A 4-day work week gives employees three days off every week. It comes in two very different forms: fewer total hours at the same pay, or the same hours squeezed into four longer days. The Indian Labour Codes speak only to the second, and only as an option, which is a different conversation from everyday flexi-time.

Two models that share one name

The best-known reduced-hours trial ran in the UK from June to December 2022: 61 companies and about 2,900 staff, after which 56 companies kept the policy and 18 made it permanent. Treat the results with care. Firms volunteered, so they were likely candidates for success, and much of the reported data came from staff surveys and the companies themselves. Our HR policies article covers the Iceland experience.

The Indian legal position

In December 2025 the Labour Ministry clarified on social media that the codes permit up to 12 hours a day for four days followed by three paid days off, within the 48-hour weekly cap, with the 12 hours including rest intervals (spread-over), and that this is an option, not an obligation. The OSH Code still fixes the normal day at 8 hours, so law firms advise written employee consent and a documented schedule. Three questions remain open before rolling it out:

• State law. Many offices fall under state shops and establishments laws, several of which still set daily limits of 8 to 10 hours. Until your state’s rules change, a 12-hour day may simply not be allowed there.
• Overtime trigger. The Ministry’s statement puts overtime after 12 hours; others read the Code as triggering it after 8 on a normal day. Price both readings using the overtime pay calculator before committing.
• Leave arithmetic. If leave is counted in days, one day off now removes a quarter of the week. Decide before launch whether leave and holidays will be counted in hours instead.

Example: a 12-hour spread with one hour of breaks gives 11 working hours. Four such days is 44 hours, within the 48-hour cap. Five would be 55, which is not.

Frequently asked questions

Can we make a 4-day week compulsory for everyone?

The Ministry described it as optional and commentators read consent into it. Run it as an opt-in roster and keep a standard schedule for anyone who declines, recorded in the shift roster.

Does the third day off count as a weekly off?

It sits on top of it. The statutory weekly off still has to be given, and the Wages Rules require notice of designated rest days and changes to them.

Which teams suit a compressed week?

Work that can be planned in long blocks, such as IT support, back-office processing and some plant shifts. Customer-facing roles that need five-day cover usually need staggered four-day rosters instead.

Planning the rosters themselves? Start with our shift planning guide.