The 4-day work week is spreading through pilots and individual employers, but no U.S. law requires it. Here is what the research shows, where the bills stand as of October 2026, and how employers and job seekers can approach it.
- “4-day work week” covers two very different models: 32 hours with no pay cut, or 40 hours in four longer days.
- The largest study so far, 141 organizations in six countries, found less burnout and better health, and more than 90% of companies kept the schedule, though participants volunteered and results were self-reported.
- No U.S. federal or state law requires a 32-hour week. Federal bills in 2023 and 2024 and state bills in Massachusetts and Vermont did not pass.
- It works best where output can be measured and work can be rescheduled; shift-based and customer-facing roles need careful staffing plans.
- Job seekers can find four-day roles, but should check whether “four days” means fewer hours or longer days.
In this article
A 4-day work week means employees work four days instead of five, usually either 32 hours at the same pay (a reduced-hours week) or 40 hours packed into four 10-hour days (a compressed week). As of October 2026, it is not becoming the U.S. standard: federal law still sets overtime at 40 hours, and state bills have stalled. But pilots show real benefits, and a growing number of individual employers offer it.
What a 4-day work week means
Employers use the phrase for several schedules. Knowing which one you’re talking about avoids most of the confusion.
| Model | Hours | Pay | What changes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Reduced-hours week (the “100-80-100” model) | About 32 hours over 4 days | Same as before | Teams cut meetings and low-value work to keep output steady with 80% of the time |
| Compressed week (“4/10”) | 40 hours in four 10-hour days | Same | Longer days, one extra day off; total hours don’t drop |
| Staggered four-day week | 32 or 40 hours | Same | Employees take different days off so the business stays open five or more days |
| Part-time four days | Fewer hours | Reduced | A traditional part-time arrangement, not what advocates mean by a four-day week |
Most pilots and studies test the reduced-hours model. Most U.S. employers that already offer “four-day weeks,” especially in manufacturing, public safety and some government offices, run compressed or staggered schedules.
Does the 4-day work week work? What the research shows
The evidence on employee well-being is strong. The evidence on productivity and profit is thinner, because most studies rely on companies that chose to take part.
The largest study: 141 organizations, six countries
A study published in Nature Human Behaviour in October 2025 followed 2,896 employees at 141 organizations in Australia, Canada, Ireland, New Zealand, the U.K. and the U.S. that ran six-month four-day week trials with no pay cut. Employees reported less burnout, higher job satisfaction and better mental and physical health, and 12 comparison companies didn’t show the same gains. The benefits were linked to better work ability, fewer sleep problems and less fatigue.
The limits matter. As Scientific American reported, the companies volunteered, outcomes were self-reported, and the study didn’t measure company-wide productivity. More than 90% of the organizations kept the four-day week afterward.
The U.K. pilot
The U.K. trial, run from June to December 2022 with about 2,900 employees at 61 companies, found that 56 companies (92%) continued the four-day week and 18 made it permanent. Revenue was broadly flat, up 1.4% on average over the trial, resignations fell 57%, and 71% of employees reported less burnout.
A U.S. example from a 24/7 operation
The Golden Police Department in Colorado moved full-time staff from 40 to 32 hours with no pay cut in a six-month pilot starting in July 2023. According to 4 Day Week Global’s case study, response times for priority one calls fell 5%, overtime spending dropped, and resignations and retirements fell 50%. The city extended the pilot through July 2024. Part of the overtime savings came from a union agreement to pay hours 33 to 40 at the regular salaried rate, which not every employer could replicate.
Reading the evidence fairly: pilots show that many knowledge-work and some service teams can cut hours without losing output, and that employees are healthier and less likely to quit. They don’t prove that every company, or every role, can do the same.
Is the 4-day work week coming to the U.S.? Laws and bills
Not by law, as of October 2026. Here is where the main proposals stand.
| Proposal | What it would do | Status |
|---|---|---|
| H.R. 1332 (Rep. Takano, March 2023) and S. 3947 (Sen. Sanders, March 2024), the Thirty-Two Hour Workweek Act | Lower the FLSA overtime threshold from 40 to 32 hours over about four years (38, 36, 34, then 32), add daily overtime after 8 hours, and bar pay cuts | Introduced in the 118th Congress (2023-2024); not enacted |
| Massachusetts H.2181 (filed January 2025) | Make 4 days and 32 hours the standard week in state law, with overtime after 32 hours | Heard in June 2025; folded into a study order in March 2026 rather than advancing |
| Vermont H.261 (introduced February 2025) | Establish a 32-hour workweek | Referred to the House Committee on General and Housing; no further recorded action |
| Pennsylvania (2023) | A state income tax credit for companies that move to a 32-hour, four-day week (CBS Pittsburgh) | Introduced in the state House |
Under current federal law, the Fair Labor Standards Act requires overtime for hours over 40 in a workweek for non-exempt employees, and has no daily overtime rule. That means a federal 4/10 schedule doesn’t trigger overtime. Some states differ: California requires overtime after 8 hours in a workday unless the employer has a valid alternative workweek schedule, such as four 10-hour days. Check your state’s rules before you switch.
This is general information, not legal advice. Check with employment counsel for your situation.
