Sweden and Norway 4-day week trial: stress down 19%, almost all firms keeping shorter hours

Results from the six-month 4-day week trial across Sweden and Norway show compelling gains. Run by 4 Day Week Global and PaceLab using the 100:80:100 model (100% pay, 80% time, 100% productivity), the pilot involved 11 organisations.

Key findings: stress levels fell 19%, sleep problems halved with an average 24 extra minutes of sleep per night, anxiety symptoms decreased, and life satisfaction rose 25%. No participating company reported poorer economic results, and productivity increased 13% on average. Ten of the eleven organisations have chosen to retain the shorter working week permanently.

These results align closely with earlier trials in the UK (2022), Portugal (2023), and Germany (2024–25), where 73% of 45 participating firms also kept reduced hours.