5% of Employers Are Offering a Four-Day Workweek: Most Are Sustaining Hybrid Work Arrangements

New Data Released on Flexible Workweeks

September 6, 2023 | Brookfield, Wisconsin—A new survey report from the International Foundation of Employee Benefit Plans reveals the flexible work arrangements offered by companies across the United States. Key findings from Four-Day Workweek: 2023 Survey Results include the type of non-traditional schedules offered, and reasons for and challenges of implementing four-day workweek schedules.

Four-Day Workweek

Five percent of employers are offering a four-day workweek, either as a formal policy or on a case-by-case basis. The survey defined a four-day workweek as decreasing the required weekly work hours from 40 to 32 hours. One percent of employers are in the process of piloting a four-day schedule, and an additional 14% of employers are considering implementation. Compressed workweeks, defined as working 40-hours in less than five days, are offered by 24%.

• Employers cited the following reasons for implementing a four-day, 32-hour workweek:
• Request by employees—41%
• Retention strategy—36%
• Work-life balance / rethinking company culture—36%
• Recruitment strategy—27%.

While some respondents have implemented a four-day workweek company-wide, many offer it only for certain job functions, specific employee levels or in certain locations.

Challenges

Employers that do not offer four-day workweeks indicated the following reasons and concerns:

• Lack of interest by upper management—42%
• Difficulty implementing it organization-wide—38%
• Negative impact on business operations—36%
• Unsure if it would work with organization structure—36%
• Unable to support customer base—32%.

"As the traditional work week saw a major upheaval with the pandemic, a few employers are implementing a four-day work week for recruiting and retention reasons," said Julie Stich, CEBS, Vice President of Content at the International Foundation. "However, most employers, even if interested, are struggling to figure out how to make that a reality while trying to meet business operation goals."

Flexible Work Arrangements

In the aftermath of the pandemic, flexible work schedules remain common. Employers are offering several non-traditional schedule options, with one or more remote work options being the most common. Overall, 88% of respondents offer some type of remote option (fully remote and/or hybrid).

Flexible work arrangements offered include:

• Working remotely on certain days of the week (hybrid)—75%
• Flexible work hours—61%
• Working remotely full-time—50%
• Part-time schedule—35%
• Compressed workweeks—24%.

For more information and to view full survey results, visit www.ifebp.org/fourdayweek.

###

About the International Foundation: The International Foundation of Employee Benefit Plans is the premier educational organization dedicated to providing the diverse employee benefits community with objective, solution-oriented education, research and information to ensure the health and financial security of plan beneficiaries worldwide. The International Foundation has more than 31,000 multiemployer, corporate and public sector members representing over 25 million lives. For additional information, visit www.ifebp.org.