Why most U.S. employers haven’t switched
- Coverage. Hospitals, retail, call centers, warehouses and factories need people on site every day. A four-day week there means more staff or longer shifts, not less work.
- Measurement. The reduced-hours model depends on judging people by output. Many teams still manage by hours and presence.
- Overtime math. For non-exempt staff, a 10-hour day can trigger daily overtime in states like California if the schedule isn’t set up correctly.
- Two-tier workforces. If office staff get Fridays off while plant or front-line staff don’t, morale can drop. Plan how each group benefits.
- The return-to-office push. Many large employers are moving the other way, adding office days. See our list of companies requiring five days in office.
How to run a 4-day work week pilot (for employers)
- Pick the model. Decide between 32 hours at full pay, a compressed 4/10 schedule or staggered days. Write it down so everyone means the same thing.
- Start with one team. Choose a team with measurable output and a manager who wants to try it.
- Set baselines first. Record three to six months of output, quality, customer response time, overtime, sick days and turnover.
- Redesign the work. Cut or shorten recurring meetings, set focus hours and agree how urgent requests are covered on the day off.
- Check the law. Confirm overtime rules for non-exempt staff, any union agreements and how PTO and holidays convert to the new schedule.
- Run it for six months. Shorter trials mostly capture the novelty. Survey employees at the start, middle and end.
- Decide with data. Compare results to your baseline, then keep, adjust or end it. Tell employees up front that ending it is a possible outcome.
Even if you don’t adopt it company-wide, a four-day or compressed option can help you retain staff and stand out when you compete for talent.
How to find a 4-day work week job (for job seekers)
- Search job boards for “4-day week,” “32-hour week,” “four 10s” and “compressed schedule.”
- Look at sectors that often run longer shifts on fewer days, such as manufacturing, public safety and some government offices, plus software and marketing firms that have piloted 32-hour weeks.
- Ask in the first interview: “Is this 32 hours or four 10-hour days? Is the day off fixed or rotating?”
- Check that pay and benefits are full-time, not prorated.
- Ask whether the schedule is permanent or a pilot that could end.
If a role you want is five days, a hybrid or flexible arrangement may be easier to negotiate than a full four-day week. You can browse current openings on our job board.
Company examples
- Buffer, a social media software company, started a four-day week trial in May 2020, moved to a long-term pilot later that year and published a three-year update in April 2023.
- City of Golden, Colorado ran its police department on 32 hours from July 2023 and extended the pilot in 2024 (details above).
- U.K. pilot companies: 18 of the 61 companies in the 2022 trial made the change permanent by the time results were published in February 2023.
How Careerscape can help
Careerscape is a U.S. staffing and recruiting firm. If you’re testing a four-day or compressed schedule and need coverage for the days your core team is off, temporary staffing or contract staffing can fill the gaps while you measure results.
Frequently asked questions
Is the 4-day work week coming in 2026?
Not as a legal standard. As of October 2026, federal law still requires overtime after 40 hours a week, and the federal Thirty-Two Hour Workweek Act and state bills in Massachusetts and Vermont have not passed. Individual employers can still offer four-day schedules, and some do, especially as compressed 4/10 schedules or as pilots.
Do you get paid the same on a 4-day work week?
It depends on the model. In the reduced-hours model used by most pilots, employees work about 32 hours for their full previous pay. In a compressed schedule, employees still work 40 hours, so pay doesn’t change. Part-time four-day jobs pay less. Always ask the employer which version they mean.
Is a 4-day work week legal in the U.S.?
Yes. Employers can set four-day schedules. The federal FLSA only requires overtime for non-exempt employees after 40 hours in a workweek, so four 10-hour days don’t trigger federal overtime. Some states, including California, have daily overtime rules, so employers there need to set up the schedule correctly.
What are the disadvantages of a 4-day work week?
Longer days can cause fatigue in compressed schedules. Customer coverage gets harder, and some roles can’t cut hours without hiring more people. If only some employees get it, it can create resentment. Results also depend on cutting low-value work; teams that just squeeze five days into four may see stress go up.
Which industries use the 4-day work week most?
Compressed four-day shifts show up often in manufacturing, public safety and some government offices. Reduced-hours 32-hour weeks show up most in software, marketing, professional services and nonprofits, where output is easier to measure and work can be rescheduled.
- Fan, Schor, Kelly and Gu: Work time reduction via a 4-day workweek finds improvements in workers’ well-being, Nature Human Behaviour (October 2025)
- Scientific American: The biggest trial yet confirms four-day workweek makes employees happier (July 2025)
- Autonomy: The results are in, the UK’s four-day week pilot (February 2023)
- 4 Day Week Global: Can a police department work a 4 day week? Golden Police Department case study
- Congress.gov: H.R. 1332, Thirty-Two Hour Workweek Act (118th Congress)
- GovInfo: S. 3947, Thirty-Two Hour Workweek Act (118th Congress)
- Massachusetts Legislature: H.2181, An Act to implement a 4 day work week
- Vermont Legislature: H.261, An act relating to establishing a 32-hour workweek
- CBS Pittsburgh: Pennsylvania lawmakers introduce bill to incentivize 4-day workweek (June 2023)
- U.S. Department of Labor: Overtime pay
- California Department of Industrial Relations: Overtime FAQ
- Buffer: Four-day work week