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The 4 Day Week: How the flexible work revolution can increase productivity, profitability and wellbeing, and help create a sustainable future
In The 4 Day Week, entrepreneur and business innovator Andrew Barnes makes the case for the four-day week as the answer to many of the ills of the 21st-century global economy.
Barnes conducted an experiment in his own business, the New Zealand trust company Perpetual Guardian, and asked his staff to design a four-day week that would permit them to meet their existing productivity requirements on the same salary but with a 20% cut in work hours. The outcomes of this trial, which no business leader had previously attempted on these terms, were stunning. People were happier and healthier, more engaged in their personal lives, and more focused and productive in the office.
The world of work has seen a dramatic shift in recent times: the former security and benefits associated with permanent employment are being displaced by the less stable gig economy. Barnes explains the dangers of a focus on flexibility at the expense of hard-won worker protections, and argues that with the four-day week, we can have the best of all
worlds: optimal productivity, work-life balance, worker benefits and, at long last, a solution to pervasive economic inequities such as the gender pay gap and lack of diversity in business and governance.
The 4 Day Week is a practical, how-to guide for business leaders and employees alike that is applicable to nearly every industry. Using qualitative and quantitative data from research gathered through the Perpetual Guardian trial and other sources by the University of Auckland and Auckland University of Technology, the book presents a step-by-step approach to preparing businesses for productivity-focused flexibility, from the necessary cultural conditions to the often complex legislative considerations.
The story of Perpetual Guardian's unprecedented work experiment has made headlines around the world and stormed social media, reaching a global audience over 4.5 billion. A mix of trenchant analysis, personal observation and actionable advice, The 4 Day Week is an essential guide for leaders and workers seeking to make a change for the better in
their work world.
256 pages, Paperback
Published January 7, 2020
18 people are currently reading
919 people want to read
About the author
Andrew Barnes
1 book7 followersAndrew is a self-made, down-to-earth, charismatic powerhouse. While he is rumoured to have spent a summer playing guitar for a pint in local pubs in his youth, his career has seen him hold positions with influence across the UK, Australia and New Zealand.
He served in the Royal Navy, earned an MA in archaeology at the University of Cambridge, is an Associate of the Chartered Institute of Bankers (UK) and attended Harvard Business School’s Program for Management Development.
He has made a career of market-changing growth and innovation in the United Kingdom, Australia and New Zealand. In the latter country he triggered a revolution of the entire fiduciary and legal services industries which led to his conception of the four-day week as a flexible work revolution. Andrew is a compelling and sought-after speaker to international audiences on the future of work and other topics.
His book The 4 Day Week: How the flexible work revolution can increase productivity, profitability and wellbeing and help create a sustainable future was published by Piatkus in the United States in January 2020 and in other English-speaking markets in February 2020.
He served in the Royal Navy, earned an MA in archaeology at the University of Cambridge, is an Associate of the Chartered Institute of Bankers (UK) and attended Harvard Business School’s Program for Management Development.
He has made a career of market-changing growth and innovation in the United Kingdom, Australia and New Zealand. In the latter country he triggered a revolution of the entire fiduciary and legal services industries which led to his conception of the four-day week as a flexible work revolution. Andrew is a compelling and sought-after speaker to international audiences on the future of work and other topics.
His book The 4 Day Week: How the flexible work revolution can increase productivity, profitability and wellbeing and help create a sustainable future was published by Piatkus in the United States in January 2020 and in other English-speaking markets in February 2020.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 38 reviews
June 14, 2022
Strengths:
This makes a reasonably persuasive case that a true four-day week (NOT a three-day weekend), meaning 100 percent of the pay for 80% of the hours and 100% of the deliverables, is generally better for all involved, i.e., leads to more efficient working hours, better quality work, and healthier happier people. This works only if the arrangement is structured from the bottom up, i.e., the workers themselves figure out how to change & commit to changing how they work so that they can accomplish 100% in 80% of the time [hence, this is not a 3-day weekend proposal], he says, and it works only if management is truly committed. It's clear to me that implementation would look very different in different sectors of the economy (and he leaves a lot of this thinking out) and that in some sectors (such as legal services, in which clients still mostly pay by the hour rather than the deliverable) this would require more fundamental changes that he does not address. His criticism of the gig economy is well taken, as well, but it didn't require so much repetition.
