Redefining Productivity: The Strategic Shift to a Four-Day Workweek with AI
Key Highlights
- Four-day workweeks succeed when paired with an AI-driven workflow redesign.
- Tech firms are piloting reduced hours to retain scarce talent before attrition erodes ROI.
- Productivity is shifting from time-based metrics to outcome-based measurement.
- Lower attrition reduces hidden costs tied to onboarding, training, and lost institutional knowledge.
As AI automation expands capacity across engineering, operations and knowledge work, tech leaders are rethinking the 40-hour workweek. It’s no longer just a "perk" — the four-day workweek (or a similar flex/hour-reduction initiative) is a productivity and talent strategy.
“The concept of a four-day workweek is not about working less; it’s about working better,” says Karen Lowe, Co-CEO and Global Partnerships Lead at 4 Day Week Global, based in Auckland, New Zealand.
Lowe points to research cited by 4 Day Week Global showing employees average just 2.5 productive hours per eight-hour day — an insight that prompted early four-day workweek pilots at New Zealand company Perpetual Guardian.
The company reduced its typical 40-hour workweek by 20%, either by taking one day off per week (Friday or Monday) or by taking time off every day. Employees could work a reduced workweek, but they had to deliver the same outcomes. The new principle was: Work for 100% pay, for 80% of the original time, at 100% of productivity.
For CIOs and CTOs, AI-enabled work redesign can unlock productivity without increasing burnout or headcount. For CISOs and SRE leaders, reduced fatigue correlates with fewer errors and more reliable operations. CFOs benefit from lower attrition and faster time-to-productivity, while CHROs gain a tangible retention metric in a constrained talent market.
Measuring outcomes, not hours: Data-driven work redesign
Lowe argues that low-value work, not time, is a major problem at many organizations. It manifests as burnout, high turnover and errors. She says most organizations already carry significant amounts of this in the form of excessive and poorly run meetings, constant interruptions (especially in open offices), rework caused by unclear priorities, and time-based performance metrics instead of outcome-based metrics.
Many of the companies that completed a four-day workweek trial with Lowe’s company reported improved worker well-being. While that’s significant, Lowe says that’s not what it’s all about. She says the concept of a four-day workweek is not a perk or a wellbeing experience, but a work redesign and a productivity strategy grounded in data, operational efficiency, and outcomes-based management.
All organizations stand to benefit when they start measuring outcomes and not just hours logged. This method also applies in traditionally “hour-based” industries like law and accounting, where clients increasingly care about value delivered, not time spent.
Case Study: Golden Police Department
In 2023, the City of Golden Police Department (Colorado) implemented a six-month trial of a four-day workweek to determine whether a shorter workweek would benefit officers and staff.
Golden City Manager Scott Vargo said, “Golden has had long-standing, long-term employee recruitment and retention issues, with ‘many dozens’ of city jobs still unfilled. A four-day week will make Golden an employer of choice, and it’s easier to design schedules when you have a force that’s 100% staffed.”
During the trial, officers worked 32 hours per week, with the caveat that they would work more hours in some weeks if conditions required.
Management shortened meetings to reduce the amount of time officers spent in the station and increase the time spent in the community. Commanders and department heads developed and used new reporting tools.
During the trial, the Golden PD averaged a faster service response time across all calls than in the previous six months. Average response time for priority one calls, including serious offenses in progress, dropped by 5%, while response time for priority two calls, including less serious offenses in progress, fell by 7%. Meanwhile, the organization experienced a 50% reduction in resignations and retirements.
Lowe says, “Attrition is one of the most expensive hidden costs in business. The four-day workweek has become a powerful talent retention tool; well-rested people bring better judgment, better energy and better outcomes to work.”
While policing differs from software development, the results illustrate how redesigned schedules, better tooling, and outcome-based metrics can improve performance under staffing constraints.
AI is a force multiplier if used deliberately
In the 2024 report, The Impact of Technology on the Workplace, Tech.co researchers found that digital natives and businesses using AI are more open to the idea of a four-day workweek.
AI is uniquely positioned as a key enabler of a shorter workweek strategy when used effectively. It creates value by automating low-value tasks such as drafting, summarizing, administrative duties and routine analyses. AI can help to reduce cognitive load, freeing up capacity for high-value, strategic work. That said, AI can’t fix fractured systems.
“AI is most powerful when it takes cognitive load off people, not when it replaces human judgment and strategic thinking,” says Lowe. “If AI is layered on top of poor work design, it accelerates distraction rather than productivity.”
She also warns CEOs to avoid adding to the overall pressure and pace as AI frees up capacity.
“The last thing you need to do is reduce the workweek and increase the intensity of the work,” says Lowe. “There is no point in trying to put a 40-hour workweek into four days. It has the opposite effect. AI used poorly has the same impact as distraction or interruptions on culture and performance. So, it can't do it on its own, but when used correctly, AI can unlock time for more high-value work.”
Intentional AI strategy and work redesign, such as a four-day workweek, must be linked; keeping them separate leaves value on the table.
Four-day workweeks as a talent and retention strategy
Lowe says that in 4 Day Week Global’s trials at organizations across 22 countries, companies that reduced employees’ work hours consistently reported lower attrition, reduced absenteeism, dramatic drops in burnout, and high employee confidence in the ability to do their jobs. How does that impact ROI?
Attrition costs are hidden but massive. Recruiting and onboarding cost companies significant time and money. And when employees leave, they take institutional knowledge with them. It can take months before new hires reach full productivity. This is especially true in tech and software engineering, as well as in high-stress environments.
What a four-day workweek means for execs right now
Lowe says the four-day workweek isn’t something one switches on; organizations can move toward it by taking an honest look at their operations. It involves redesigning workflows, removing friction and eliminating waste. It’s a deliberate strategy that harnesses technology and systems to maximize output.
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About the Author
Sara Scullin
Contributor
Sara Scullin is an award-winning freelance writer in Fort Atkinson, Wisconsin, with years of experience developing high-impact content that helps drive innovation and positive change. She is passionate about helping brands translate complex technical solutions into insightful takeaways for busy industry professionals.
Her work, which blends technical information with compelling narratives, has been featured in industry publications like Specialty Fabrics Review, VehicleServicePros.com and Officer.com. Sara prides herself on being a reliable content partner who consistently develops original, quality work on time, allowing her clients to focus on core business growth.
Some of the topics she has covered include B2B tech, manufacturing, and leadership trends across textiles, agriculture, automotive aftermarket and public safety industries. When she is not covering industry movers and shakers, Sara enjoys hiking and exploring with her family and dog, Ginger.
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