Four day working week

[Dahnsouff]

Work had been almost unbearably fierce of late, many long days, starting at 6am finishing at 6pm or even later. If never seems enough. 

 

My balance is wrong I know, but I have always had a strong work ethic, and a pride in what I do. 

Software Development for what it's worth 

 

Has anyone moved to a four day week and has it helped them or just compressed the same work load into even less time? 

 

Recognise I am fortunate in that we paid our mortgage off last year, but with my wife being made redundant recently, I also don't want to leave us short. 

 

Just looking for personal  experiences in reducing their workloads and rebalancing their work life balance really. 

Some might feel my lack of posts is a good thing, but I need to return to my contrarian bent as soon as possible!! 

Edited 13 June 2025 by Dahnsouff

[Chelmofox]

12 minutes ago, Dahnsouff said:

Work had been almost unbearably fierce of late, many long days, starting at 6am finishing at 6pm or even later. If never seems enough. 

 

My balance is wrong I know, but I have always had a strong work ethic, and a pride in what I do. 

Software Development for what it's worth 

 

Has anyone moved to a four day week and has it helped them or just compressed the same work load into even less time? 

 

Recognise I am fortunate in that we paid our mortgage off last year, but with my wife being made redundant recently, I also don't want to leave us short. 

 

Just looking for personal  experiences in reducing their workloads and rebalancing their work life balance really. 

Some might feel my lack of posts is a good thing, but I need to return to my contrarian bent as soon as possible!! 

Same industry as me so i know your pain. A lot of it boils down to the sort of person you are. My current company was acquired by a bigger group, and part of that allowed me to relocate to the Midlands and plan out me spending less time on the 'baby' i had created, so to hand it over to the next generation of employees.

 

What's actually happened is GenAI has become this beast of an industry disruptor and i'm currently working harder than i have ever done. Our industry doesn't stand still, and as people interested in technology, driving outcomes and mapping out what our products are capable with all this new wizardry, some of us are simply wired to always needing to be involved.  I've just come back from a pretty brutal trip to New York, but some of the meetings i've had have been the best of my career. The brands and agencies we work with are embracing change at a rate i've never seen before. Like you, my work ethic is something thats always been there, and im the only income generator in our home and that just fuels that work ethic.

 

I nudge towards 50 and worry if by body / mind give up before my will does. Right now, i know if i dropped to 3/4 days a week I would just spend the 1/2 days not working doing something industry related anyway. I'm just not ready to do that, although i thought i was.

 

Not really answered you, but miss your posts  

[JonnyBoy]

depends what type of role i guess, we moved to a four day week about three years ago as a trial. It didn't work - my role is very reactive and constantly spinning plates etc so i just ended up working Fridays in the end. 

 

I think it could work if your type of role is proactive and things don't fall off a cliff if you take a day off 

[Trav Le Bleu]

49 minutes ago, Dahnsouff said:

Work had been almost unbearably fierce of late, many long days, starting at 6am finishing at 6pm or even later. If never seems enough. 

 

My balance is wrong I know, but I have always had a strong work ethic, and a pride in what I do. 

Software Development for what it's worth 

 

Has anyone moved to a four day week and has it helped them or just compressed the same work load into even less time? 

 

Recognise I am fortunate in that we paid our mortgage off last year, but with my wife being made redundant recently, I also don't want to leave us short. 

 

Just looking for personal  experiences in reducing their workloads and rebalancing their work life balance really. 

Some might feel my lack of posts is a good thing, but I need to return to my contrarian bent as soon as possible!! 

I work a four day week for the last 6 months (I job share with Nick Platnauer  (yes, the same!)) 

 

Have to say I love it. I actually only lost 3 hrs wages, which is worth it to me to get a whole day back. When you take lower tax and NI into account, it's not even that.

 

Also needed to be done as my very physical job was getting harder as I get older.

 

[Trav Le Bleu]

35 minutes ago, JonnyBoy said:

depends what type of role i guess, we moved to a four day week about three years ago as a trial. It didn't work - my role is very reactive and constantly spinning plates etc so i just ended up working Fridays in the end. 

 

I think it could work if your type of role is proactive and things don't fall off a cliff if you take a day off 

Oh, stuff is constantly falling off cliffs here

 

Fortunately, Plats is the kind of man to pick it all up!

 

Sometimes.

[Dahnsouff]

54 minutes ago, Chelmofox said:

….

 

Not really answered you, but miss your posts  

Fear not, by hook or by crook, will be back being an irritating contrarian soon enough!  

