 2025.
- South Korea: a subsidy programme for a 4.5-day week runs from 2026, with no law yet.
Rules are moving toward compressed schedules faster than toward shorter hours.
Closed or suspended
- Confirmed ended: none of the 15 entries.
- Scotland: the two pilot bodies got extensions of six and two months. The minister ruled out a 32-hour week across government.
- Spain: take-up fell short of the budget, with 503 workers applying.
A pilot that ends is not always a failure. Many roll into permanent agreements.
Counts are computed from the table rows. Absence from the tracker does not mean absence of a scheme. Not every country was checked.
Four-day workweek and wellbeing: burnout, stress and sick days
Wellbeing is where the trials agree most. The UK pilot, Scotland and New Zealand all report lower stress, though measures differ.
UK pilot: stress and burnout
Source: Autonomy, June to December 2022 trial
Scotland: very satisfied with work-life balance
Psychological sick days at one body fell about a quarter. Key performance indicators stayed stable.
Source: Autonomy Institute, 2024 to 2025 pilot; Civil Service World, August 2025
New Zealand: Perpetual Guardian
Researchers also recorded a five point rise in life satisfaction.
Source: The Irish Times, March to April 2018 trial
US adults: four-day, 40-hour week
Share saying a four-day, 40-hour week would be positive for wellbeing. Overall, 77% said positive and 3% negative.
Source: Gallup, Survey fielded May 8 to 15, 2023
Wellbeing gains are real, engagement is less clear
Gallup found on-site workers on four-day schedules reported higher wellbeing but not higher engagement, and slightly higher burnout. Compressing five days of work into four can feel different from working fewer hours.
Source: Gallup, Survey fielded May 8 to 15, 2023
Four-day workweek laws and government schemes by country
Few governments have written a four-day week into law. Belgium did in 2022, and India made it possible under new labour codes. Elsewhere it is a government pilot or a scheme for public staff.
Iceland: the largest early public trial
Source: Alda, 2015 to 2019 trials, report July 2021; British Chamber of Commerce Singapore, 2015 to 2019 trials
South Korea: annual hours worked, 2025
A 4.5-day week is a subsidised programme, not a law, and a bill was planned in 2025.
Source: Financial News, reporting OECD data, 2025 data, released July 2026; The Korea Times, September 2025
Scotland tested a 32-hour week across two public bodies. The minister later ruled out a 32-hour week across the whole government. Sources: Autonomy Institute and Civil Service World.
Four-day workweek for employers: hours models, cost and global hiring
The UK pilot kept pay level and cut hours, which is why 56 of 61 companies stayed on it. A compressed week costs less to try but gives up much of the wellbeing gain.
EOR guides for cross-border teams
How much does an Employer of Record cost?
What EOR fees and employer costs look like by country.
ComparisonEOR vs PEO vs staffing agency
Which model fits when you hire in another country.
GuideEmployer of Record guide for emerging markets
Local rules to check before you set contract hours.
How-toHow to switch EOR providers smoothly
Move workers without breaking their contract terms.
Hiring across borders on a shorter week?
Schedules and overtime rules differ by country. An Employer of Record can set the contract hours locally.
Four-day workweek tools: six categories teams use
Pilots rarely needed new software. They needed visibility into hours, output and cover. These are the six categories that matter.
Time and scheduling
Rota and shift planners help cover customer-facing hours when staff are off on different days.
Time tracking
Hours data shows whether the shorter week is holding or drifting back to five days of work.
Goal and output tracking
Objective tracking replaces hours as the measure of work, which most pilots relied on.
Async and project tools
Written handoffs keep projects moving when part of the team is out.
Pulse surveys
Short surveys track stress and burnout, the measures most pilots reported.
HRIS and leave management
Records of schedules, leave and pay by country keep contract terms accurate.
Four-day workweek outlook: support is ahead of law
Workers back the idea and pilots keep reporting positive results. Rules are changing more slowly, and mostly toward compressed schedules.
Public support is ahead of policy
Source: Gallup, Survey fielded May 8 to 15, 2023
Methodology and sources
How we built the tracker, which sources we used and what the figures cannot tell you.
Scope
This report covers four-day and shorter-week trials, laws and public schemes, plus worker and employer survey data published through November 2026.
Sources
We use primary reports, government pages and official statistics first. Where a primary page could not be opened, we name the outlet that reported it.
Tracker method
The tracker has 15 entries from 28 named sources. We coded each entry as law or standing scheme, pilot or option, or ended, using the published source only.
Limits
Pilots are mostly self-selected and short. Figures from different trials use different measures, so we do not average them. The tracker is not a full list of countries.
Update log
| Date | Change | Reason |
|---|---|---|
| 14 Nov 2026 | Rebuilt the report with a 15-entry tracker | Original data and one source per row |
| 14 Nov 2026 | Replaced UK pilot figures with the published results | Primary source checked |
| 14 Nov 2026 | Added Germany, Portugal, Scotland, Nature Human Behaviour and Gallup | Recent trials and surveys |
| 14 Nov 2026 | Removed figures with no traceable publisher | Could not be verified |
28 sources referenced in this report
Original research: government and law tracker
- 1American Bar Association, Belgium approves the four-day work week Law in force November 2022. Accessed 14 November 2026.
- 2Euronews, Workers in Belgium can now switch to a four-day week but they won’t be working fewer hours November 2022. Accessed 14 November 2026.
- 3Reuters, India’s new labour codes: What they mean for workers and businesses Codes in force 21 November 2025. Accessed 14 November 2026.
