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 for both workers and employers. Run by 4 Day Week Global and PaceLab using the 100:80:100 model (100% pay, 80% time, 100% productivity target), the pilot involved 11 organisations across both countries. 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%. Productivity increased 13% on average. Ten of the eleven organisations have chosen to retain the shorter working week permanently. No participating company reported poorer economic results.
Why this matters for remote workers: these results align closely with every major 4-day week trial conducted in Europe – the UK (2022), Portugal (2023), and Germany (2024-25, where 73% of 45 participating firms kept reduced hours). The consistency of the data across countries, sectors, and cultures is becoming difficult to dismiss as coincidental. For remote workers, the 4-day week feels like a natural extension of the flexibility already available – if output matters more than hours (which remote work already proved), then reducing hours while maintaining output is the logical next step.
The Scandinavian results are particularly significant because Sweden has historically been cautious about working time reduction despite its progressive reputation. Poland has also launched a large-scale trial (90 companies, 5,000+ employees, PLN 50 million government programme) with results due May 2027, which will add central European data to the growing evidence base.
What to watch: the question is no longer whether 4-day weeks work – the data overwhelmingly says they do for knowledge workers. The real questions are whether the model translates to sectors with fixed-coverage requirements (healthcare, retail, manufacturing), whether large employers will adopt it (the trials have predominantly involved SMEs), and whether compressed hours or reduced hours produce better outcomes. For remote workers considering their next role, companies offering 4-day weeks are increasingly worth seeking out – the 4 Day Week Global job board lists current openings.