[Dahnsouff]

55 minutes ago, JonnyBoy said:

depends what type of role i guess, we moved to a four day week about three years ago as a trial. It didn't work - my role is very reactive and constantly spinning plates etc so i just ended up working Fridays in the end. 

 

I think it could work if your type of role is proactive and things don't fall off a cliff if you take a day off 

Managing an outsource team who share this strong work ethic, dealing with reactive problems.
 

Now also providing oversight on more internal teams, interviewing, training new starters.

 

Feeding into project teams.

 

Make me wonder how a 4 day week could even work.

 

 

[Dahnsouff]

25 minutes ago, Trav Le Bleu said:

I work a four day week for the last 6 months (I job share with Nick Platnauer  (yes, the same!)) 

 

Have to say I love it. I actually only lost 3 hrs wages, which is worth it to me to get a whole day back. When you take lower tax and NI into account, it's not even that.

 

Also needed to be done as my very physical job was getting harder as I get older.

 

You got Nicky P to keep you going!  

 

As I get older, and having MS I worry it will get to me before I see it coming.

 

Been here 25 years, wish they would put the old knacker out to pasture!

Edited 13 June 2025 by Dahnsouff

[Trav Le Bleu]

2 minutes ago, Dahnsouff said:

You got Nicky P to keep you going!  

 

As I get older, and having MS I worry it will get to me before I see it coming.

 

Been here 25 years, wish they would put the old knacker out to pasture!

Nicky P?

[Trav Le Bleu]

8 minutes ago, Dahnsouff said:

You got Nicky P to keep you going!  

 

As I get older, and having MS I worry it will get to me before I see it coming.

 

Been here 25 years, wish they would put the old knacker out to pasture!

He is actually retiring at the end of this year, so I suggested to him, as he is clearly the GOAT in our delivery office, we should get all the ex-posties back in for his final day.

[Guest Lako42]

1 hour ago, Chelmofox said:

Same industry as me so i know your pain. A lot of it boils down to the sort of person you are. My current company was acquired by a bigger group, and part of that allowed me to relocate to the Midlands and plan out me spending less time on the 'baby' i had created, so to hand it over to the next generation of employees.

 

What's actually happened is GenAI has become this beast of an industry disruptor and i'm currently working harder than i have ever done. Our industry doesn't stand still, and as people interested in technology, driving outcomes and mapping out what our products are capable with all this new wizardry, some of us are simply wired to always needing to be involved.  I've just come back from a pretty brutal trip to New York, but some of the meetings i've had have been the best of my career. The brands and agencies we work with are embracing change at a rate i've never seen before. Like you, my work ethic is something thats always been there, and im the only income generator in our home and that just fuels that work ethic.

 

I nudge towards 50 and worry if by body / mind give up before my will does. Right now, i know if i dropped to 3/4 days a week I would just spend the 1/2 days not working doing something industry related anyway. I'm just not ready to do that, although i thought i was.

 

Not really answered you, but miss your posts  

Part of me wishes I was this engaged with my work and another part of me laughs at that part of me. 

 

The part of me that currently has control is the part that couldn't really give a shit and wants as little time at work as possible. 

 

 

 

For once I'm not sure that the middle ground on this is actually the place to be. 

 

 

[Free Falling Foxes]

2 hours ago, Dahnsouff said:

Work had been almost unbearably fierce of late, many long days, starting at 6am finishing at 6pm or even later. If never seems enough. 

 

My balance is wrong I know, but I have always had a strong work ethic, and a pride in what I do. 

Software Development for what it's worth 

 

Has anyone moved to a four day week and has it helped them or just compressed the same work load into even less time? 

 

Recognise I am fortunate in that we paid our mortgage off last year, but with my wife being made redundant recently, I also don't want to leave us short. 

 

Just looking for personal  experiences in reducing their workloads and rebalancing their work life balance really. 

Some might feel my lack of posts is a good thing, but I need to return to my contrarian bent as soon as possible!! 

I always planned to reduce my working week in the 3 years upto retirement. I believed it was a good idea to gradually reduce from full time so as to acclimatise to no longer working. It worked a treat for me.

You may not be wishing to reduce for the same reasons but I have the T shirt as it were, so my experience may be of use.

I kept my full-time hours but compressed them into four days then, after a year, I reduced my hours to 4 days but compressed them into 3 working days. Crucially,  I felt, the days I did work were consecutive so none of this stop/starting throughout the week.

In essence, I had a 4 day weekend every week - it was fabulous and I was still getting 4 days pay.

My line was Social Work BTW.

