Financial TimesFinancial Times

The 4-day week: Does it actually work?

By Emma Jacobs

04 Dec 2022 · 10 min read

Editor's Note

By focusing on outcomes, companies are showing it's possible to achieve the same amount of work in fewer hours. The FT examines the experiences of four companies using a four-day week.

Five years ago, Wyatt Watts arrived for his first day of work at Platten’s in Wells-next-the-Sea in Norfolk, east England. “It felt like a challenge,” he reflects, dealing with the “fast pace” of a fish-and-chip shop packed with hungry day-trippers.

On a sunny morning this summer, Watts, now a team leader, was preparing for a new test. The 26-year-old was worried his work was about to become more intense and stressful. Yet he was determined to make it a success.

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