The four-day week attracts headlines, but in practice it is an operational design project. It is not just about 'working less': it is about deciding how to maintain service, how to avoid work intensification, and how to measure results. A well-designed pilot provides learning, even if it is not adopted on a large scale.
1) Define the objective: wellbeing, retention, productivity, or coverage
A pilot without an objective is marketing. Define what you want to improve and how you will measure it: turnover, absenteeism, satisfaction, response times, sales, quality. Without metrics, everything will be opinion.
Example: a support team defines its objective as reducing turnover while maintaining SLAs. They measure team satisfaction and response times before and during the pilot.
2) Choose the model: compressed, reduced, or hybrid
There are several options: 4x10 (compressed), 4x8 (reduced), or mixed models by group. The choice depends on coverage and demand. In shift operations, it may involve redesigning rotations.
Example: in a 24/7 operation, perhaps 'everyone 4 days' is not viable, but rotations that give more rest periods and reduce consecutive nights are.
3) Coverage first: simulate scenarios with data
Before starting, simulate: coverage hours needed, available hours, impact on peaks. If you do not simulate, the pilot will be sustained by overtime and will fail by design.
Example: if the peak time slot requires 6 people and the new model leaves 4 available, you need reinforcements or a redesign, not just goodwill.
4) Avoid intensification: protect breaks and workload
The typical risk is working the same amount in fewer days without adjusting processes. That increases stress. A serious pilot includes process improvements: eliminating low-value tasks, automating, and prioritising.
Example: reducing meetings, standardising handovers, and automating approvals frees up real time and prevents 'rushing to get everything done'.
5) Win-win: learning and evidence-based decisions
For the company, a pilot provides data for decisions, not opinions. For the worker, it may provide rest and a sense of progress on work-life balance.
The win-win is not promising a four-day week for ever; it is testing responsibly and deciding with evidence.