Edited 13 June 2025 by Free Falling Foxes

[goose2010]

If you can afford it and your company let's you do then go for it. You're only on this planet for a short time and lot more to life than work

[FoxesDeb]

1 hour ago, goose2010 said:

If you can afford it and your company let's you do then go for it. You're only on this planet for a short time and lot more to life than work

This is pretty much what I was going to say. However invaluable we might feel in our work roles, we really aren't. If you have enough to be comfortable then be exactly that. Enjoy your life while you can, comfortably now, don't leave it until you're not able to enjoy it. 

[Steve_Guppy_Left_Foot]

I was a chef for years, 70 hour weeks were common place, then I had a daughter, went down to your normal 40 hour week, but with the added pressure of a child and all that comes with it it was still a lot for me, mental health issues compounded this and I’ve been on a 32 hour, 4 day week for a while now. It’s brilliant, even when I have a busy weekend I always have that one ‘me’ day every week (a Friday), where I can catch up on housework, do a

hobby, diy, sleep - whatever I want for at least half a day. The recharge it gives you and the mentality shift of always knowing it’s coming works miracles for me, if you can afford to do it, I couldn’t recommend it highly enough.

[Trav Le Bleu]

45 minutes ago, FoxesDeb said:

This is pretty much what I was going to say. However invaluable we might feel in our work roles, we really aren't. If you have enough to be comfortable then be exactly that. Enjoy your life while you can, comfortably now, don't leave it until you're not able to enjoy it. 

I think so many people spend years slogging their guts out chasing a dream that they only enjoy for a few years when they're old and decrepit, when they could've lived their whole life in enjoyable comfort.

[09bballer]

This is an interesting thread. I'm the wrong side of 50 but not old enough to retire yet. I believe I have also have a strong work ethic, less than 5 days sick in nearly 30 years. Also in quite a reactive job with lots of out of hours messages/calls/ problems and the job was getting to me a bit. 

I've decided to give my notice in and finish at end of August.   I've given up my season ticket and plan to move to a different part of the country and work a less stressful job. Brave or stupid, not entirely sure yet??!!!

[FoxesDeb]

17 minutes ago, 09bballer said:

This is an interesting thread. I'm the wrong side of 50 but not old enough to retire yet. I believe I have also have a strong work ethic, less than 5 days sick in nearly 30 years. Also in quite a reactive job with lots of out of hours messages/calls/ problems and the job was getting to me a bit. 

I've decided to give my notice in and finish at end of August.   I've given up my season ticket and plan to move to a different part of the country and work a less stressful job. Brave or stupid, not entirely sure yet??!!!

Brave, very brave! But I'm sure you won't look back  My husband and I did similar and we now wouldn't change it for anything 

[DB11]

I used to do 4 on - 4 off 12 hour shifts and absolutely loved it.

 

I now do Monday-Friday and it feels like I'm at work all the time! Fortunately, I love my job so that's not necessarily a bad thing but I do miss my old shift pattern and feeling like I had so much 'me' time in addition to time spent doing house work etc

[Samilktray]

Would prefer to work 0 days a week if I’m totally honest

[stretch1965]

I have looked at my retirement plan and can go in 5 years and be comfortable. I am considering going in 6 years and reducing my working week to 4 days from August. Boss has agreed this and even suggested I take Friday one week and Monday the next so every other weekend I get a run of 4 days off.

My doesn't work Fridays so I can play golf on the Mondays.

[ajthefox]

I'd really like to drop down to 4 days a week when I've managed to build a little more in the savings department, it just feels so much more balanced.

 

I'm an architect so our industry will never properly move to a 4 day week but a few people in my practice do work a 4 day week so the option is there.

[kenny]

22 minutes ago, ajthefox said:

I'd really like to drop down to 4 days a week when I've managed to build a little more in the savings department, it just feels so much more balanced.

 

I'm an architect so our industry will never properly move to a 4 day week but a few people in my practice do work a 4 day week so the option is there.

We are on 4.5 days and we have plans to head towards a 4 day week as a company in the future. 

 

I'm hoping AI will be the final nail that sees us over that line.

[Torquay Gunner]

I had always worked full time and then in my late fifties was re-employed back in the civil service on a 4 day week.  I chose to take Monday as my non working day and it significantly improved my energy levels and morale to have that long weekend to look forward to.  

[jonthefox]

I went to a four day week just after covid. Sure taking a 20% pay cut is never easy, but i can't put a value on the extra free time i have. In fact , my extra day off is probably the busiest day of the week. But this time for good reasons . Lifes too short to slave away.