Four-day workweeks, remote flexibility & no-meeting Friday’s: Do they really reduce stress?

May 2025

This article will see me examine these new work practices, using over 40 years of business experience, including my time as Managing Director at Waitrose and now as Founder of WorkL to determine if they are worth it- for both employer and employees.

The last five years have seen the workplace evolve at an incredible rate, one of which many of us haven’t seen in our working lives. The traditional nine-to-five, five-day week is increasingly being challenged. A surge in radical workplace practices, four-day workweeks, remote flexibility, and no-meeting Fridays, promises to improve employee wellbeing and reduce stress. But how much of this is significant change, and how much is simply a well-branded distraction?

This article will see me examine these new work practices, using over 40 years of business experience, including my time as Managing Director at Waitrose and now as Founder of WorkL to determine if they are worth it- for both employer and employee.

At WorkL, we’ve spent years analysing what makes employees happy and fulfilled at work. Our data from over 1 million employees across multiple sectors shows that flexibility is indeed one of the key drivers of workplace satisfaction. But to truly understand whether these modern practices reduce stress, we must look beyond surface-level perks and examine the deeper fabric of how people work.

The idea of a four-day workweek is nothing short of revolutionary in concept. Reducing the working week without reducing pay sounds like a dream, and trials in the UK and abroad have shown some promising results. Organisations report maintained or even increased productivity, and employees report feeling happier and more energised.

However, the success of the four-day week hinges on one critical factor; realistic workload management. If staff are expected to squeeze five days of work into four, the risk of burnout can actually increase rather than diminish. What’s needed is a fundamental re-evaluation of work priorities, not just fewer hours, but better clarity around what work is truly essential.

Our data at WorkL shows that stress levels only decrease when workload expectations are adjusted to match the new time constraints. Simply chopping a day off the calendar without strategic planning can create a Wellbeing Risk. Done right, however, the four-day week can genuinely improve work-life balance and employee morale.

The rise of remote and hybrid work has, for many, been the single most positive shift in recent memory. The ability to avoid long commutes, work in comfortable environments, and manage one’s own schedule can be incredibly empowering. Our data shows that employees who have autonomy over where they work report significantly higher levels of happiness and lower levels of stress- all through Empowerment- one of my Six Steps to Workplace Happiness outlined below.

However, flexibility is not a solution. It requires trust, communication, and robust support systems. Employees working remotely can feel isolated or overlooked if managers aren’t proactive. Equally, some workers find it difficult to switch off, blurring the line between work and personal time.

In this context, flexibility must be paired with clear boundaries. Employers need to set expectations around availability, response times, and meeting etiquette. Managers must learn to lead by outcomes rather than hours. When done well, flexible working is a powerful stress-reducer. When poorly managed, it can exacerbate stress in new and unexpected ways.

The trend of “No-Meeting Fridays” is an appealing one. In theory, it provides uninterrupted time for deep work and allows employees to round off the week without the chaos of back-to-back calls. It’s a gesture that acknowledges how meetings, often excessive, redundant, or poorly run, can be a major source of frustration.

The effectiveness of this policy depends entirely on culture. If Friday becomes a dumping ground for catch-up emails and last-minute fire drills, then the benefit is quickly lost. But if respected and embedded into the rhythm of the business, it can give employees a crucial window of peace, a buffer to organise thoughts, close open loops, and finish the week on a high.

So, do these initiatives actually work?

The short answer is – they can. But only when implemented thoughtfully and authentically.

At WorkL, we believe the key to reducing stress and boosting happiness lies in holistic engagement. That means giving people purpose, recognition, development opportunities, and crucially, a say in how they work. Flexible arrangements, shorter weeks, and smart scheduling all support this goal, but they are tools, not solutions in themselves.

It’s time we move beyond one-size-fits-all perks and start focusing on personalised workplace experiences. I encourage employers to use my Six Steps to Workplace Happiness listed below, as a guidance to creating a happy workforce.

• Reward and recognition – Every member of an organisation should benefit from its success. A fair salary is essential no amount of praise can compensate for underpayment. Your compensation structure should meet expectations and motivate employees to go above and beyond.
• Information sharing – Withholding information can make employees feel undervalued and disconnected from the business. For a team to perform at its best, transparency is essential. Employees at all levels should have a clear understanding of the business, its strategy, performance, customers, and competitors.
• Empowerment – Empowering employees means involving them in decision-making, valuing their ideas, and integrating their feedback into the company’s strategies. Everyone brings unique experiences and perspectives to the table, and only by considering all views can a team achieve the best possible outcome. While individuals may not be perfect, together, the team can be.
• Wellbeing – Employee wellbeing encompasses physical, emotional, and financial health. Addressing all three areas leads to improved engagement and productivity. A positive workplace culture can reduce absenteeism, as engaged employees tend to be healthier and more committed.
• Instilling pride – Employees who take pride in their work and workplace naturally become advocates, sharing their positive experiences with colleagues, potential hires, customers, and the community. Their pride will be evident when they talk about where they work. Building this sense of pride goes beyond motivational talks or performance reviews—it’s about cultivating an environment where employees truly enjoy and take pride in their roles. 
• Job satisfaction– A range of factors influence job satisfaction, but two stand out; opportunities for personal growth and the quality of the employee-manager relationship. Employees are an organisation’s greatest asset, and high engagement is essential for success. Research shows that respectful treatment and trust between employees and leadership are key drivers of satisfaction. Poor relationships with managers are often the top reason employees leave, regardless of the company’s brand strength. 

This article originally featured in Elite Business Magazine.