Weaknesses:
First, even though he had help writing the book, the writing is terrible. The book is weirdly structured, rambles in places, and is extremely repetitive.
Second, while it's important (necessary) for him to talk about the experiment at his company and its results, he was (personally) centered in a lot of the rest of the book -- too much so-- the reader doesn't really need to come away with the impression that this man is a hot commodity on this topic around the world. Indeed, his failure to really engage thoughtfully with implementation in sectors other than, essentially, his own and others like it, when framed with comments that it can be done, suggests the goal of the book was not just to persuade about the 4-day week but also, perhaps, to attract clients.
Third, and this is undoubtedly related, the book doesn't settle on an audience. At first it seemed he meant to write for a general audience (all who work, including gig workers), making the case for the 100-80-100 approach. But he makes the case for this approach from the perspective of management, mostly, and large chunks of the book seem written essentially to and for people who run companies of 300 to 1000 people who are mostly sitting at desks. It is their hurdles, considerations, and questions on which he focuses. (There is a nod to the labor side, but he wants to sell this to management.) A person who is self employed, a person who fully controls her hours and is responsible only for her deliverables, a person who works in the legal sector or another sector where time is the coin (therapists?), ... would start skimming or put the book down halfway through, because so little of what he says seems relevant.
But maybe the problem is that I wanted it to be a different book. I am persuaded about the 4-day week, but I think I'd already reached that conclusion after reading Cal Newport.
This makes a reasonably persuasive case that a true four-day week (NOT a three-day weekend), meaning 100 percent of the pay for 80% of the hours and 100% of the deliverables, is generally better for all involved, i.e., leads to more efficient working hours, better quality work, and healthier happier people. This works only if the arrangement is structured from the bottom up, i.e., the workers themselves figure out how to change & commit to changing how they work so that they can accomplish 100% in 80% of the time [hence, this is not a 3-day weekend proposal], he says, and it works only if management is truly committed. It's clear to me that implementation would look very different in different sectors of the economy (and he leaves a lot of this thinking out) and that in some sectors (such as legal services, in which clients still mostly pay by the hour rather than the deliverable) this would require more fundamental changes that he does not address. His criticism of the gig economy is well taken, as well, but it didn't require so much repetition.
Weaknesses:
First, even though he had help writing the book, the writing is terrible. The book is weirdly structured, rambles in places, and is extremely repetitive.
Second, while it's important (necessary) for him to talk about the experiment at his company and its results, he was (personally) centered in a lot of the rest of the book -- too much so-- the reader doesn't really need to come away with the impression that this man is a hot commodity on this topic around the world. Indeed, his failure to really engage thoughtfully with implementation in sectors other than, essentially, his own and others like it, when framed with comments that it can be done, suggests the goal of the book was not just to persuade about the 4-day week but also, perhaps, to attract clients.
Third, and this is undoubtedly related, the book doesn't settle on an audience. At first it seemed he meant to write for a general audience (all who work, including gig workers), making the case for the 100-80-100 approach. But he makes the case for this approach from the perspective of management, mostly, and large chunks of the book seem written essentially to and for people who run companies of 300 to 1000 people who are mostly sitting at desks. It is their hurdles, considerations, and questions on which he focuses. (There is a nod to the labor side, but he wants to sell this to management.) A person who is self employed, a person who fully controls her hours and is responsible only for her deliverables, a person who works in the legal sector or another sector where time is the coin (therapists?), ... would start skimming or put the book down halfway through, because so little of what he says seems relevant.
But maybe the problem is that I wanted it to be a different book. I am persuaded about the 4-day week, but I think I'd already reached that conclusion after reading Cal Newport.
July 19, 2020
Listened to the audiobook version. Great ideas, but found this a very long winded version of something that could have been quite accurately summarized into a white paper.
Read
July 29, 2024Read this book for work as we're exploring a 4 day work week. This was great information to have and I was surprised by the environmental arguments that Barnes makes--who knew that working less could reduce global emissions and help fight climate change?
March 11, 2020
Barnes reduced the working days per week in his company from 5 to 4. This motivated his employees to get rid of inefficiencies. The lives of most employees and some other people were improved by having more time off work.
So far, so good. I really liked how Barnes questions an existing standard and argues for companies' responsibility of creating a better world.
What I did not like is:
- Agile is misunderstood as a management fad with the goal of laying off workers.
