Johnny C. Taylor Jr. answers workplace questions every week on USA TODAY. Taylor is president and CEO of SHRM, the world’s largest human resources professional organization, and author of Reset: A Leader’s Guide to Work in an Age of Upheaval.
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Question: My company is considering moving to a four-day work week. While the idea is popular with employees and seems likely to increase productivity and retention, there are concerns about whether it is truly sustainable in the long term. How should organizations assess whether a four-day work week is right for their particular business model without compromising performance, customer service, or employee burnout? – River
Answer: A four-day work week sounds appealing in theory, but whether it works in practice is entirely up to the business. There is no universal model. What works well in one organization may cause operational strain in another, and leaders need to be honest about that from the beginning.
The first question an organization should ask is not, “Is a four-day work week common?” The question is, “What business problem are we trying to solve?” Is your goal to increase productivity? Increase retention? What are the benefits of hiring? Reducing burnout? How efficient is your work? And the second question is equally important. Is there any data to prove that a four-day work week solves this problem?Flexibility needs to be treated as a business strategy, not just a workplace trend.
Organizations also need to be clear about what a “four-day work week” actually means. Are employees working 4-10-hour days, or is your organization reducing its total weekly hours? These are fundamentally different models, with vastly different operational, financial, and employee impacts.
Let’s be clear: compressing work into fewer days without changing expectations, workflows, or staffing models can actually increase burnout rather than reduce it. If employees are expected to produce the same results in less time without better systems in place, the pressure will only increase.
That’s why operational efficiency is so important in these conversations. Organizations that have successfully implemented flexible work models are often motivated to rethink how work gets done. Reduce unnecessary meetings, streamline approvals, automate repetitive tasks, and eliminate low-value work that wastes employee time without improving outcomes.
Customer expectations must also remain front and center. Employees may appreciate flexibility, but when customers experience slow service, inconsistent support, and unresponsiveness, the model becomes difficult to sustain. Any workplace strategy must ultimately support both employees and the business itself.
And frankly, we don’t yet have enough long-term data to declare whether the four-day work week is a universal success or failure. That’s why these decisions should be made based on data, not emotion. Organizations considering pilots should establish measurable outcomes upfront and track productivity, engagement, sales, customer satisfaction, operational performance, and financial impact over time.
Most importantly, the organization itself needs to remain flexible. A four-day work week is not a “set it and forget it” policy. Employee needs, customer expectations, and business conditions change, so leaders must be willing to adjust when the model no longer delivers results.
After all, the goal is balance. The strongest workplace models are those that strengthen performance, service, and organizational resilience while supporting employee well-being. Organizations that approach this thoughtfully, measure results carefully, and continue to adapt proactively will be in the best position to determine whether a four-day work week truly works for their business in the long term.
The views and opinions expressed in this column are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of USA TODAY.
