Employees on a four-day week use their extra day off for housework, hobbies, ‘me-time’ and moonlighting

New research claims to shed light on how employees who switch to a four-day week spend their additional day off – and some are using it to take on extra jobs. As well as housework, hobbies and voluntary work, staff are also devoting time to education, caring responsibilities and side businesses that can sometimes compete with their main employment. The study, led by Dr Mengyi Xu, Dr Daniel Wheatley, Dr Holly Birkett and Professor Tony Dobbins of Birmingham Business School at the University of Birmingham, explored the experiences of employees, managers and executives at UK organisations using the ‘100:80:100 model’, where staff receive 100 percent of their pay while completing their workload in four days rather than five.

Dr Wheatley told the British Sociological Association’s conference on work, employment and society in Manchester that in addition to leisure, chores, caring duties, education and community work, “several interviewees reported engaging in side hustles and other paid employment during their fifth day. Tensions were present in a small number of instances, with employers reflecting on the risk that staff’s main job suffers due to work overload.”

One manager said: “People will start their own business with the extra time. They’ll start a social media channel – that is fine as long as it doesn’t affect their work. But when people have too much going on, their work does suffer.” Another manager noted: “If you come in here knackered on Monday, this is the main gig, and if you’re going to jeopardise it, that’s your risk.”

Some employees reported positive outcomes from freelancing alongside their main roles. Others highlighted the system’s appeal to younger workers, with one participant observing: “Gen Z and millennials are the most supportive group. For the baby-boom generation, the four-day work week is almost taboo.”

Despite occasional tensions, the researchers found that benefits for both staff and employers outweighed drawbacks. Employees reported improved wellbeing, stronger work-life balance and greater job satisfaction. Dr Xu said: “What really stood out was how employees valued having genuine ‘me time’. Parents with school-aged children especially described this as a completely new relief.”

The researchers concluded that the four-day week has the potential to deliver mutual gains for organisations and employees, while also supporting broader social and environmental benefits.