What is a 4/10 work schedule?
A 4/10 schedule is a type of compressed work schedule. You can vary how you implement a 4/10 schedule to suit your business and employee needs, but the most common model is scheduling employees to work four 10-hour shifts with three days off. Therefore, employees work 40 hours per week in longer shifts to allow them more days away from work.
Many companies using 4/10 schedules contract their employees to work Monday through Thursday with Friday through Sunday off, allowing workers to enjoy a long weekend. However, you can still implement this schedule if you need employees to work over the weekend or on Fridays. For example, you could schedule days off on other weekdays or rotate long weekends to maintain consistent weekly staffing levels.
4/10 schedules offer benefits for both employees and employers, but they’re not suitable for every business. Considering your company’s unique needs and weighing up the potential advantages against possible drawbacks can help you decide if a compressed working week is right for your business.
What are the benefits of a 4/10 schedule for employees?
A 4/10 schedule may suit some employees because it can support a better work/life balance. Some workers find having more full days off allows them to decompress and enjoy more time with their families or pursue hobbies.
Working parents may also find this working pattern beneficial because having one or more weekdays off can make attending school meetings and events easier. In particular, compressed working hours could help improve gender equality by supporting primary caregivers to balance their care and work responsibilities.
Another potential advantage of a 4/10 schedule for employees is that it can minimize commuting time. If your employees live a long way from the office, switching to a 4/10 working pattern reduces their time traveling to and from work.
Some promising research suggests that a 4/10 schedule can benefit employees. A recent study by Brigham Young University examined the effects of a four-day working week on employees in Spanish Fork City, Utah. Many of the study’s participants reported the following benefits:
- Reduced work-family conflict
- Improved job satisfaction
- Reduced tiredness
- Increased capacity to enjoy personal pursuits and time with family
What are the benefits of a 4/10 schedule for employers?
The Spanish Fork City study clearly demonstrates the potential advantages of a 4/10 schedule for employees, but it also shows how supporting a better work-life balance can benefit employers.
Other research demonstrates that work-home conflict can increase the risk of burnout and reduce workplace productivity. Interestingly, over 60% of the Spanish Fork City study reported improved productivity on a 4/10 schedule.
Other potential benefits of a 4/10 schedule for employers may include the following.
Improved attendance
Employee absence can cause significant challenges for business owners and managers. Fortunately, some evidence suggests that offering your employees more time away from work could reduce the amount of sick and voluntary leave they take.
A 1999 meta-analysis of the impact of flexible working arrangements on employee absence concluded that increased time off could reduce stress by allowing employees to respond to non-work issues more easily. Furthermore, it found that reduced stress and improved job satisfaction can help motivate employees to attend work.
Depending on your organizational needs, it could also be worth considering offering flexibility on which days your employees work. The analysis found that flexibility allowed employees to manage sickness and family commitments around their work much more effectively, sometimes leading to dramatic reductions in employee absence.
Increased retention
Employee retention is a top priority for many business owners because it can significantly reduce the time and resources spent on recruiting and training new workers. Offering compressed schedules or flexible working patterns could make it easier for you to retain experienced employees.
One of the most encouraging findings of the Spanish Fork City study was the impact of a 4/10 schedule on retention. Researchers discovered that participants working four 10-hour shifts had a more positive view of their compensation and benefits packages than those on traditional shift patterns. Furthermore, people on a 4/10 schedule said they were less likely to search for alternative employment in the next year than their counterparts.
Easier recruitment
Recruiting the best talent is essential for ensuring the growth of your business. Offering compressed or flexible work schedules could give you the edge over your competitors by offering in-demand workers a better work-life balance. Furthermore, it could provide an alternative to increasing salaries for small businesses and start-ups with relatively low wage budgets.
Improved customer experience
Higher productivity and performance could significantly improve your customers’ experiences and enhance your reputation in your industry. For example, 60% of the city employees surveyed as part of the BYU research reported that working a 4/10 schedule improved citizen access to essential services.
What are the disadvantages of implementing 4/10 schedules?
While there are clear advantages to implementing a 4/10 schedule in some workplaces, it won’t be the silver bullet for increased productivity, retention and employee satisfaction in every business. Switching to a 4/10 work schedule in the wrong setting could pose significant challenges to some companies.
Employee burnout and decreased well-being
It’s unclear whether working a four-day week increases or decreases the risk of employee burnout. The data is mixed — some workplaces report that a 4/10 schedule helps protect employees against burnout. Meanwhile, a 2021 New Zealand study discovered that workplaces with four-day working weeks put more pressure on their staff to perform, potentially leading to increasingly frazzled employees.
This finding doesn’t necessarily mean that 4/10 schedules have to equal increased stress, as employees still spend the same number of hours in the workplace. However, some evidence suggests that long work days could increase the risk of developing serious health conditions like heart disease and diabetes.
You may also find that some employees simply prefer a traditional 5-day schedule. Therefore, it could be worth consulting with your workforce beforehand and implementing a compressed schedule on a trial basis. Being open to feedback from your workers can help you identify sticking points with your new schedule and devise ways to overcome issues affecting employee well-being.
Scheduling issues
Depending on your industry, a 4/10 working week can create significant scheduling headaches — especially if your clients or service users typically work a 5-day schedule. A compressed working week could be more of a hindrance than a help if your clients can’t contact your team during regular working hours.
Another factor to consider is whether you need to ensure consistent staffing levels throughout the week. A 4/10 schedule can make it harder to ensure adequate cover, particularly on weekends, and could disrupt well-established workflows.
Is a 4/10 schedule right for your business?
Whether a 4/10 schedule works for your business depends on your industry, your employees’ needs and preferences and your business model. A compressed work week could be a good option if your employees are on board and you can redesign workflows and schedules to suit your workers’ new shift patterns.
However, it’s also essential to consider your clients’ needs and experiences. If a 4/10 schedule makes your business inaccessible to your customers or causes inconvenience or frustration, it may not be the right option for your company.
Finally, research daily overtime laws in your area. If your jurisdiction requires overtime pay over 8 hours, implementing a 4/10 shift pattern could be an unaffordable option.
FAQs about 4/10 schedules
What is the difference between a 4/10 schedule and a 9/80 schedule?
A 9/80 schedule is an alternative compressed shift pattern. Employees on a 9/80 schedule work 80 hours over nine working days every two weeks instead of spreading their hours over 10 days. Therefore, employees on a 4/10 schedule get two extra days off per fortnight, while workers on a 9/80 schedule get one more.
Are four 10-hour shifts more productive than five 8-hour shifts?
Employees on a 4/10 schedule work the same number of hours as those on a traditional five-day schedule working eight hours per day. There’s some evidence that compressed schedules, such as the 4/10 pattern, improve employee productivity. However, whether this applies to your workplace depends on your industry and your employees’ needs and preferences.
What are the healthiest working hours?
Unsurprisingly, research shows that working fewer hours overall is better for physical and mental health. On the other hand, working part-time isn’t always practical for employees and can create logistical issues for employers.
Research from the World Health Organization (WHO) shows that working more than 55 hours per week significantly increases the risk of serious illness. Therefore, compressed working patterns like the 4/10 schedule can be healthy, providing employers provide adequate time off.
