10 Countries Implementing 4-Day Work Week, Including Australia and South Korea

TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - There has been a perpetual debate that shorter working hours in a week bring healthier lifestyle to employees, advancing more time to do other activities after work. Some countries take this aspiration to enforce labor laws that grant employees work-life balance.

Citing from various sources, this article discusses a list of 10 countries that have a 4-day work week with South Korea coming as the newest contender.

List of Countries with 4-Day Work Week:

1. Belgium

The Belgian government introduced a new labor policy in regards to the 4-day work week policy in early 2022. Employees have the full authority to choose whether to work for 4 days a week or stick with the customary working hours.

Despite the 4-day work week law, Belgian employees need to perform the same working hours. Therefore, workers are expected to condense days working hours and work longer than usual.

2. UK

Citing from the Euro News, 61 UK companies and over 3,300 employees took part in a trial run by researchers at Cambridge and Oxford Universities, Boston College, 4 Day Week Global as well as other advocacy groups such as UK Campaign and the UK think tank Autonomy.

The participants took part in a six months pilot programme which aimed to study the impact of shorter working hours. Business productivity, workers’ well-being, environment issues as well as gender equality are the assessments examined in the experiment.

The program was dubbed extremely successful with a large majority of the companies involved in the trial deciding to keep the 4-day work week policy.

3. South Korea

The discussion of labor reform legislation which involves a 4-day work week policy in South Korea is set to begin in the near future according to The Korea Time. The Presidential Economic, Social and Labor Council has devised a committee on work-life balance to further the discussion.

The issue to improve work-life balance by reducing working hours and increasing flexibility to the workweek is one of the main concerns explored in the meetings.

4. Iceland

Iceland is one of the first countries pioneering the 4-day work week with the pilot of a 35-36 hour workweek programme that took place between 2015 to 2019. According to the Euro news, 2,500 people were involved in the research. 

The result was analyzed by British think tank Autonomy and the Icelandic non-profit Association for Sustainability and Democracy (ALDA) which led to a negotiation for a depletion in working hours.

5. Japan

Since 2021, the Japanese government has been actively exploring ways to reduce working hours, reflecting a broader effort to reform the country's work culture. The Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare recently promoted “Hatariakikata Kaikaku” campaign to aim more small and medium sized enterprises in adopting shorter work hours, introducing flexible working arrangements, capping overtime, and guaranteeing paid annual leave.

The Ministry offers free consulting to ensure the growth in the campaign, resulting in more companies to be involved in the initiative.

6. Spain

Spain is one of the countries that has started a trial phase for a 4 day work week arrangement in 2022 with only permanent full-time workers having the permission to take part into the pilot programme.

Citing from Reuters, the 4-day work week policy improved Spanish workers’ overall health. It has also shown the depletion of fuel emissions.

7. Scotland

The Scottish government started a 4-day work week trial for civil servants in late January 2024 with nearly 140 public servants working at South of Scotland Enterprise involved. While some Scottish companies have started earlier than the government.

8. Portugal

Portugal follows suit as one of the countries trialing a 4-day work week policy in partnership with an advocacy group called 4 Day Week Global in June 2023. About 39 private companies are involved in the trial.

9. Denmark

Denmark has the second shortest average work week in the world with only 33 hours long according to an OECD report. Despite the arrangement, Denmark hasn’t officially adopted a 4-day work week.

10. Australia

Australia was involved in a pilot program for a 4-day work week demonstrated by 4 Day Week Global in August 2022. The six-month trial consisted of 20 companies from finance to fashion. These companies gave an overall rating to be 8.2/10 for the pilot programme.

Editor's Choice: The Future of Work: the Four-day Week Looks Here to Stay

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