Events industry trials four-day working week — initial results positive

Three Dutch event agencies have launched a pilot for the four-day working week. After six months, all three report higher employee satisfaction and stable productivity.

Context

The pilot is running at agencies in Amsterdam, Utrecht and Den Haag, involving a total of 67 employees. The agencies compress their work into four days with no reduction in salary. Friday is entirely free.

Industry response

Project managers are broadly positive but also acknowledge the challenge: events rarely take place during the working week. Evenings and weekends remain part of the job. The four-day working week does not resolve that.

Broader perspective

The events industry faces a structural problem with workload and burnout. A shorter working week is no silver bullet, but if it increases the appeal of the profession for new generations, it is worth the effort.

The final results of the pilot will be published at the end of 2026. Should the conclusions prove positive, industry associations expect more agencies to follow suit in 2027.