The four-day work week has been debated for years. In 2024, Germany decided to stop debating and start testing — and the results are worth paying attention to, whether you manage an office of 10 or 500.
What Happened in the Trial
This year, 45 German companies tested a four-day work week, letting employees work 20% fewer hours while keeping their full salaries.
The experiment ran from February to September, and the results are in:
🔵 Stress levels dropped by about 84 minutes a week per person.
🔵 People were able to focus better — concentration improved by 32%.
🔵 Meetings were shorter and more productive, with efficiency rising by 52%.
Not bad, Germany, not bad!
Behind the Numbers
The trial was organized by Berlin-based consultancy Intraprenor in partnership with the nonprofit 4 Day Week Global, and studied by researchers at the University of Munster under Professor Julia Backmann. It was Germany's largest four-day work week experiment to date and one of the most methodologically rigorous globally — researchers didn't rely only on surveys but also collected physiological data including cortisol levels from hair samples and stress metrics from smartwatch devices.
The headline findings went beyond the stats Lisa highlights above. Average revenues among participating companies rose by 36% compared to the previous year. Employee resignations dropped by 42%, and burnout decreased by 64%. Workers slept an average of 38 extra minutes per week, exercised more, and over 90% reported improvements in overall wellbeing.
What Happened After the Trial Ended
Perhaps the most telling result: 73% of participating companies said they planned to continue with the reduced schedule. Only 20% returned to the five-day week, and just two companies dropped out early — both citing economic pressures unrelated to the trial itself. A two-year follow-up published in early 2026 confirmed that 70% of participating organizations were still operating with some form of reduced working hours.
What This Means for Office Managers
You probably can't unilaterally introduce a four-day work week at your company. But the trial offers useful ammunition for conversations about flexibility, meeting efficiency, and workload distribution. If 45 German companies across manufacturing, IT, consulting, and care sectors can maintain output in fewer hours, there's a good chance your team has room to work smarter too. Start with the low-hanging fruit: shorter meetings, fewer unnecessary check-ins, and protected focus time.
