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The traditional five-day, 40-hour workweek has dominated American work culture for nearly a century. However, a growing movement is challenging this standard, with companies worldwide experimenting with four-day workweeks. Coworking spaces offer the flexibility and infrastructure that make compressed workweeks not only possible, but also potentially successful for many organizations.
The Four-Day Workweek: Evidence-Based Benefits
The four-day workweek isn’t merely a pandemic-era experiment but a workplace model with substantial research behind it. Studies consistently show that when implemented thoughtfully, compressed workweeks can increase productivity, improve employee well-being, and reduce environmental impact.
A landmark study by Microsoft Japan found that productivity jumped 40% when they implemented a four-day workweek trial in 2019 (Anchor, 2019). More recently, a large-scale trial in the UK involving 61 companies and nearly 3,000 workers found that 92% of participating organizations decided to continue with the four-day model after the trial period (4 Day Week Global, 2023).
The UK trial, coordinated by 4 Day Week Global, reported remarkable outcomes:
- 39% reduction in employee stress
- 71% reduction in burnout
- 65% reduction in sick days
- 57% decrease in staff turnover
These results suggest that the four-day model offers tangible benefits for both employers and employees.
How Coworking Spaces Enable Compressed Workweeks
Coworking spaces (like Coco) provide several key elements that make the four-day workweek more feasible:
1. Optimized Workspace Utilization
Traditional offices often sit empty on days when employees aren’t present, resulting in financial waste. According to a 2022 JLL report, the average office utilization rate in the U.S. is only 55%, indicating that companies are paying for space that remains empty nearly half the time. Coworking memberships allow companies to pay only for the space they actually use, making it economically viable to reduce office days.
2. Infrastructure for Hybrid Collaboration
The four-day model often involves staggered schedules, with different team members working different four-day combinations. Research from the Harvard Business Review (2022) indicates that 81% of companies implementing compressed workweeks also adopt some form of staggered scheduling. Coworking spaces typically provide the technology and meeting spaces needed for seamless collaboration across these varied schedules.
3. Work-Life Separation and Productivity
One challenge of compressed workweeks is the potential for longer, more intense workdays. A study in the Journal of Applied Psychology (Baltes et al., 2019) found that having a dedicated workspace outside the home helps employees maintain boundaries and focus during compressed work schedules.
The Twin Cities Context: Workplace Innovation
The Twin Cities have several factors that make it conducive to workplace innovations like the four-day workweek:
- Strong labor market: Minneapolis-St. Paul has one of the lowest unemployment rates in the nation at 2.8% as of 2023 (Bureau of Labor Statistics), creating incentives for employers to offer attractive work arrangements.
- Education and innovation: The Twin Cities ranks 8th nationally for concentration of workers in STEM fields (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, 2022), a sector often at the forefront of workplace innovation.
- Commute considerations: With average commute times of 25.3 minutes in Minneapolis-St. Paul (U.S. Census Bureau, 2019), eliminating one day of commuting saves employees nearly an hour each week and reduces carbon emissions.
- Work-life balance culture: Minnesota consistently ranks among the top states for quality of life, with a culture that values outdoor recreation and family time, complementary to four-day workweek benefits.
Four-Day Workweek Models: Options for Implementation
Research from 4 Day Week Global identifies several successful implementation models:
The 100-80-100 Model
The most researched approach is the “100-80-100” model, which involves 100% pay for 80% of the time, with 100% productivity expected. This model, championed by 4 Day Week Global, has been successfully implemented at companies like Buffer, Kickstarter, and Bolt.
Compressed Hours
Some organizations maintain a 40-hour workweek but compress it into four days. A study by the Society for Human Resource Management found that 15% of U.S. organizations offer some form of compressed workweek option, with the 4/10 schedule (four 10-hour days) being the most common.
Seasonal or Periodic Four-Day Weeks
Companies like REI and Basecamp have experimented with seasonal four-day workweeks, offering Fridays off during summer months or alternating four-day weeks throughout the year.
Making the Transition: Evidence-Based Recommendations
For companies considering a four-day workweek, research suggests several best practices:
1. Start with a Pilot Program
Research from 4 Day Week Global suggests that successful implementations typically begin with a trial period of three to six months. Their structured pilot programs have shown a 92% continuation rate after the trial period.
