The 4 Day Week Handbook

"A four-day working week is long overdue and this book provides a crucial roadmap. One day, we will look back in horror at the fact we worked until we dropped." - Owen Jones, Journalist

What if there was a simple idea that could transform the lives of workers, employers, the economy, our society and our environment?

Well, there is.

More and more employers across the world are switching to a 4 Day Week - leaving workers happier and economies healthier.

Written by the director of the UK's 4 Day Week campaign, this official handbook shows why businesses, charities, councils and other entities should implement more efficient working hours (with no loss of pay) - and how.

Because the five-day working week is no longer working for employers or employees. In the UK, we work some of the longest hours in Europe, while having one of the least productive economies.

Stressed out and tired out, workers stagger home on a Friday evening and take some of the weekend to recover.

Working hours have been transformed before. At the turn of the 20th Century, six-day weeks were the norm before the Ford Motor Company invented the weekend. And we are long overdue an update to working hours.

Using real-life case studies from the UK, the Official 4 Day Week shows the positive impact that comes from everyone working one day less a week.

Organisations who tried the idea found major benefits for the health and welfare of their staff - with major benefits for those organisations. The likelihood that workers would resign plummeted by 57%, improving job retention. Sick days fell by 65%, improving productivity.

Companies' revenue stayed broadly the same, rising by 1.4% on average.

This book delves into some of the practical benefits that flow from innovating with employment contracts and working conditions. Governments, businesses, charities, and councils could all benefit from a 4 Day Week.
Workers
Better work-life balance

A four-day week with no loss of pay gives workers the time to live happier and more fulfilled lives, allowing for those non-work parts of life that are often neglected such as: rest - sleep and the various forms of rest we need while awake (physical, mental, social, emotional and sensory rest); leisure - from spending time with family and friends, to pursuing hobbies and passion projects, and 'Life Admin' - tasks like shopping, cleaning, managing the finances, and the many parenting duties.

A four-day week with no loss of pay also reduces the cost of childcare and commuting.
Employers
Higher performance and profits

Trials and real-world examples show that employers who move to a four-day week increase productivity and reduce costs (a Henley Business School study in 2021 estimated that UK businesses would save a combined GBP104 billion a year if a four-day week was implemented across the entire workforce).

Greater talent

Reducing the working week enables organisations to attract and retain high quality employees who are happier and less stressed and take fewer sick days.
Economy
Lower unemployment

Incredibly, the UK suffers simultaneously from overwork, unemployment and underemployment, so a four-day week is an intuitively simple way to rebalance the economy and address many problems.

Increased productivity

Numerous studies show that working fewer hours would boost the UK's productivity.

Boost to tourism

With more free leisure time, the tourism sector would benefit from people taking more short breaks in the UK.
Society
Better mental and physical health

More time to focus on our health and wellbeing, and prevent and address any issues or illnesses.

Gender equality

Amore equal share of paid and unpaid work, including of caring roles traditionally ascribed to women.

Strengthened communities

More time to build relationships and care for children, elderly and disabled people.
Environment
A more sustainable lifestyle

More free time allows us to make environmentally-positive choices, such as cycling and walking instead of driving, and cooking with fresh ingredients rather than buying energy-intensive ready meals.

A reduced carbon footprint

Research has shown that a four-day week could reduce the UK's carbon footprint by 127 million tonnes per year, which is the equivalent of taking 27 million cars off the road (effectively the entire UK private car fleet).

Reviews

"Simple, effective, efficient - the best guide to increasing your, and most other adults', leisure time by 50% - with no serious downside" - Professor Danny Dorling, University of Oxford

"The four-day week is an idea whose time has come. This is an invaluable guide to its benefits but more importantly how to introduce it successfully. It's a handbook to the future of work." - John McDonnell MP, former Shadow Chancellor

"Joe brings together the combined experiences of so many businesses in this book. Reading this will help save people a lot of time and money when moving to a four-day week. A must-read for anyone considering joining the four-day week revolution!" - Claire Daniels, CEO of Trio Media

"A four-day working week is long overdue and this book provides a crucial roadmap. One day, we will look back in horror at the fact we worked until we dropped." - Owen Jones, Journalist