4 Remote Companies With 4-Day Work Weeks

According to a March 2022 survey from experience management company Qualtrics, 92% of American prefer a 4-day work week, even if it means working longer hours each day. While no specific study has been done for remote workers, one could reasonably assume that both hybrid and full-time remote employees would embrace the same ideology. With such a massive increase in demand for this type of work arrangement, the number of remote companies with 4-day work weeks is expected to follow in kind. But if you’re not keen on waiting out the clock until your employer makes a change, here are some of the remote companies that currently embrace the 4-day work week.

What Is a 4-Day Work Week?

Though the idea of 4-day work week may seem relatively straightforward, people often confuse it for something it’s not. Some might say that a 4-day work week is actually 40 hours spread out over four days, which means instead of five eight-hour days, you work four 10-hour days.

However, this isn’t the case, at least in the sense of the modern iteration of the 4-day work week. In this case, employees would work fewer hours altogether — 32 hours over four days. Essentially, the new 4-day work week plan reduces worker hours by 20% overall, but employees still are at the office or virtual office for eight hours per day.

The trade-off is that workers must still maintain the same level of productivity in 32 hours that they achieved in 40 hours. This may sound like an impossible task, but currently, 3,300 workers in the U.K. across 70 companies and all types of industries are undertaking the largest 4-day work week experiment ever conceived. The results of this experiment may play a pivotal role in the future of how people work in the U.K., but may boost public support for a 4-day work week in the United States sooner rather than later.

The Advantages of a 4-Day Work Week

Before diving into the remote companies with 4-day work weeks, note that this change wasn’t just on a whim. Studies, worker demand, and attraction of top talent are all reasons why many employers have chosen the 4-day work week or have plans to do so in the near future. However, a 4-day work week also comes with plenty of advantages as well for both employees and employers.

Advantages of a 4-Day Work Week for Employers

Improved employee retention
Better productivity
Lower overhead and operating costs for hybrid companies
Possibility of larger, more competitive applicant pools for open positions
Improved mental health of employees

Advantages of a 4-Day Work Week for Employees

Better work-life balance
Lower threat of burnout or reduced employee morale
More productivity
Higher satisfaction from employees
Lower amounts of stress
Possible development of skills due to the need for faster production

Remote Companies With 4-Day Work Weeks

With so many different types of employers starting to see the benefits of a 4-day work week, finding a company that embraces this idea has never been easier. Whether you work in IT, marketing, accounting, customer satisfaction, or a different industry, here are some companies to put on your shortlist.

1. Wonderlic

A developer of pre-employment cognitive and ability tests, Wonderlic is one of the newest companies to institute a 4-day work week. Following a successful 12-week, 4-day work week trial period in the summer of 2021, CEO Becca Callahan was amazed by the results. In just 32 hours, workers were able to complete the same amount of work as they were doing in a 40-hour time frame. Moreover, the company also reported improved employee engagement and focus.

To accommodate clients, the company works on a rotating 4-week schedule, allowing employees to alternate taking Mondays and Fridays off while still being open five days a week. It’s truly one of the biggest success stories involving remote companies with 4-day work weeks.

2. Nectafy

Based in Boston, Nectafy is a fully remote advertising and marketing company that implemented a 4-day work week in 2020. However, the approach was more mathematical than anything else.

According to founder Henry O’Loughlin, a mathematical approach was the only way to justify a 4-day work week. Essentially, O’Loughlin used math to discover that a 4-day work week was the ideal 50/50 mix in terms of work-life balance. At Nectafy, each employee had 156 weekend days off (Friday through Sunday), 15 holidays, and around 15 PTO days. When you add it up, employees worked an average of 179 days and took off 186 days, which equates to 49% of the year working and 51% of the year off.

The company also cited more employee happiness, fewer meetings, and appreciation for the company as the other benefits of its new 4-day work week.

3. Buffer

Buffer is a social media software company that develops programs to help online companies schedule social media posts with ease. In September of 2021, the company decided to use a 4-day work week due to impressive results following a several-month trial period.

Although the initial idea for the 4-day work week came as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, promising results allowed the company to continue it even after the threat had died down. Buffer’s reasoning behind such a transition included some remarkable numbers, including:

91% improvement in employee happiness and morale
9% retained a neutral rating when transitioning to a 4-day work week
A majority of parents feeling like they had more family time
A drastic improvement in work-life balance

4. Kickstarter

As a company that allows ideas to get off the ground, it should come as no surprise that Kickstarter is yet another remote company with a 4-day work week. Launched in 2022, Kickstarter implemented the 4-day work week for a reason different from any other company in modern memory: climate change.

By reducing the work week, the company could reduce the pollution caused by commuting, as well as start a remote or hybrid work arrangement for many of its employees.

How To Find Remote Companies With 4-Day Work Weeks

The organizations listed above can definitely help you get a jump-start on your search for remote companies with a 4-day work week. However, this certainly isn’t an exhaustive list. If you’re serious about starting a 4-day work week, sign up with Virtual Vocations today. For a nominal fee, you can search the Virtual Vocations company database, as well as a job board with tens of thousands of open positions. Plus, Virtual Vocations can help you with your resume, cover letter, and LinkedIn profile, which can help you stand out in a cutthroat market.

With a bit of discipline in your job hunt and a bit of luck, you’re sure to find the perfect employer that embraces a 4-day work week just as much as you do.

Did your company adopt 4-day work weeks? How did it change your life? Connect with Virtual Vocations on Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Instagram, and YouTube to share your thoughts and tips. We’d love to hear from you!