- Keeping productivity level is a tenet of the described 4 day week. But Barnes gives no concrete way of measuring productivity other than having supervisors estimate it before and after the introduction of the 4 day week. This sounds too much like a self-fulfilling prophecy to me. Why would the supervisors say otherwise if they endanger their reduced work time? And how would you measure productivity in knowledge work at all?
- If you have so many inefficiencies in your company that you can reduce work capacity by 20% by eliminating them, you haven't done your job as a leader in the first place.
- Barnes argues at the same time for and against flexibility: it enables the 4 day week, but also creates pressure on workers to be always available.
- Why are exactly 32 hours work per week the optimum? I was expecting more information on this rather than just reducing it by one day.
- Barnes argues against open spaces. He is apparently ignorant of the value of continuous information flow in knowledge work teams in open office environments.
- Towards the end of the book, the discussion gets out of focus. It sounds like the 4 day week will save the world.
So far, so good. I really liked how Barnes questions an existing standard and argues for companies' responsibility of creating a better world.
What I did not like is:
- Agile is misunderstood as a management fad with the goal of laying off workers.
- Keeping productivity level is a tenet of the described 4 day week. But Barnes gives no concrete way of measuring productivity other than having supervisors estimate it before and after the introduction of the 4 day week. This sounds too much like a self-fulfilling prophecy to me. Why would the supervisors say otherwise if they endanger their reduced work time? And how would you measure productivity in knowledge work at all?
- If you have so many inefficiencies in your company that you can reduce work capacity by 20% by eliminating them, you haven't done your job as a leader in the first place.
- Barnes argues at the same time for and against flexibility: it enables the 4 day week, but also creates pressure on workers to be always available.
- Why are exactly 32 hours work per week the optimum? I was expecting more information on this rather than just reducing it by one day.
- Barnes argues against open spaces. He is apparently ignorant of the value of continuous information flow in knowledge work teams in open office environments.
- Towards the end of the book, the discussion gets out of focus. It sounds like the 4 day week will save the world.
March 29, 2022
We’re right in the middle of the Fourth Industrial Revolution. Technology has changed the way we work and the terms by which we’re employed. Driven by digital technology and the internet, we’ve seen the rise of the gig economy – which is characterized by temporary freelance jobs with flexible working hours and little in the way of benefits. Often this contract work is shaped by online communication rather than a worker being physically in an office. That means employees are constantly online and plugged into their latest assignments – they’re always at work.
Because of these changes, many switch jobs often, work too much and have few of the benefits of secure employment. They’re often overstressed and financially unstable. Simply put – the whole set-up is unsustainable.
Luckily, there’s an alternative approach – the four-day week. By offering the flexibility of the gig economy and secure, full-time pay, the four-day week could be the answer to many of the problems in the modern workplace. Read on to find out more about the future of work and how the four-day week can improve worker well-being and increase productivity and profitability.
The way we work today is unsustainable: too many of us are in precarious employment that leaves us overstressed and unable to make ends meet. The four-day week offers a realistic solution to this crisis by increasing productivity and offering workers security and flexibility. Vitally, the four-day week could help save the planet, too, by reducing the number of people traveling to work and cutting their emissions.
Because of these changes, many switch jobs often, work too much and have few of the benefits of secure employment. They’re often overstressed and financially unstable. Simply put – the whole set-up is unsustainable.
Luckily, there’s an alternative approach – the four-day week. By offering the flexibility of the gig economy and secure, full-time pay, the four-day week could be the answer to many of the problems in the modern workplace. Read on to find out more about the future of work and how the four-day week can improve worker well-being and increase productivity and profitability.
The way we work today is unsustainable: too many of us are in precarious employment that leaves us overstressed and unable to make ends meet. The four-day week offers a realistic solution to this crisis by increasing productivity and offering workers security and flexibility. Vitally, the four-day week could help save the planet, too, by reducing the number of people traveling to work and cutting their emissions.
August 29, 2020
This is a very informative book about the current realities and ailments of the workplace and a proposed tested solution!
So in contrast with monsters such as Elon Musk who perpetuate the myth that longer working hours lead to higher productivity and profitability, Andrew Barnes explain his own experiment of what he call 100-80-100 rule!
As a CEO of a financial company, Barnes implemented a new working model where employees get a 100% compensation, while working only 80% of the time and delivering 100% of their productivity. In another words get full benefit and deliver your full work productivity mandate but within a 4-day week.
