A lot has been made about the productivity benefits of the four day workweek—either in the form of a 32 hour week, or a 40 hour week. That's all well and good, but convincing your boss to let you change your schedule completely is tough. Here's one way to approach your boss and convince them to give the four day week a chance.


First off, the only way you'll know if you can transition to a four day week, or any type of more flexible work schedule, is if you ask. Some bosses and jobs are easier to convince than others, but the general steps for approaching your boss are the same either way.

Step One: Assess Your Own Schedule


The first thing you need to do is take a look at your current work schedule and see if it's even possible to work a four day week. When you're doing this, think a little differently about how you go about your day, what you do, and if it's possible to move things around to fit into four days.

Keep in mind that you have a lot of different options here. You can, for instance, suggest a four day work week every two weeks, or change days off each week. You can also work four, ten hour days, or go for the 32 hour week and work four, eight hour days. Play around with your schedule until you feel like you have a plan that works for you, and might work for your employer. If you go for the 10 hour days, Productivity 501 suggests you also consider coming in earlier in the day instead of later, and that you keep in mind that staying productive for 10 hours a day might be harder than you think.

G/O Media may get a commission LG 75-Inch 8K TV Buy for $2150 from BuyDig Use the promo code ASL250

Also make sure to ask yourself the reasons you want to do a four day week. Is it because you want the work/life balance of a day off? Is it because you're always taking work home with you four days a week anyway? Is your commute killing you and you just want to drop one day of it? Or another reason? Your reasons are part of the case you build for your boss, so make sure they're solid. Photo by Eliazar Parra Cardenas.

Step Two: Form Your Plan and Build Your Case

Coming up with your own schedule is just the first part of your argument. The second is formulating an actual plan and providing your boss with a case for your argument.


Thankfully, evidence exists that you can use to boost your argument. Utah experimented with the four day week and the data suggests that workers were happier, even with the longer, ten hour days. In an opinion piece in the New York Times, 37Signals CEO Jason Fried suggests that the 32 hour workweek has boosted productivity. 37Signals' model gives workers a four day work week for six months out of the year, and then returns to the five day week for the other six months. If you need more evidence, NPR suggests when you're happy with your work schedule, you're more likely to get things done, even in a shorter period of time.

Four-Day Workweek Saves $1.8 Million in Utah, Makes Workers Happy According to the Scientific American and a recent study conducted in Utah over the last year, the… Read more


Then start focusing on the specifics of your plan. How will your schedule work? Can people still get in touch with you on your day off? Are you willing to call into a meeting if it's on your day off? Think of every tiny detail your boss might ask, and come up with an answer for it.

If your new schedule has an effect on other employees, make sure you talk with them as well, and see if they're interested in converting to a four day work week with you. After all, you'll always have power in numbers.


Another thing to consider is that your new schedule could be considered an office perk. If raises aren't an option, pitching your new schedule as a perk is a great alternative. Personally, I used to work for a company that was on a salary freeze, and I used that freeze to pitch a 32 hour week, with retained benefits. It worked, and I was a lot happier afterwards.


Step Three: Present Your Plan to the Boss


By now you should have created a dummy schedule that puts you in a four day work week, talked with your coworkers, and compiled a list of the productivity benefits associated with your new schedule. It's time to chat with your boss. If it's a formal job, schedule a meeting, if they're not formal, pop in and talk with them whenever they're free. You can present your case in the same way you'd convince your boss to let you work remotely, or on flex time. According to CNN, it's a good idea to present your case like a business proposal. This means you pitch the idea, present your productivity evidence, and then dive into the details.

Keep in mind your boss might have alternative solutions as well, so keep the conversation as open as possible. If your boss is waffling on the idea, you can always suggest a trial period of a month to see how it works out.


If it's not sinking in, you might want to pursue alternative solutions for a flexible schedule that might still help you level out your workday. Photo by Phil Sexton.

If Your Plan Fails, Brainstorm Alternative Solutions

If the four day work week isn't an option your boss is willing to accept, all is not lost. You have other options that can at least change how you spend your time at the office. One option if you're stuck in the office is try out the 20-percent time idea. This basically means that each day at work you allocate some time to work on a non-work project. This might be 10 minutes a day, or one day a week—but the point is that you break up your work time with something productive, but not work related.


Another option is to convince your boss to let you work remotely. You can often do this in the same way you'd pitch your boss the four day work week. You don't have to telecommute every day, of course, but a day a week might be enough to give you the break away from the office you need to recharge and get things done.


Title image remixed from Steve