2. Measure the Right Metrics
According to the Harvard Business Review (2023), successful transitions focus on measuring outcomes rather than the number of hours worked. Key metrics include:
- Productivity (output per hour)
- Customer satisfaction
- Employee wellbeing
- Retention rates
- Recruitment success
3. Rethink Work Processes
Research by Barnes (2022) found that companies successfully transitioning to four-day workweeks typically implement:
- Meeting reductions (average 70% decrease in meeting time)
- Process automation
- Clear communication protocols
- Focused work periods
Use Coworking as a Testing Ground
Coworking spaces offer an ideal environment for testing four-day workweek models because they provide:
- Flexible contracts: Unlike traditional leases, coworking memberships can be adjusted monthly as companies experiment with different schedules.
- Professional environment: Research by WeWork and HR&A (2022) found that employees working from professional shared workspaces reported 54% higher ability to focus compared to home-based workers.
- Technology infrastructure: High-speed internet, video conferencing equipment, and digital access controls are standard in most coworking spaces, supporting the hybrid work patterns often associated with four-day workweeks.
The Environmental Case: Sustainability Benefits
Beyond productivity and well-being benefits, four-day workweeks offer environmental advantages that align with Minnesota’s strong ecological values:
- A study by the University of Massachusetts (2023) found that a nationwide shift to a four-day workweek could reduce carbon emissions by up to 127 million metric tons annually.
- Research from the UK’s four-day workweek trial showed participants’ commuting time decreased by 10.5%, directly impacting carbon footprints.
- In the Twin Cities, where 78% of workers commute by car (U.S. Census Bureau, 2019), a 20% reduction in commuting days could have a significant impact on traffic congestion and emissions.
Looking Forward: The Future of Work
As the four-day workweek continues to gain traction globally, coworking spaces are positioned to play a crucial role in its implementation. According to Global Workplace Analytics, 25-30% of the workforce will be working from home multiple days a week by the end of 2025, creating new opportunities for flexible workspace providers to support compressed work schedules.
For Twin Cities businesses considering this transition, coworking spaces offer the flexibility to experiment with new work models without the commitment of traditional office leases. As research continues to demonstrate the benefits of reduced work hours, these flexible workspaces will likely become increasingly important in supporting workplace innovation.
Conclusion: Flexibility as the Foundation for Innovation
The four-day workweek represents more than just a schedule change—it’s a fundamental rethinking of the relationship between time, productivity, and wellbeing. With substantial research supporting its benefits and coworking spaces providing the flexible infrastructure needed for implementation, companies in the Twin Cities have an opportunity to lead in workplace innovation.
As organizations continue to experiment with compressed schedules, the evidence suggests that with the proper implementation and support, the four-day workweek could become a mainstream option rather than an exception—creating more sustainable, productive, and balanced work environments for Minnesota workers.
References:
4 Day Week Global. (2023). UK Pilot Results. https://www.4dayweek.com/uk-pilot-results
Anchor, K. (2019). Microsoft Japan’s 4-day workweek experiment sees productivity jump 40%. The Guardian. https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2019/nov/04/microsoft-japan-four-day-work-week-productivity
Baltes, B. B., Briggs, T. E., Huff, J. W., Wright, J. A., & Neuman, G. A. (2019). Flexible and compressed workweek schedules: A meta-analysis of their effects on work-related criteria. Journal of Applied Psychology, 84(4), 496-513.
Barnes, A. (2022). The 4 Day Week: How the Flexible Work Revolution Can Increase Productivity, Profitability and Well-being, and Create a Sustainable Future. Piatkus.
Bureau of Labor Statistics. (2023). Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, MN-WI Economy at a Glance. https://www.bls.gov/eag/eag.mn_minneapolis_msa.htm
Harvard Business Review. (2022). The 4-Day Workweek: How to Make It Work. Harvard Business Review Press.
JLL Research. (2022). Office Utilization Report. JLL.
Society for Human Resource Management. (2022). Employee Benefits Survey. SHRM.
U.S. Census Bureau. (2019). American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates. Retrieved from https://data.census.gov
WeWork & HR&A. (2022). The Impact of Flexible Workspaces on Employee Productivity. WeWork.