The key to success as advocated by the author is to understand that this initiative is an increased productivity one with a desired by-product of a balanced work-life and well-being of employees.
I find the book an essential read for any business leader who has the guts to believe in an innovation and implement robustly aided by scientific use of data and change leadership capabilities.
So in contrast with monsters such as Elon Musk who perpetuate the myth that longer working hours lead to higher productivity and profitability, Andrew Barnes explain his own experiment of what he call 100-80-100 rule!
As a CEO of a financial company, Barnes implemented a new working model where employees get a 100% compensation, while working only 80% of the time and delivering 100% of their productivity. In another words get full benefit and deliver your full work productivity mandate but within a 4-day week.
The key to success as advocated by the author is to understand that this initiative is an increased productivity one with a desired by-product of a balanced work-life and well-being of employees.
I find the book an essential read for any business leader who has the guts to believe in an innovation and implement robustly aided by scientific use of data and change leadership capabilities.
April 5, 2021
Theoretically sounds good but not sure if the idea is practical.
March 20, 2020
Showing us how to increase productivity as well as increase wellness AND help the planet at the same time? Brilliant!
September 1, 2020
This book turned out to be 80% about how bad the gig economy is, how irresponsible most countries are for not having more pensions/social security programs, and how most companies don't empower or support their people. There was literally only one chapter on how to implement a 4-day work week. And what made it worse was that the social commentary wasn't thoughtful or balanced. It's a very European book, in that his examples and his politics are aggressively European. Finally, every topic was deemed all bad or all good. Every gig situation was terrible (when the truth is that it's a bell curve and we could have learned from the difference between good and bad set ups). Every pension program was wonderful (when the truth is some are working and some are broken).
What's most frustrating to me is that the 4-day week idea is actually a really good idea. (For the record, it's not even a 4-day week. It's a flexible schedule that could be a 4 day week or could be 5 days each ending early or something else.) He just couldn't get off his social rants long enough to write a book about the real topic.
What's most frustrating to me is that the 4-day week idea is actually a really good idea. (For the record, it's not even a 4-day week. It's a flexible schedule that could be a 4 day week or could be 5 days each ending early or something else.) He just couldn't get off his social rants long enough to write a book about the real topic.
May 11, 2023
Okay, so the actual concept of the 4-day workweek is great, and there are a lot of useful points and handy supporting evidence, and Barnes deserves all the credit for actually seeing it through at his own business and tying in the importance of the concept with broader issues of climate action and the gigification of the economy. 3 stars on those merits alone.
That said, good lord above, a lot of this book needed more editing; the information is certainly all here, and much of it is decently-presented, but a lot of it feels scattered and repetitive, and as an unfortunate side-effect of this, a fair amount feels unnecessary (ironically, I now realize it feels a bit like Barnes was trying to fit 120 pages of solid content into a 220-page book, so I guess some old habits die hard).
Editorial and structural quibbles aside, it's still a good read, and for anyone looking for a structural alternative to the current madness of the 5-day 40-hour workweek, I highly recommend it.
That said, good lord above, a lot of this book needed more editing; the information is certainly all here, and much of it is decently-presented, but a lot of it feels scattered and repetitive, and as an unfortunate side-effect of this, a fair amount feels unnecessary (ironically, I now realize it feels a bit like Barnes was trying to fit 120 pages of solid content into a 220-page book, so I guess some old habits die hard).
Editorial and structural quibbles aside, it's still a good read, and for anyone looking for a structural alternative to the current madness of the 5-day 40-hour workweek, I highly recommend it.
January 7, 2023
The topic is quite interesting and the evidence of the test performed at Perpetual Guardian gives hope the these types of solutions might be considered for broader application. Interesting the challenge made to the gig economy and especially the innaction with which the labour regulators have watched all over the world.
Regarding the assertiins about Agile, it seems they are based on a bad usage and justification of some measures at Spark and Voda NZ, and does not consider several benefits of said work methodology, especially considering that in most of the planet these are applied in companies working along “regular” labour legislations.
Finally, would be curious to understand Andrew’s views on implementing solutions like the 4-day week in cultures thar praise face time (asian and latin).
Regarding the assertiins about Agile, it seems they are based on a bad usage and justification of some measures at Spark and Voda NZ, and does not consider several benefits of said work methodology, especially considering that in most of the planet these are applied in companies working along “regular” labour legislations.
