4-Day Workweek Calculator
4-Day Workweek Calculator
Compare a four-day week against your current five-day schedule. See the effect on hours, hourly rate, yearly pay and time off — with or without a pay cut.
The four-day week is more than a compressed schedule
A 4/10 pattern and a four-day workweek get confused all the time. They are not the same. A 4/10 keeps the 40-hour total and just shifts it. A modern four-day week usually cuts the total: four days of eight hours, so 32 paid hours a week. Sometimes it is 36. The point is not to squeeze the same hours into fewer days but to reduce the hours themselves and still get the work done.
This calculator lets you test any version of it. Adjust the hours per day, the number of days, and whether your pay stays the same. The results update as you type.
Setting it up
- Pick a model preset, or build your own with the hours and days fields.
- Fill in your current baseline: hours per day, days per week and hourly rate.
- Set the four-day week's hours per day and tick which days you will work.
- Leave "keep the same weekly pay" on if your employer is testing the 100-80-100 model.
- Turn it off if your pay will be reduced to match fewer hours.
What the results show
- Side-by-side comparison of your 5-day and 4-day weeks
- Weekly, monthly and yearly gross pay for each option
- Effective hourly rate for both, so you see the real gain or loss
- Extra days off you gain per year
- Extra commute trips you avoid per year
- Total hours saved across the year
- A clear note on whether pay rises, stays flat or falls
Who is running four-day weeks
- Software and design companies that moved to 32-hour weeks
- Marketing agencies trialling 100-80-100 with no pay cut
- Charities and public bodies on 35-hour or 36-hour weeks
- Small businesses looking for staff-retention wins
- Parents who want a weekday at home without taking leave
- Anyone who wants to compress their life around fewer working days
Why the numbers matter before you sign up
Two things decide whether a four-day week works for you. The first is hours. A 32-hour week is 20% less time than a 40-hour one — that is around 416 hours less per year. A 36-hour week trims 208 hours. The second is pay. If the pay stays flat while hours fall, your effective hourly rate rises. On a 32-hour week, staying at the same weekly wage is like getting a 25% raise per hour. On 36 hours, it is about 11%.
If the pay falls, though, the maths runs the other way. A cut to 80% of your old wage means you earn less per year for less work. That can still be a good deal if the trade is right — a full extra day off every week has real value — but it is worth seeing the exact number before you agree to anything.
Hours also affect how much you can realistically produce. Most four-day week trials report that output holds steady or improves, but only when meetings shrink, tools improve, and low-value tasks get cut. Just subtracting a day without changing how the week runs rarely works.
Closing thoughts
Run your own numbers. Try 32 hours with the same pay, then flip the same-pay toggle off to see the gap. Try 36 hours. Adjust the days if you want Wednesdays off instead of Fridays. The calculator keeps up.
Whatever pattern you end up choosing, the important thing is that you know exactly what you are trading — hours, days, rate and total yearly income — before you say yes.
Common questions
Is a four-day week the same as a 4/10 schedule?
No. A 4/10 keeps the 40-hour total and stretches it across four longer days. A modern four-day week usually reduces the total to 32 or 36 hours. Both give you an extra day off, but the first keeps your workload the same while the second reduces it.
What does 100-80-100 mean?
It is shorthand for the most common four-day week model: 100% of the pay, 80% of the time, 100% of the output. The idea is that shorter weeks force better focus, fewer meetings and less wasted time, so output is not reduced even though hours are.
Does the pay stay the same in real trials?
In most published trials, yes. Companies that switched to a four-day week with the same pay reported stable or improved productivity, lower staff turnover and better well-being. The results are not universal, and the model tends to work best in knowledge-work roles.
How much does my hourly rate change on 32 hours?
If your weekly pay stays the same and hours drop from 40 to 32, your effective hourly rate rises by 25%. That is 40 divided by 32, minus one. On 36 hours, the rise is about 11%.
What if my employer cuts my pay to match fewer hours?
Then you earn less per year overall. Total pay falls by the same percentage as your hours. A 40-to-32 cut reduces gross pay by 20%. The calculator shows the exact amount when you turn the same-pay toggle off.
How many extra days off do I get per year?
Four extra working days off per month, roughly 52 per year if you switch from five days to four. The exact number depends on holidays and your leave policy.
Does a four-day week mean longer days?
Only in the compressed 40-hour version. In the 32-hour or 36-hour model, days stay the same length — you just work one fewer of them.
Can I use this to plan a four-day week for a team?
Yes. Enter a typical team member's hours and rate. Run the numbers for 32, 36 and 40 hours. The comparison table gives you the yearly cost impact for one person, which you can multiply by headcount.