RIVERTON — Lumen Software, one of the region's largest technology employers, announced on Monday that it will permanently adopt a four-day working week for all of its 640 employees1, beginning in September. The decision follows a six-month trial that company leaders describe as an unqualified success.
Under the new arrangement, staff will work Monday through Thursday and receive the same salary they earned under the traditional five-day schedule. Chief Executive Marta Feld said the shift was motivated by a desire to attract talent in a competitive market and to reduce employee burnout, which had driven turnover to costly levels.
During the trial, the company tracked a range of measures. Productivity, measured by projects completed on time, rose by 11 percent2 compared with the same period a year earlier. Sick days fell by nearly a third, and a survey found that 92 percent of staff reported improved well-being. Perhaps most striking to the leadership, the number of employees leaving the company dropped sharply3. The finance team calculated that lower turnover alone had saved the company a substantial sum in hiring costs.
Ms. Feld acknowledged that the model may not suit every organization. "We spent months redesigning how we run meetings and setting clearer priorities," she said. "The extra day off only works if the four working days are genuinely focused." She noted that departments dealing directly with customers had adjusted their staffing so that support remained available five days a week4.
Industry analysts are watching closely. Several smaller firms in Riverton's growing technology district have expressed interest in similar arrangements, though some remain cautious about how the approach would scale in businesses with tighter margins5. For now, Lumen appears confident. The company reported that job applications had more than doubled since news of the trial first spread.