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Governance - home | publié par Loyco | 24.06.2025

Fewer days, more effects: the 4-day week dissected

What if the 4-day week became a strategic lever rather than a social utopia? For several years now, this concept has been making its way into debates about the future of work, driven by a bold promise: to reconcile performance, well-being and environmental commitment. Already tested on a large scale internationally, it remains marginal in Switzerland. And yet, the results elsewhere beg the question. Do we need to rethink the way we work? Here are some answers.

From Iceland to Japan, via New Zealand and the United States, numerous experiments demonstrate that working less can produce more. The organization 4 Day Week Globalorganization, founded by Andrew Barnes, conducted a survey of 91 companies in 5 countries (Australia, Canada, Ireland, United States, United Kingdom), representing 3,500 employees. The results: +35% in sales, increased hiring, reduced absenteeism and greater satisfaction at work and in private life (MIT Sloan Management Review, 2023).

The principle is based on the 100-80-100rule: 100% salary, 80% time, 100% productivity. Unlike “compressed” weeks, where 40 hours are spread over four days, this model implies an effective reduction in working time. effective reduction in working timewith no reduction in pay. Companies are invited to rethink their processes to gain in efficiency rather than intensity.

But this model has already found very different variations in different contexts. In Iceland, since 2019, the working hours of 90% of the workforce have been reduced from 40 to 36 hours a week, with no loss of pay (Le Courrier International, 2024). Progress for women in particular.

“A shorter working week allows people – mainly women – who were working 36 hours part-time to have a full-time job while keeping the same hours.”

In Japan, Tokyo City Hall has been offering its civil servants a 4-day week with no reduction in working hours since 2025, and several large companies, such as Microsoft Japan, have tested the system. Depending on the context, the reason for this approach is either to deal with the many burn-outs or to improve the country’s very low birth rate. In France, since 2024, the civil service has been experimenting with a version of the four-day week, spreading the 35-hour week over fewer days, while preserving the annual total.

In Switzerland, the model is still in its infancy. Large companies such as Novartis and Roche prefer other forms of flexibility (part-time, annualized working hours), and point out that a 4-day week with unchanged wages requires productivity gains to be viable. According to the Swiss Federal Statistical Office, part-time work is already widespread, particularly among women, making the introduction of a new model more complex to standardize.

And yet, Switzerland has now joined the 4 Day Week initiative. Zurich-based consulting firm Hailperin and the Management Department of the Bern University of Applied Sciences (BFH) have been working since the beginning of the year to launch the a pilot study of the four-day working week in Switzerland. The aim: to scientifically examine the effects of the four-day week on companies and their employees to demonstrate in concrete terms that this new organization of work can be successfully implemented in Swiss companies. The Fédération Suisse des Entreprises (FSE), of which we are a member, is collaborating on this project. To be continued.

In Switzerland, some pioneering SMEs are already experimenting with the 4-day week. These include Seerowan IT company based in Solothurn, which has introduced a 32-hour week with constant pay.

“The days are intense [but] we’re better organized and more productive,” Fabian Schneider, Seerow’s Managing Director.

Another example, 23bisa creative agency in Lausanne, has been operating on this model for two years. Employees work 32 hours over four days, with Fridays off and salaries unchanged. The company sees this as a tool for cohesion, sustainability and talent retention.

Last but not least, Glutform Rüegg SAwhich builds stoves and fireplaces, also took the plunge by reducing its working hours to 36 hours spread over four days, with positive results.

Shorter working hours are prompting companies to optimize their priorities, digitalize certain tasks, and strengthen collaboration. Several structures emphasize:

  • A increased productivityby focusing on high value-added tasks.
  • A improved satisfaction, both at work and in personal lifeand psychological well-being. According to the MIT report, burn-out was significantly reduced, and average weekly sleep time increased by 42 minutes. Employees also report being able to devote more time to their children (with a 22% increase for men) and to physical exercise.
  • A HR attractiveness positioning in the job market.
  • A lower absenteeismA reduction in absenteeism, demonstrating better overall health and greater employee commitment.
  • A environmental contribution by reducing commuting distances.

The model is not without constraints. It requires profound reorganization processes and corporate culture. Certain sectors (healthcare, retail, continuous Services) may encounter difficulties in applying it. The risk of overload over 4 days as well as potential tensions between compatible and non-compatible professions.

The costs involved in adopting such a model also need to be taken into consideration. Reorganizing personnel management may entail additional costs for the company. The same applies to maintaining salary levels despite the reduction in working hours. For example, some employees working part-time (80%) could increase their activity rate, thereby increasing short-term wage costs.

Nevertheless, if the reduction in working hours leads to an increase in productivity, the positive impact on the company’s bottom line can offset these losses. Reducing turnover could also cut the costs of recruiting and training new employees.

Finally, as mentioned in the MIT study conducted worldwide in 91 companies, employee buy-in is crucial to the success of this initiative. Employees must be encouraged to put forward ideas for reducing working hours while maintaining efficiency.He also mentions that it is essential to reassure employees that the reduction in working hours will not be accompanied by a pay cut. More generally, clear communication, a flexible framework and solid managerial support are essential for a successful transition.

In an agile organization like ours, which has always prioritized employee well-being, the 4-day week is an option that is being considered. A working group has been set up to find the best way of implementing this at Loyco. A six-month test will soon be carried out in one of our largest teams.

As with our management model, inspired by holacracy, we came up with a solution adapted to our needs. The working group’s proposal, based on the results of a questionnaire sent to the team concerned, is as follows:

  • Reduce weekly working hours for a full-time job (100%).
  • Propose flexible working hours, which would open up a number of options for a full-time employee:
  1. Continue to work over five days, but with a reduced average working day
  2. Condensing the work week to 4 or 4.5 days

We’ll see what conclusions emerge from this test!

As a sign that society is definitely questioning our traditional working models, Travail.Suisse has put forward 19 demands to bring the legal basis for part-time work into line with the reality of today’s society. “Part-time work has disadvantages such as reduced social security cover, poorer promotion prospects, less continuing training and lower pensions,” notes Travail.Suisse President Adrian Wüthrich, in an RTS article.

Getting back to the 4-day week: it’s neither a magic wand nor a universal solution. But it does embody a paradigm shift in our relationship to time, productivity and well-being. While it remains marginal in Switzerland, practical experience here and elsewhere shows that it is anything but a gadget.

What if we simply started by asking the question in our organizations?

Editor's note: This article was written in French and automatically translated into English and German.
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