From Gothenburg's landmark six-hour day experiment to nationwide pilots — how Sweden is rewriting the future of work.
Sweden made international headlines in 2015 when Gothenburg implemented a reduced-hours experiment in public institutions. Rather than following the conventional four-day model, working hours were cut to six hours per day, totalling just 30 hours per week.
Employees received 100% of their salary for working 80% of the time while maintaining 100% productivity — an approach that has since become the global standard for reduced-hours trials.
Public institutions taking part received direct financial support from the local government, ensuring zero pay cuts. The experiment ran for nearly two years — the first long-term four-day workweek trial ever recorded.
Building on this legacy, approximately 10 Swedish companies joined the broader European pilot programme in 2024, organised through PaceLab and 4 Day Week Global, participating in a 6-month structured trial.
The effects of Gothenburg's trial were rigorously studied across two distinct healthcare settings: the orthopedics unit at a major hospital, and a controlled comparison of two nursing homes. The findings were striking.
80 nurses and doctors. 24-month trial with modified working hours.
Controlled comparison between two nursing homes with different working hours.
A fully remote maritime training marketplace. Ran a Sep–Nov 2022 trial under the 100:80:100 model — most employees took Fridays off, with customer support adapting schedules for coverage.
Results: Higher productivity per hour, reduced burnout, and enhanced work-life balance. The company made the 4-day week permanent.
Stockholm-based sustainable bag brand. Introduced a four-day week on 27 February 2023 — salaries remained fully unchanged despite the reduced hours.
Results: Enhanced employee well-being, more sustainable performance, and improved talent attraction and retention.
The Swedish arm of the global automaker offered a voluntary four-day schedule to mechanics — longer days across four days instead of five, targeting 30 hours per week.
Results: Higher output than 40h counterparts, lower absenteeism, and measurably happier customers.
Governed by the Annual Leave Act, all employees are entitled to 25 paid vacation days per year, with at least 20 mandatory days used annually. Unused leave can be carried over.
Employees also receive a holiday allowance of 12% of their annual gross salary, payable monthly, quarterly, or annually.
25 daysStandard week is 40 hours. All additional hours must be compensated — either financially or via compensatory leave. Two rates apply:
Regular overtime: Monthly salary ÷ 94
Qualified overtime: Monthly salary ÷ 72
Remote working has grown significantly in Sweden, shaped by both progressive workplace culture and the acceleration during the COVID-19 pandemic.
As of 2024, approximately 48% of the Swedish workforce can work fully or partially remotely — one of the highest rates in Europe.
~48%Gothenburg introduces a 30-hour working week across public institutions, including the city's hospital orthopedics unit and two nursing homes. Government-funded, with full pay maintained.
The experiment ends following a change in government. Despite remarkable productivity and health outcomes, financial costs of ~$120k/month could not be sustained. Results prompt global interest.
Maritime tech company Seably conducts a 3-month 100:80:100 trial, becoming one of Sweden's first private sector companies to formally test the 4-day model.
Swedish bag brand Sandqvist permanently adopts the four-day work week from February 2023, with zero pay reduction for its employees.
Approximately 10 companies join the European 4-day week pilot via PaceLab, running a 6-month structured trial. Results pending final analysis.