Iceland's 4-day week success

Working four days a week in Iceland - 2nd August 2021

In Iceland, the government tried a new idea. People only worked four days a week.

The test was from 2015 to 2019. 2,500 people worked for four days every week. Their pay didn’t change. And they did the same amount of work. Sometimes, people did extra work in only four days.

The government tried the idea in different workplaces. They used offices, hospitals and schools.

The test was successful. Workers were happy. They had extra time for their family and hobbies. They didn't feel stressed. It helped people’s health too.

Now, other countries are trying the idea. Spain is trying a four day working week for companies. And in New Zealand, workers at the Unilever company don’t have to work 20 percent of their hours. But the company pays them the same.

86 percent of workers in Iceland can now work less. Their pay won't change. But their ‘work-life balance’ will.