4-Day Work Week Pay Cut Calculator
Considering a 4-day work week? Calculate how the typical 80% schedule + 80% pay (or 100% pay) changes your effective hourly rate, take-home, and the value of the extra day off.
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The 4-day work week is one of the most-discussed modern work arrangements. The math depends entirely on which version: (1) compressed 40-hour week, (2) reduced 32-hour week at full pay, (3) reduced 32-hour week at 80% pay, or (4) negotiated 32-hour week at 90% pay. Each produces very different effective hourly rates and lifestyle outcomes.
Four Common 4-Day Models
100% pay / compressed: 40 hours in 4 days (10-hour days). Same pay, harder days. 100% pay / 32 hours: rare; reserved for individual contributors who can document equal output in less time. 80% pay / 80% schedule: most common voluntary scenario. 90% pay / 80% schedule: negotiated for high performers retaining institutional knowledge.
Opportunity Cost of the Extra Day
If you take 80% pay for 80% schedule, you've effectively bought back one day per week at your current hourly rate. Whether that's worth it depends on what you do with the day: childcare ($50–$150/day saved), side income ($300+/day if you have a marketable skill), education, mental health recovery.
Real-World Results
The 4 Day Week Global 2022–2024 pilots (61 UK companies) reported: 92% extended the trial, productivity stable or higher, employee well-being improved, revenue grew 1.4% on average during trial period. Microsoft Japan's 2019 trial: productivity +40% on 4-day, although limited duration.
Last updated May 2026. Sources: 4 Day Week Global, BLS Working Time Statistics.