What Is a 4/10 Work Schedule? Definition, Examples & Guide

What Is a 4/10 Work Schedule?

A 4/10 work schedule (also called a four-day workweek or compressed workweek) is an alternative scheduling arrangement where employees work four 10-hour days instead of five 8-hour days, totaling 40 hours per week. This compressed schedule provides three-day weekends every week while maintaining full-time employment status and benefits eligibility.

Common 4/10 schedule patterns include Monday–Thursday (Friday–Sunday off) or Tuesday–Friday (Saturday–Monday off). Some organizations stagger teams so coverage extends across five or six days while each individual works only four days.

Quick Answer

A 4/10 work schedule means working four 10-hour days per week (40 total hours) instead of five 8-hour days. Employees get three-day weekends every week while maintaining full-time status and reducing commute days by 20%.

Research from the Society for Human Resource Management shows that organizations offering compressed workweeks experience 13% higher employee satisfaction scores and 8–12% lower turnover rates compared to traditional five-day schedules.

What Are the Benefits of a 4/10 Work Schedule?

For Employees

Extended weekends: Every week includes a three-day weekend, providing more time for personal activities, family obligations, rest, and recreation.

Reduced commute: Working four days instead of five eliminates 52 commute days annually, saving time, fuel costs ($800–$1,500/year for average commuters), vehicle wear, and reducing environmental impact.

Better work-life balance: Extra day off enables medical appointments, personal errands, childcare flexibility, and pursuing hobbies without using PTO.

Improved focus: Longer continuous work periods can enhance productivity for deep-focus tasks and reduce time lost to daily startup/shutdown activities.

Cost savings: Beyond commute savings, employees save on work attire, meals out, parking, and childcare (one fewer day per week).

For Employers

Increased productivity: Many organizations report 10–20% productivity gains from compressed schedules due to reduced interruptions and greater employee motivation.

Improved retention: Compressed workweeks are highly valued benefits. Organizations offering 4/10 schedules experience 8–12% lower turnover.

Enhanced recruitment: Alternative schedules attract talent seeking flexibility, particularly in competitive labor markets.

Facility cost savings: Operating facilities four days instead of five reduces utilities, cleaning costs, and general overhead by 10–15%.

Extended service hours: Staggering teams on different 4/10 schedules can extend customer service coverage from 5 days to 6 days without increasing headcount.

Reduced absenteeism: Three-day weekends allow workers to schedule appointments and handle personal business without taking sick days or PTO.

What Are the Challenges of a 4/10 Schedule?

Longer Daily Hours

Ten-hour workdays can be exhausting, particularly in physically demanding roles. Employee energy and performance may decline in hours 9–10.

Mitigation: Schedule demanding tasks during peak energy hours (hours 2–7) and routine work during early morning and end of day.

Customer Service Coverage

If customers expect service five or six days per week, single-team 4/10 schedules create coverage gaps.

Solutions:

• Stagger teams (Team A: Mon–Thu, Team B: Tue–Fri)
• Combine 4/10 and 5/8 schedules across departments
• Use on-call staff for fifth-day coverage

Childcare Challenges

Standard childcare operates 8–9 hours daily. Parents on 10-hour schedules need extended childcare, which may be unavailable or cost-prohibitive.

Mitigation: Flexible start times (7 AM vs 8 AM start) or remote work options for portions of the day help parents manage longer workdays.

Meeting Coordination

Scheduling meetings becomes more complex when teams work different days. The employee working Friday on Team B can’t meet with employees working Monday–Thursday on Team A.

Solutions:

• Designate core days (Tuesday–Thursday) for cross-team meetings
• Use asynchronous communication tools for coordination
• Record meetings for team members working different schedules

Fatigue and Safety

In safety-sensitive industries, 10-hour days increase injury risk, particularly toward the end of shifts.

Mitigation: Build in rest breaks every 2–3 hours, rotate physically demanding tasks, and monitor incident rates closely during implementation.

How Does Overtime Work with 4/10 Schedules?

Federal Law (FLSA)

Under federal law, overtime is calculated weekly, not daily. A 4/10 schedule totals 40 hours per week, so no overtime is triggered unless employees work more than 40 hours.

Example: Employee works four 10-hour days = 40 hours, no overtime owed.

If the same employee works a fifth day (even just 4 hours), hours 41–44 are overtime at 1.5× pay.

California Daily Overtime Rules

California requires overtime after 8 hours in a day. A standard 4/10 schedule would generate 2 hours of overtime per day (8 regular + 2 overtime × 4 days).

However, California allows alternative workweek agreements where employees vote to adopt 4/10 schedules without daily overtime:

Requirements:

• Two-thirds of affected employees must vote to approve
• Specific procedures and disclosures required
• Regular re-voting to maintain agreement
• Detailed record-keeping

With a valid agreement, California 4/10 schedules do not trigger daily overtime.

Other State Considerations

Alaska, Colorado, and Nevada have daily overtime provisions that may affect 4/10 schedules. Verify state-specific rules before implementing compressed workweeks.

Many organizations manage 4/10 schedules alongside mandatory overtime policies, ensuring clear rules for when extra hours are required.

What Industries Use 4/10 Schedules Successfully?

Manufacturing and government lead 4/10 adoption. Retail and customer-facing hospitality have lower adoption due to coverage requirements across extended hours.

How Do You Implement a 4/10 Work Schedule?

