Countries Are Shortening the Workweek: What Are the Prospects for Ukraine?

Meanwhile, on June 30, Poland launched a nationwide pilot of a shortened workweek: employees at participating companies will work four days instead of five, with no reduction in pay. In Dubai (UAE), as of July 1, government employees once again switched to a four-day workweek for the summer months. More and more countries are testing new formats of work — we explain why this is becoming a trend and how it works.

Where did the idea of working less come from?

Today, the standard workweek is 40 hours, consisting of five days of eight-hour shifts. This model has been around for over a century.

As early as the early 20th century, some industrialists began arguing that well-managed time is key to productivity. In the U.S., the idea was adopted by the owner of Kellogg’s, who, during the Great Depression, introduced six-hour shifts instead of the usual eight-hour shifts. This allowed more people to be hired and helped reduce unemployment. Productivity remained stable, and employees were happier. The idea initially gained traction, but during World War II, patriotic fervor and economic demands led to a decline in momentum. After the war, public attitudes shifted — more work meant more pay. Work-life balance gradually faded from priority.

The idea of shortening the workweek resurfaced in 2019, when the four-day model was publicly discussed at the World Economic Forum in Davos. Psychologist Adam Grant and historian Rutger Bregman proposed: if people can perform tasks more efficiently, why not give them more free time? Thus, experiments with shorter working hours got a second chance.

Despite the now-standard 40-hour model, the length of the workweek varies significantly around the world — shorter in some countries, and in others reaching nearly 50 hours. The general trend is this: the more developed and prosperous a country is, the shorter its workweek tends to be. In parts of Asia, Africa, and South America, workers often put in longer hours, while in advanced economies (primarily in Europe), weekly workloads are generally lighter, partly due to the prevalence of flexible employment formats. In addition to economic factors, the workweek length is shaped by cultural norms, religion, automation levels, and labor laws.

A 4-day workweek can take different forms:

• Shorter hours — employees work fewer total hours (typically 32–35 per week) but still receive full pay.
• Compressed schedule — the usual 40 hours are packed into four longer days (e.g., 10 hours each). It feels like an extra day off, but the workload remains unchanged.
• Early-out Fridays — another popular model: Friday becomes a shorter day (for example, 4 hours), though not a full day off.

So far, these are mostly localized experiments in individual countries rather than nationwide practices. Within such pilot projects, companies are generally free to choose the model that best suits their team and workflows.

Belgium was the first European country to permit a four-day workweek legally. In 2022, under a labor agreement, employees were given the right to compress a standard 40-hour week into four working days without any loss of pay. The reform also established a “right to disconnect”, allowing workers to ignore work-related messages outside of office hours legally. However, this rule applies only to companies with 20 or more employees.

Iceland, meanwhile, did not amend its labor laws but became one of the first countries to implement a shorter workweek on a broad scale. Following successful pilot programs between 2015 and 2019, trade unions negotiated new collective agreements with employers. As a result, around 86% of Icelandic workers gained the right to work fewer hours (typically 35 to 36 per week) without any reduction in pay.

So far, the data suggests the experiment is working:

• Employees get the same amount of work done in less time. A study in Iceland involving 2,500 workers who shifted from a 40-hour to a 35–36-hour workweek showed that productivity remained stable, and in some cases, even increased.
• Workers experience less burnout, take fewer sick days, and report higher life satisfaction.
• Companies optimize their budgets. A survey of British companies found that 66% of those that adopted a four-day week were able to reduce costs on electricity, office cleaning, or even prolong the lifespan of equipment. Another 68% said the change made it easier to attract new talent. Some employees even said they would not go back to a five-day workweek, even for higher pay.

What are the risks?

8% of companies in the UK that piloted a four-day workweek decided to abandon it. This model is not a fit for everyone, and here is why:

• Some companies face excessive workloads on working days. For example, the engineering supplies company Allcap ran a pilot and found that managers had to take on routine tasks when employees were off, leaving less time for strategic work. Without optimizing workflows, fewer hours will not necessarily lead to better results.
• Specific industries cannot simply “switch off” for a day. Sectors like healthcare or logistics require continuous staffing. That means companies may need to hire additional employees to maintain the same level of customer service.
• In some sectors, productivity cannot just be increased through intensity. A truck driver, for instance, cannot cover the same distance in four days that they would in five, at least not while following road safety and rest regulations.
• Transitioning also comes with costs. To restructure schedules, roles, and processes, companies have to invest both time and money.

What are the prospects for introducing a four-day wrkweek in Ukraine?

While some Ukrainian ІТ companies are experimenting with four-day workweeks—especially during the summer months—introducing such a model at the national level currently appears unrealistic. Due to the war, most businesses are operating in an intensified mode and cannot afford to reduce working hours. Under martial law, legislation permits the workweek to be extended to 60 hours, and public holidays are considered regular working days.

A similar situation occurred during World War II, when working hours rose to 10–16 per day and vacations were postponed until after the fighting ended. Just as today, the priority was to put all efforts toward victory.