How the 4-Day Week Benefits Women at Work

A shorter workweek may enable a better work-life balance for many women. A 6-month trial involving 33 companies across 6 countries found that men who worked a 4-day week reported spending 22% more time on childcare and 23% more time on housework.

Studies show that women worldwide shoulder an unfair share of these duties, carrying out 3 times as much unpaid domestic and care work as men. This is associated with a greater mental health burden and a negative impact on quality of life.

A 4-day week could help to reduce this burden and improve the work-life balance of women. It could also give them more time to pursue their own interests and goals.

A 4-day week does not necessarily benefit all women. Employed women have the most to gain, but for those who already work long shifts, it may not be possible to cram 5 days of work into 4. Additionally, giving up pay in return for shorter hours may not be feasible for everyone.

Experts also say that we should not overlook other support for working women, such as subsidized childcare. Gender parity is critical for financial stability and economic performance, but the global gender gap has closed only by 0.3 percentage points since last year. At the current rate of progress, it will take 131 years to close the overall gender gap.