Step 1: Assess Feasibility

Evaluate business requirements:

• Can work be completed in four days vs five?
• What customer service hours are required?
• Are there regulatory or contract obligations requiring five-day coverage?

Survey employees:

• Would they prefer 4/10 schedules?
• What are childcare, eldercare, or other personal constraints?
• Preferred days off (Friday vs Monday)?

Step 2: Design Schedule Options

Single team pattern:

• All employees work Mon–Thu or Tue–Fri
• Simplest to administer
• Works when five-day coverage isn’t required

Staggered team pattern:

• Team A: Monday–Thursday
• Team B: Tuesday–Friday
• Provides five-day coverage with four-day individual schedules

Rotating pattern:

• Teams rotate which day they’re off
• Ensures fair distribution of Monday/Friday off days
• More complex to administer

Step 3: Address Legal Compliance

California employers: Implement alternative workweek agreement through employee vote and formal process.

Other states: Verify daily overtime rules and ensure compliance.

Update policies: Revise employee handbook, timekeeping systems, and payroll procedures to reflect 4/10 schedules.

Step 4: Pilot Program

Test 4/10 schedules with a single department or team:

• Duration: 90-day pilot minimum
• Metrics: Track productivity, employee satisfaction, customer service levels, absenteeism, and turnover
• Feedback: Gather structured feedback at 30, 60, and 90 days
• Refinement: Adjust start times, day-off assignments, or coverage patterns based on learnings

Step 5: Full Rollout

After successful pilot:

• Communicate implementation timeline and expectations
• Train managers on 4/10 schedule management
• Update scheduling software and timekeeping systems
• Monitor results and adjust as needed

Step 6: Ongoing Management

• Review schedule effectiveness quarterly
• Address coverage gaps proactively
• Maintain flexibility for workers who need standard schedules
• Track key performance and satisfaction metrics

Organizations implementing 4/10 schedules often use similar change management approaches to other schedule changes like eliminating clopening shifts.

What Are Alternative Compressed Workweek Options?

Each alternative offers different trade-offs between daily hours, days worked, and total weekly hours.

What Do Employees Think of 4/10 Schedules?

Research shows strong employee support for compressed workweeks:

Satisfaction: 85–90% of employees on 4/10 schedules report high satisfaction and would not return to 5/8 schedules

Work-life balance: 78% report improved work-life balance

Retention: Employees on compressed schedules are 8–12% less likely to leave

Productivity: 72% of managers report unchanged or improved productivity

Challenges: 35% of employees report difficulty with longer daily hours in first 4–6 weeks, but most adapt

Commute savings: Employees save average $1,200/year in commute costs and 104 hours/year in commute time

The Bottom Line

A 4/10 work schedule compresses the traditional 40-hour workweek into four 10-hour days, providing three-day weekends every week while maintaining full-time status. This arrangement benefits employees through reduced commute costs, better work-life balance, and extended weekends, while benefiting employers through improved retention, increased productivity, and reduced facility costs.

Successful implementation requires assessing business needs, designing coverage patterns, ensuring legal compliance (particularly California’s alternative workweek requirements), piloting the schedule, and managing ongoing adjustments. Industries with project-based work, 24/7 operations, or minimal customer interaction tend to find 4/10 schedules most successful.

Try ShiftFlow’s scheduling tools to manage 4/10 schedules with automated overtime tracking, staggered team coverage, and employee preference management.

Sources

• U.S. Office of Personnel Management – Alternative Work Schedules
• Society for Human Resource Management – Flexible Work Arrangements
• California Division of Labor Standards Enforcement – Alternative Workweek Schedules

Further Reading

• FTE Calculation Guide – Understanding full-time equivalents
• Mandatory Overtime Rules – When extra hours are required
• Shift Differential Pay – Premium pay for alternative schedules

Frequently Asked Questions

What is a 4/10 work schedule?

A 4/10 work schedule is a compressed workweek where employees work four 10-hour days (40 total hours) instead of five 8-hour days, providing three-day weekends every week.

What are the benefits of a 4/10 schedule?

Benefits include three-day weekends, 20% fewer commute days (saving $800–$1,500/year), better work-life balance, improved employee satisfaction and retention, and potential productivity increases.

Do you get overtime on a 4/10 schedule?

Under federal law, no—4/10 schedules total 40 hours weekly, triggering no overtime. California requires daily overtime after 8 hours unless an alternative workweek agreement is in place.

What industries use 4/10 schedules?

Manufacturing, government agencies, utilities, construction, IT, warehousing, and emergency services commonly use 4/10 schedules. Industries requiring continuous operations or project-based work find them particularly effective.

How do you implement a 4/10 schedule?

Assess feasibility, design coverage patterns, ensure legal compliance (especially California alternative workweek agreements), run a 90-day pilot, gather feedback, and roll out with updated policies and systems.

Can employers require 4/10 schedules?

Yes, employers can generally require 4/10 schedules as a condition of employment (with proper notice). California requires employee voting for alternative workweek agreements to avoid daily overtime.

What are the downsides of 4/10 schedules?

Downsides include longer daily hours causing fatigue, childcare challenges for 10-hour days, customer coverage gaps, meeting coordination complexity, and potential safety issues in physically demanding roles.

Is a 4-day workweek the same as 4/10?

Not always. “4-day workweek” sometimes refers to 4/10 (four 10-hour days, 40 hours total) but also refers to schedules working only 32 hours across four days—two different concepts.