‘Cruel hoax’ or ‘work-life balance nirvana’: whatever happened to the four-day work week?

Some businesses that have trialled a four-day work week have reported benefits including increased productivity, less absenteeism and boosted job satisfaction. Photograph: Maria Stavreva/Getty Images

During the global soul-searching that followed the rupture of Covid-19 lockdowns, one idea for how we might live better suddenly seemed plausible: the four-day work week.

The model is simple but somewhat counterintuitive. Employees work fewer hours for the same salary while getting the same amount of (or even more) work done. Advocates say this is made possible by reducing meeting times, streamlining workflows and prioritising work more efficiently.