Some companies have moved to a four-day working week on full pay.
A full IELTS Writing Task 2 answer to this question, with a paragraph plan, ideas you can use, and the vocabulary that fits this topic.
The question
You should spend about 40 minutes on this task.
Some companies have moved to a four-day working week on full pay.
What are the advantages and disadvantages of this?
Give reasons for your answer and include any relevant examples from your own knowledge or experience.
Write at least 250 words.
How to read this question
The useful observation is that a four-day week on full pay only works if the lost day was not producing much — which is true of a great deal of office work and false of most work where output is tied to hours present. That single condition explains why trial results look impressive in some sectors and impossible in others, and it turns a list of hopes and doubts into an argument about where the policy applies.
Paragraph plan
Introduction — Paraphrase, then signpost: substantial gains where output is not hours-bound; real problems in sectors where it is, and a risk of compression rather than reduction.
Body 1 — Advantages — recovered rest improves the quality of remaining hours, recruitment and retention improve, and meeting-heavy work has obvious slack.
Body 2 — Disadvantages — it cannot transfer to care, retail or manufacturing, and work may simply be compressed into four longer days.
Conclusion — Genuine where output is measured by results; a fairness problem where it can only apply to some.
Model essay
Band 8.5–9.0 model essay
307 words
A number of companies across various industries have recently transitioned to a four-day working week while maintaining employees' full salaries and existing job responsibilities. Although this development can produce some merits, it can also lead to some issues.
On the one hand, this arrangement carries two notable benefits. First, employees granted an additional day off tend to experience reduced stress and improved overall wellbeing, since they gain more time to rest, pursue personal interests and attend to family responsibilities, which collectively contribute to a healthier work-life balance. This, in turn, often translates into greater job satisfaction and lower staff turnover, sparing companies the recurring costs of recruitment and training. Second, several organisations that have trialled the shortened week report that employee productivity per working hour actually increases, as staff feel more motivated to complete tasks efficiently within a condensed schedule rather than stretching work across five days, often eliminating unnecessary meetings and distractions in the process.
On the other hand, this development also entails two significant drawbacks that are particularly pronounced in certain sectors. First, certain industries, particularly those requiring continuous customer service or round-the-clock operations, such as healthcare or manufacturing, struggle to compress the same workload into fewer days without compromising service quality or requiring costly additional staffing to cover the missing shift. Second, employees may face intensified pressure to complete the same volume of work within a shorter timeframe, which can heighten daily stress levels and, paradoxically, undermine the very wellbeing benefits the policy intends to deliver, particularly for those in demanding managerial roles who cannot simply leave unfinished tasks behind.
To conclude, adopting a four-day working week on full pay can enhance employee wellbeing and, in some cases, boost productivity, while also posing practical challenges for certain industries and risking increased daily pressure on staff who must complete unchanged workloads in considerably less time.
Created by a Band 8.5–9.0 IELTS Writing achiever — Premium. Sign up free to read the rest of this essay and unlock every model on the site.
This is an advantages and disadvantages question. The essay above shows you what a strong answer looks like when it is finished. What it cannot show you is how to get there from a blank page in forty minutes.
That is what our Writing Study Library is for: the structure we teach for this exact question type, the paragraph pattern that goes with it, and the sentence openers for each stage — so the essay is planned before you start writing rather than assembled as you go.
Introduction: Paraphrase companies moving to a four-day week on full pay and preview that the essay will weigh up both merits and issues.
Body 1: Give two advantages: an extra day off improves employee wellbeing and job satisfaction, cutting staff turnover, and trial companies report higher productivity per hour as staff work more efficiently within a shorter week.
Body 2: Give two disadvantages: industries needing continuous or round-the-clock coverage, like healthcare, struggle to compress the same workload without costly extra staffing, and employees can face intensified daily pressure that undermines the intended wellbeing gains.
Conclusion: Summarise neutrally that the shortened week can boost wellbeing and productivity while posing sector-specific challenges and risking heightened daily pressure on staff.
Word or phrase
Meaning
Used in a sentence
wellbeing
the state of being comfortable, healthy and content
employees granted an additional day off tend to experience reduced stress and improved overall wellbeing
turnover
the rate at which employees leave and are replaced
greater job satisfaction and lower staff turnover
trialled
tested on a provisional basis
several organisations that have trialled the shortened week
condensed
compressed into a smaller space or shorter time
complete tasks efficiently within a condensed schedule
round-the-clock
continuing all day and night without stopping
those requiring continuous customer service or round-the-clock operations
compress
to squeeze or force into a smaller space or time
struggle to compress the same workload into fewer days
intensified
made stronger or more concentrated
employees may face intensified pressure to complete the same volume of work
paradoxically
in a way that seems contradictory but may nonetheless be true
can heighten daily stress levels and, paradoxically, undermine the very wellbeing benefits
Created by a Band 8.5–9.0 IELTS Writing achiever — Premium. Sign up free to see the ideas and vocabulary for this topic and unlock every model on the site.
Answers checked here may be published on this page, without your name, to help other learners. Nothing else about you is stored.
Common questions
How do I explain why something works in one sector but not another?
Name the condition it depends on. Here it is whether output is tied to hours present. Once you state that, the sectoral differences follow automatically and the essay reads as analysis rather than as a list of exceptions.
Should I raise a fairness objection even if it is not obvious?
Yes — a non-obvious objection is often the most valuable thing in an essay. Noting that the benefit reaches office workers and not nurses shows you have thought about consequences rather than repeating the standard debate.
Can I criticise how something is implemented rather than the idea?
Yes, and be explicit that this is what you are doing. Calling compression a design failure rather than a flaw in the concept is a precise distinction, and precision of that kind is what Band 8 rewards.
