Several countries have now tested a four-day working week.
In most , staff worked eighty percent of their old hours for the same pay.
Employers agreed on one condition: had to stay the same.
The results were surprisingly consistent across .
Most firms reported stable and fewer .
fell in almost every trial.
The gains came mainly from cutting meetings and interruptions, not from working faster.
Not every job fits the model, however.
Hospitals, shops and factories cannot simply close a fifth of the week.
In those a shorter week means hiring more staff, which raises costs.
Critics also note that most ran for six months with motivated volunteers.
A permanent shift would need tougher from ordinary firms.
Even so, few companies that tested the model have gone back.