Going down to 4 days a week: what happens to your pay

The short answer: going from 5 days to 4 cuts your gross pay by 20%, but your take-home falls by less, usually 15% to 17%, because the income you lose was taxed at your highest rate. On £35,000, you would take home about £420 a month less.

Take-home on 5 days and on 4 days

The higher your salary, the more the tax system cushions the cut. At £60,000, a 4-day week takes you back below the 40% line, so your take-home drops by much less than 20%.

What else changes

• Pension: your contributions and your employer's fall by 20%, so your pot grows more slowly. Over many years that adds up.
• Holiday: pro rata, so 22.4 days instead of 28, including bank holidays. See bank holidays for part-time workers.
• Student loan: repayments fall too, as they are 9% of pay above the threshold.
• Mortgage: lenders look at your actual pay, so a lower salary can mean borrowing less.
• Sick pay, maternity pay and redundancy pay are based on your pay at the time, so they are lower.

Costs you save

One less day of travel, lunches and possibly childcare can soften the cut. Someone spending £15 a day on commuting and food saves about £65 a month. If you pay for a full day of nursery or childminding, the saving can be much bigger.

Three ways to work 4 days

• Reduced hours, reduced pay (0.8): the usual part-time route. You work 80% of the hours and get 80% of the pay. See what pro rata means.
• Compressed hours: the same weekly hours over four longer days. Pay and holiday in hours stay the same.
• A true 4-day week: some employers, after trials, pay 100% for about 80% of the hours. It is still rare.

How to ask

You can make a flexible working request from your first day in a job, and up to two requests a year. Your employer must consider it reasonably, talk to you before refusing, and give a decision within two months. They can only refuse for set reasons, such as extra costs or not being able to cover the work. Set out how the work will still get done.

Is it worth it?

For many people, a 15% to 17% fall in take-home for a 20% cut in working time is a good trade, especially once travel and childcare savings are counted. Check that your budget works on the lower figure first, and think about the long-term pension effect. If money is tight, compressed hours may give you the day off without the pay cut.

The long-term pension cost

If you and your employer together pay 8% into your pension, dropping to 4 days on £35,000 means £560 less going in each year. Over 10 years, with 4% growth, that is about £6,723 less in your pot. Some people top up their pension a little to soften this. See how much pension you should have by age.

Bank holidays on a 4-day week

Most bank holidays fall on Mondays. If Monday is your day off, you miss them but should still get your pro rata share, usually added to your holiday. If you work Mondays, you may use more than your share and have to take extra leave. Your holiday should be worked out in hours or days pro rata, so it is fair either way.

Tax thresholds can work in your favour

A 20% pay cut can take you below a threshold. Going from £60,000 to £48,000 takes you out of 40% tax entirely, and from £110,000 to £88,000 restores your full personal allowance and childcare support. In those cases, take-home falls by far less than 20%.

This is general information, not financial advice. Figures use 2026/27 rates for England, Wales and Northern Ireland.