Because it works. For people. For productivity. For culture.
When 4DWW gained momentum in 2021–2022, it didn’t feel like a trend to us. It felt like an opportunity. Post-lockdown, there was a rush to get “back to normal”. But normal had shifted. We had a choice. Revert to habit, or design something better.
We chose to design.
This wasn’t a leap of faith. We set baselines. We analysed where our time actually went. We consulted properly. We modelled rotas across six months. We stress-tested service continuity before making any move.
Only when the data stood up did we transition from 37.5 hours to 32.
At You Consultancy we operate across Public Sector, Not-for-Profit and SME markets. We run a five-day service with on-call cover where needed. Delivery is not optional. The public purse is not theoretical.
Not one complaint. Not one dip in quality.
The UK’s largest 4DWW pilot found:
That is not ideology. That is evidence. Full findings are available via the 4 Day Week Foundation. And on top of that Henley Business School also reported estimated economic savings of £104bn, that’s approximately 2.2% of the UK’s annual turnover.
Is it right for every organisation? No. But the automatic “it won’t work here” response? That deserves more scrutiny as we prefer data to assumption.
4DWW does not work because you cut a day. It works because you redesign the work.
It is not easier, it is more disciplined.
Where implemented properly, we’ve seen:
In stretched environments, particularly public-facing services, that’s not radical. It’s a responsible way to work in a forever changing landscape.
Between us, we bring over seven decades of public service experience. We understand scrutiny. We understand accountability. We understand impact.
Over 17 years of consultancy work, including national-scale transformation in the public sector, we have built our reputation on delivery. If implementing 4DWW had compromised that, our clients would have told us. But they didn’t.
In May 2023, we became a Gold-accredited 4DWW employer. Since then, we’ve supported others to explore the model in ways that fit their context. Because one size does not fit all.
On a personal level, the shift changed how we work. A genuine day to reset sharpens the other four. Focus improves. Energy improves. Intent improves.
Think about a bank holiday weekend. People often push harder to finish strong before Friday. That’s the structural shift 4DWW creates when done well.
It’s not about working less. It’s about working better.
We were recently invited to contribute to the national discussion on BBC Politics South and BBC Radio Oxford.
Debate is healthy. Dismissing the concept without evidence is not.
With flexible working now a Day 1 right, organisations should be ready to explain their position with evidence, whichever side they land on if a 4DWW proposal is put forward.
If you’ve ruled 4DWW out without testing it, stop. Explore it. Pilot it. Measure it. Engage properly. Then decide. You might find that productivity and people don’t have to compete.
If you’d like to explore what a structured 4DWW roadmap could look like in your organisation, please email alice@hr-od.co.uk. Or you can download our free, handy guide on the key steps you need to take to move to a 4DWW.