- 4ANI, Mandatory appointment letters, fixed work hours, social security benefits among key changes in new labour Codes 22 November 2025. Accessed 14 November 2026.
- 5Alda, Going public: Iceland’s journey to a shorter working week 2015 to 2019 trials, report July 2021. Accessed 14 November 2026.
- 6British Chamber of Commerce Singapore, Four-day week ‘an overwhelming success’ in Iceland 2015 to 2019 trials. Accessed 14 November 2026.
- 7Autonomy, The results are in: the UK’s four-day week pilot June to December 2022 trial. Accessed 14 November 2026.
- 8Autonomy Institute, Introducing a shorter working week in Scotland’s public sector 2024 to 2025 pilot. Accessed 14 November 2026.
- 9Civil Service World, Scottish Government: Minister rules out four-day week despite pilot finding productivity and wellbeing benefits August 2025. Accessed 14 November 2026.
- 10Government of Portugal, 95% of companies assess positively the four-day week experiment June to December 2023 pilot. Accessed 14 November 2026.
- 11Henley Business School, Results from Portugal’s government-backed 4-day week trial released 2023 pilot, final report June 2024. Accessed 14 November 2026.
- 12Reuters, Spanish take-up of four-day week pilot falls short of expectations February 2024. Accessed 14 November 2026.
- 13Intraprenör, The 4-Day-Week in Germany: First Results of Germany’s Trial on Work Time Reduction Trial from February 2024, published 2024. Accessed 14 November 2026.
- 14Nature Human Behaviour, Work time reduction via a 4-day workweek finds improvements in workers’ well-being Six-month trials, published July 2025. Accessed 14 November 2026.
- 15Scientific American, The Biggest Trial Yet Confirms Four-Day Workweek Makes Employees Happier Reported July 2025. Accessed 14 November 2026.
- 16Tokyo Weekender, Four-day workweek for Tokyo government workers Announced December 2024, from April 2025. Accessed 14 November 2026.
- 17Il Sole 24 Ore, Tokyo launches short week to combat falling birth rates December 2024. Accessed 14 November 2026.
- 18Gulf News, Will Dubai bring back its four-day summer work week in 2026? 2022 to 2025 schemes. Accessed 14 November 2026.
- 19The National, Dubai announces four-day working week for government employees over summer June 2025. Accessed 14 November 2026.
- 20The Korea Times, Gov’t seeks passage of 4.5-day workweek bill this year despite industry pushback September 2025. Accessed 14 November 2026.
- 21Herald Business, South Korea’s 4.5-day workweek project surpasses annual target in first half of year First half of 2026. Accessed 14 November 2026.
- 224 Day Week Global, Africa’s first 4 day week trial a remarkable success March to August 2023 pilot. Accessed 14 November 2026.
- 23The Citizen, Four-day work week pilot in SA an unexpected success December 2023. Accessed 14 November 2026.
Key findings
- 24Gallup, American Workers Optimistic About Impact of Wellness Initiatives Survey fielded May 8 to 15, 2023. Accessed 14 November 2026.
At a glance
- 25Neowin, Microsoft Japan boasts 40% productivity jump thanks to four-day workweek experiment August 2019 trial. Accessed 14 November 2026.
- 26The Irish Times, Trial of four-day working week an ‘unmitigated success’ for employees’ health March to April 2018 trial. Accessed 14 November 2026.
- 27Financial News, reporting OECD data, South Korea’s annual working hours last year totaled 1,833, 96 more than the OECD average 2025 data, released July 2026. Accessed 14 November 2026.
Four-day workweek and wellbeing
- 28Civil Service World, Better wellbeing, higher productivity and lower stress: Findings from Scottish Government’s four-day week pilot August 2025. Accessed 14 November 2026.
Four-day workweek statistics FAQ
Short answers to the questions employers and workers ask most.
What is a four-day workweek?
It means working four days a week instead of five. Some employers cut hours and keep pay, as in the UK, Portugal and Scotland pilots. Others compress the same hours into four days, which is what Belgium and India allow.
Does a four-day workweek mean a pay cut?
Not in the pilots described here. The UK, Portugal and Scotland pilots kept pay level while hours fell. A compressed week keeps pay and hours the same, so there is no cut either.
How many companies kept the four-day week after the UK pilot?
56 of the 61 companies were continuing at the end of the trial, and 18 had made the change permanent, according to Autonomy.
Is a four-day workweek legal in Belgium?
Yes. Since November 2022, employees can ask to work their hours over four days. The 38-hour week stays, with days of up to 9.5 hours.
Can employers in India run a four-day week?
Yes, within limits. The labour codes in force since 21 November 2025 cap the week at 48 hours, which allows four days of 12 hours. That is a compressed week, not fewer hours.
Did the Microsoft Japan trial prove productivity gains?
Microsoft Japan reported 39.9% higher sales per employee in August 2019. The company later said the rise was not due to the challenge alone, so it is not clean proof.
Does a four-day week reduce burnout?
In the UK pilot, 71% of employees reported less burnout. A Gallup survey of US on-site workers found higher wellbeing but slightly higher burnout, so results depend on how the week is arranged.
How many places have a four-day week law or standing scheme?
In our tracker of 15 entries, 5 are a law or standing scheme and 10 are pilots, options or limited schemes. We did not check every country, so this is not a world count.
How does a four-day week work for teams hired in other countries?
Contract hours, overtime and rest rules differ by country, so the schedule has to match local law. An Employer of Record can write the contract hours for each country.
Why should pilot results be read with caution?
Most pilots used volunteer employers, ran for months, and had no control group. Strong continue rates show willing employers kept going, not that every employer would.