The four-day workweek is gaining traction worldwide, with companies reporting happier employees and increased productivity. But while tech and administrative roles see clear benefits, industries requiring continuous collaboration face roadblocks.

Global experiments highlight both promise and complexity. In the UK, a 2022 trial involving 70 companies led 86 percent to adopt the four-day model permanently. Microsoft Japan’s 2019 pilot increased productivity by 40 percent while reducing operational costs. Despite these successes, the model is far from a one-size-fits-all solution.

Creative industries like marketing and advertising present unique challenges. Agencies such as MOBILISE, which serve clients across time zones, find the model impractical. Their work relies on real-time collaboration, brainstorming, and meeting tight deadlines — all difficult to compress into fewer days. Instead, MOBILISE prioritizes flexibility through objective-based workloads and additional paid leave for personal milestones.

Industries with rigid demands, like healthcare, retail, and legal services, also face obstacles. In professions where physical presence and billable hours are central, the four-day structure requires significant operational changes that many larger firms resist. Smaller, agile companies have more freedom to experiment but still rely on trust and clear outcomes to make it work.

The broader shift is less about compressing the workweek and more about giving employees control over their time. Flexibility and autonomy drive job satisfaction as much as shorter hours. For businesses, the challenge is balancing operational needs with evolving employee expectations.

The four-day workweek reflects a changing attitude toward work itself. Success lies in tailoring approaches to specific industries while fostering trust and adaptability — rather than rigidly adhering to a fixed schedule.

Read more: Business manager