The four-day week has moved from pilot to policy, and the results are now public. More than 210 organizations and 6,300 employees have completed trials, and in the UK 56 of 61 companies kept the schedule after six months, equal to 92%, with 18 making it permanent (4 Day Week Global, 2023). The data is clear enough for boardrooms.
The headline is simple. Reduced hours did not dent output: revenue held or rose, resignations fell, and burnout dropped in nearly every tracked company (Autonomy, 2023). This report is the evidence base the movement has been working toward for a decade.
How many companies actually ran the tests?
The global program is broad. The 2022 coordinated program began with 26 organizations in Australasia, then expanded to 61 in the UK and more since, totaling over 210 organizations and 6,300 workers across Europe, Africa, North America and South America by 2024 (4 Day Week Global, 2023). The UK pilot alone covered 61 companies and about 2,900 employees from June to December 2022 (Autonomy, 2022).
Do the productivity numbers hold up?
Yes, with study flair. In the UK, company revenue rose 1.4% on average over the trial and 35% when compared with the same period a year earlier (Autonomy, 2023). Managers rated business performance and productivity 7.5 points on 10, and the whole trial scored 8.3. Critically, hours dropped an average of five a week without a pay cut.
| Metric | Before | After |
|---|---|---|
| Weekly work hours | 39.2 | 34.0 |
| Revenue (weighted) | baseline | +1.4% |
| Resignations /100 staff | 2.0 | 0.8 |
| Company-kept schedule | — | 92% kept it |
| Burnout reduction | — | -71% |
What did it do to employees’ wellbeing?
The transfer was striking. After the trial, 71% of employees reported less burnout and 39% reported less stress. Anxiety, fatigue and sleep problems declined, and physical health improved for most who stayed (Autonomy, 2023). A peer-reviewed study of 2,896 employees in 141 organizations found burnout fell from 2.83 to 2.38 and job satisfaction rose from 7.07 to 7.59 (Fan et al., 2024).
That study used 12 control companies and a six-month window, and the control group saw no change at all. When hours fall, well-being rises — measured and dose-dependent (Fan et al., 2024).
Is the productivity real or just self-reported?
The strongest result is measurable, not just surveys. UK resignations fell by 57%, new hires by 37%, and revenue held while hours fell (Autonomy, 2022). The German follow-up finds that as of February 2026, 70% of the trialed organizations still run some form of reduced working time, with 94% of them reporting work-life gains (Uni Muenster, 2026).
Across a wide variety of sectors of the economy, these incredible results show that the four-day week with no loss of pay really works.
— Joe O’Connor, co-founder of 4 Day Week Global
Why did some companies revert to five days?
Because scheduling is difficult. The German follow-up found 30% of organizations no longer practice reduced hours, often reverting to a concentrated schedule, and it highlights the gap between keeping the title and keeping the culture (Uni Muenster, 2026). Implementation lasts for months and requires coordination that some employers cannot sustain.
- 92% of UK firms kept the four-day week after 6 months (Autonomy, 2022)
- 70% of German trial organizations still run reduced time in 2026 (Uni Muenster, 2026)
- Revenue rose 1.4% on average in the UK trial (Autonomy, 2022)
- Burnout fell and 71% of employees were less stressed (Autonomy, 2022)
Is a global corporate adopt in progress?
Slowly, and unevenly. More than 210 companies have trialed it, a few governments have sponsored pilots in Iceland, Spain and Japan, and momentum keeps building as employment markets harden (4 Day Week Global, 2023). But the German 30% shows that adoption is not automatic, and the economics work only when leadership redesigns how the work happens, not just when they mark the day off.
What is the bottom line?
The corporate test is run and the results are in: 210+ organizations, 6,300+ employees, 92% of companies kept the week, burnout fell 71%, and revenue did not just hold — it rose. The data ends the intuition fight and begins a coordination debate. Expect more employers to pay for four days once they figure out how to coordinate the fifth.
Sources and further reading
- Autonomy — The results are in: the UK’s four-day week pilot
- 4 Day Week Global — US/Ireland and global trial results
- NSF — Work time reduction and the four-day week study
- Uni Muenster — Germany’s four-day horizon follow-up (Feb 2026)
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Bottom line
The corporate test is run and the results are in: 210+ organizations, 6,300+ employees, 92% of companies kept the week, burnout fell 71%, and revenue did not just hold — it rose. The data ends the intuition fight and begins a coordination debate. Expect more employers to pay for four days once they figure out how to coordinate the fifth.
What we still don't know
This is a fast-moving story. We update the post as new facts land — and we'll flag it when we do.
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