The case for a four-day workweek

For employees, the attraction of working 80 per cent of their hours for 100 per cent of their pay is clear: more time for family, chores or the gym, all without a financial penalty.

According to several trials — including large-scale experiments in Iceland — productivity doesn’t suffer. Staff entitled to a day off if they meet their targets are less likely to check social media during work hours. They schedule appointments on their day off. And because they’re less stressed, they take fewer sick days.

But could it work in a legal sector built on “grind culture” and billable hours?

“I had major hesitations,” admits Leena Yousefi, founder of Vancouver’s YLaw.

However, within three months of implementing a four-day workweek pilot in 2021, revenues increased by 30 per cent. The firm has also tripled in size in two years, attracted senior lawyers with sizeable networks and not lost a single person to a competitor.

In Goderich, Ontario, The Ross Firm saw similar benefits. Revenues went up. And when other firms were bleeding staff, they had no trouble attracting and retaining talent. Employees came to work energized because they had enough time off to “fill their well” with meaningful activities.

“It was amazing,” says managing partner Quinn Ross.

Likewise at Victoria’s Acheson Law, partner Rajinder Sahota says shifting to a four-day work has been “overwhelmingly positive.”

Making it work

So, how do you fit five days of work into four? Hire good staff, says Sahota, and don’t micromanage them.

“If you have the right people and you trust your people, then you should trust them to do the work,” he says.

According to Ross, greater personal productivity can create about half the time savings required. The rest requires operational efficiencies. His firm adopted practice management software, systematized projects, identified steps that could be adjusted or eliminated and ensured tasks were assigned to the most appropriate people.

You also need systems to keep the firm functioning when a fifth of the team (or more) may be away on any given day. At YLaw, most staff take Wednesdays off while a small contingent holds down the fort. At Acheson Law, a team-based approach ensures there’s always someone available to keep files moving forward.

Adopting a shorter workweek is easier when you don’t bill by the hour. That isn't an issue for personal injury and class action firms like Acheson Law that charge contingency fees. The full-service Ross Firm shifted to value-based billing where they had enough data to support it. However, YLaw, a family law and litigation firm, has succeeded while still charging by the hour.

Here come the caveats

In reality, just how well does this model work? After all, courts operate five days a week. When a deal closes, or an urgent matter arises, you need all hands on deck. And sometimes, the work just piles up.

At YLaw, Yousefi stresses that working four days is a privilege, not a right. Most administrative staff can take full advantage because their jobs are more predictable and don’t have billable targets. Legal assistants and paralegals are able to work four-day weeks over 80 per cent of the time. For associates, it drops to 50 per cent, and among partners, it’s even lower.

Similarly, Ross acknowledges that his firm’s lawyers may log some time on their day “off” when needed. However, they have control over what that looks like.

“My scheduled day off is Friday. There aren’t very many Fridays where I’m not doing some work,” he says.

“But the work that I’m doing is the work that I’ve chosen to do. It’s work that I’m either excited to do or excited to get off my plate because it’s weighing on me.”

For Sahota, the appeal is the flexibility to create a family-friendly schedule.

“When I’m with my kids, I’m completely unavailable. Everybody at the office knows that,” he says.

Yes, he may fire off emails after his children go to bed, but he makes it clear he only expects the recipient to respond when it’s convenient for them.

Change is hard, but the benefits are real

Moving to a four-day model requires a significant culture shift, especially for older lawyers. But the reality is that long hours don’t equal more results. “There’s only so many hours a day and in a week that someone can be deeply productive,” Sahota says.

Survey after survey shows that the status quo isn’t working. According to a 2022 national study of the legal profession funded in part by the Canadian Bar Association, more than half of respondents reported burnout and depression, and were considering quitting the profession.   

Meanwhile, the Robert Half 2025 Canada Salary Guide lists flexible work hours and paid time off as the top perks and benefits employees seek.

There’s no question: implementing a four-day workweek isn’t easy. For sole practitioners or big law firms, it might not be possible. (Acheson Law, The Ross Firm and YLaw range from 25 to 85 people.) But creating benefits doesn’t always require radical changes.

Yousefi suggests starting with a pilot project in a single department or offering a couple of hours off each week rather than a full day.

“Just start experimenting a little bit,” she says, noting that one size does not fit all. Conduct well-being surveys and track productivity to learn what works for your firm and adjust until it feels right.

Finally, keep the bigger picture in mind.

“Life is short,” says Ross.

“On your deathbed you will not be thinking back and wishing you worked more.”