Finally, would be curious to understand Andrew’s views on implementing solutions like the 4-day week in cultures thar praise face time (asian and latin).
March 20, 2020
E-Learning and teaching remotely has taught me that a four day work week is plenty enough for me. I enjoy the challenge of distance facilitation, lesson design, and assessment. “The way we work today is unsustainable: too many of us are in precarious employment that leaves us overstressed and unable to make ends meet. The four-day week offers a realistic solution to this crisis by increasing productivity and offering workers security and flexibility. Vitally, the four-day week could help save the planet, too, by reducing the number of people traveling to work and cutting their emissions.”
July 20, 2021
Interesting but very repetitive.
I read this book after reading many news articles about Andrew Barnes' 4 day work week experiment. Turns out the news articles had already summarised the book well, because it is very repetitive. The same facts were repeated over and over again: staff had to deliver 100% of their work and get paid 100% of their normal pay in 80% of their usual time, staff had to at least maintain productivity, it was not a free day off without being productive during the 4 work days, etc. The book could have been a LOT more concise.
I read this book after reading many news articles about Andrew Barnes' 4 day work week experiment. Turns out the news articles had already summarised the book well, because it is very repetitive. The same facts were repeated over and over again: staff had to deliver 100% of their work and get paid 100% of their normal pay in 80% of their usual time, staff had to at least maintain productivity, it was not a free day off without being productive during the 4 work days, etc. The book could have been a LOT more concise.
November 28, 2021
The concept is great, but the author only dabbles in the subject and refrains from going deep into the what, why and the how of a four day workweek. Also seems like a political message has been planted to get the unscrupulous reader to think in a certain direction. Most readers will see through it though.
Yet, all said and done it's a compelling argument that if technological advances can help potentially reduce working hours, we should atleast attempt to give the workers of the world more flexibility.
Yet, all said and done it's a compelling argument that if technological advances can help potentially reduce working hours, we should atleast attempt to give the workers of the world more flexibility.
March 29, 2025
It's a beginners guide to the flexible working hour revolution. It is simple and yet covers the nuanced arguments from different perspective and the authors do not try to sell the idea just for the sake of it. Rather they emphasize that having a "4 day week" may not be a universal solution, but having a "flexible working hour" is a universal solution.
March 19, 2020
The Forrester is not for the 4 day week.Rather for its addressing the problem of the gig economy. The worried and concerned was very valid And it is something that we have to take a seriously and find a possible solution to it.
April 18, 2020
a really easily readable book. I was intrigued by this experiment when it was publicized and was interested in reading more detail about how it was done. I would have liked to know more about what their productivity targets were.
April 12, 2022
Good information, but repetitive. I liked the fact the author is arguing from both the perspective of labor and also businesses. A four day work week(not necessarily 3 day weekends) is beneficial for workers, management, and the planet.
March 28, 2020
Employment nowadays leaves workers with stress, but a four-day week offers a realistic solution by increasing productivity, security and flexibility. Hope the world can adopt this.
April 26, 2020
Thought provoking ideas. I don’t see a mad rush for implementation but it is definitely worth a try.
May 6, 2020
Not a new idea but great impulses. Not sure if it’s ever realized like that
October 26, 2020
Very interesting read. I like the concept. Written from an employers point of view but worth reading if you're an employee too. Something has to change - the way we are working now is miserable. The four-day week is one potential answer that has been tested and researched here in NZ. At the very least it's a great discussion starter!
November 27, 2020
Who knew this would be the year for 'workplace flexibility'.
Read
January 19, 2021Good read, needs more concrete examples. Not totally sold on the idea
February 16, 2021
I simply resd the blinks, and it seems enough. It doesn’t seem like a deep manuscript
Read
May 12, 2021Saw this book and honestly loved the idea of a four day work week so much that I ended up writing my thesis on this topic.
March 24, 2022
What a book! I'm not working 5 days anymore :)
April 5, 2022
Love the concept but the book itself was underwhelming. Some good ideas (e.g. around the dangers of the gig economy), but it felt poorly structured and ramble-y.
August 11, 2022
An eye opening read - I got abit lost with some of the words and language used to be honest. But I do enjoy the concepts discussed and the supporting evidence.
May 3, 2023
I felt that this book was to much political and repetitive. I would of like more practical exemples of the test the company did.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 38 reviews