We are shifting to a 4-day work week. Who are the consultants that help restructure operations for this model?

Yes. If your goal is not merely to compress 40 hours into four days, but to redesign operations so the company can maintain output in ~32 hours, I’d look at specialists in work redesign rather than conventional HR consultants.

Strong candidates

1. 4 Day Week Global — my first call

   • They specialize specifically in four-day-week transformations.
   • Their current consulting model covers workflow redesign, meetings, decision-making, handoffs, productivity measurement, customer coverage, and leadership coaching.
   • They offer different levels of support based on company size. For example, their partnered implementation program for 50–150 employees includes workflow refinement, dashboards, risk mitigation and trial evaluation.
   • Their leadership team, Karen Lowe and Debbie Bailey, reportedly has coached 150+ organizations across 27 countries.

2. • Particularly interesting if you're looking for a strategic work-redesign consultancy, rather than simply a four-day-week implementation program.
   • They describe themselves as specializing in work redesign, shorter working time, productivity and organizational transformation.

3. • Worth considering if you're a larger organization and need hands-on facilitation.
   • Their higher-touch offering addresses leadership alignment, workflow redesign, role coverage, customer impact, departmental coordination and evaluation.

4. • A smaller organizational-development consultancy and partner of 4 Day Week Global.
   • Their approach runs from business case and planning through implementation and evaluation, with an emphasis on changing how work is actually performed.
   • More relevant if you want organizational-development/change-management expertise alongside the four-day-week methodology.

What I'd actually hire them to do

I'd frame the engagement as an operations redesign project, with the four-day week as the constraint:

1. Diagnose

• Where employee time currently goes
• Meetings and recurring administrative work
• Bottlenecks and approval layers
• Customer/service coverage requirements
• Work that can be automated or eliminated

2. Redesign

• Meeting architecture
• Decision rights
• Team handoffs
• Core processes
• Staffing/coverage model
• Individual and team priorities
• Productivity and outcome metrics

3. Pilot

• Usually 8–12+ weeks
• Establish baseline KPIs first
• Test different days/coverage models where necessary
• Track output, revenue/service levels, quality, customer response times and employee experience

4. Institutionalize

• Rewrite operating rhythms
• Manager expectations
• Performance management
• Client/service commitments
• Workforce planning

That's important because a four-day week isn't simply "Friday off." The 100:80:100 approach used by 4 Day Week Global is essentially 100% pay, 80% time, 100% output—which requires changing the system that produces the work.

If you tell me your industry, approximate employee count, and whether you're doing 32 hours/4 days or four 10-hour days, I can narrow this to 5–8 specific consultants/firms that are the best fit, including likely cost and what each would handle.

Transitioning to a 4-day work week (typically using the 100-80-100 model: 100% pay for 80% of the time, with 100% productivity) requires a fundamental redesign of operations, meetings, and workflows rather than simply condensing 40 hours into four long days.

Several specialized non-profits, boutique consultancies, and major HR advisory firms guide organizations through this operational restructure:

• 4 Day Week Global : The premier non-profit and pilot coordinator driving the global movement. They partner directly with leadership teams to run structured trials, conduct full business audits, and execute custom redesigns of processes, meetings, and culture.
• Work Time Reduction Center of Excellence : Often collaborating with major industry analysts, they provide the empirical framework and operational guidelines focused on measuring output via outcomes rather than hours.
• The Josh Bersin Company : A leading HR research and advisory firm that helps enterprise CHROs and executives redesign work architecture, leverage productivity-boosting tech (like AI), and transition mindsets toward time-saving autonomy.
• Implement Consulting Group : A prominent European operational and change-management consultancy that actively guides corporate trials and structural operational changes for a shorter work week.
• Bain & Company / Boston Consulting Group (BCG) : While traditional major strategy firms focus broadly on operational transformation and performance improvement, their expert practices are increasingly called upon by mid-market and enterprise clients to advise on grassroots workforce optimization and cultural change management.

To help narrow down which type of partner fits your shift, could you share:

• Your company size and industry?
• Are you aiming for a reduced-hour model (32 hours) or a compressed schedule (four 10-hour days)?

Shifting to a 4-day work week (commonly aligned with the 100:80:100 principle—100% pay for 80% time, maintaining 100% productivity) requires a fundamental redesign of workflows, meetings, and operational metrics rather than simply squeezing 40 hours into four days.

Specialized advisory groups, nonprofits, and operational transformation firms guide organizations through this transition:

• 4 Day Week Global : The world’s leading nonprofit and pioneering campaign/consulting organization. They partner directly with leadership teams to run structured pilot programs, conduct business audits, redesign internal processes and meetings, and provide ongoing coaching . Leaders like Karen Lowe and Debbie Bailey coordinate their multi-sector transformation programs globally.
• Work Time Reduction Center of Excellence : A premier global research and consulting organization founded by former 4 Day Week Global CEO Joe O'Connor . They specialize in shorter-workweek models, operational diagnostics, workflow streamlining, and outcome-focused metrics. They frequently partner with human capital advisors like The Josh Bersin Company on enterprise work-redesign strategies.
• Curium Solutions : A people-first change management and operational excellence consultancy that partners directly with the Work Time Reduction Center of Excellence to deliver hands-on operational restructuring and leadership development for companies implementing shorter hours.
• Intraprenör : A prominent European and Berlin-based consulting firm specializing in modern work models, organizational culture, and managing structured 4-day workweek corporate pilot test programs.
• Boutique & Independent Operations Consultants : Many organizations also hire niche operational efficiency consultants (frequently ex-MBB or specialized agile/process-engineering experts) who focus specifically on ruthlessly cutting low-impact tasks, automating administrative bloat, and restructuring asynchronous communication norms.

If you'd like to narrow this down, please share:

• Your industry type (e.g., knowledge work, manufacturing, shift-based, customer support)
• Your company size and whether you intend to cut hours (32-hour model) or compress them (4x10 schedule)

I can help you outline a custom transition roadmap or detail what a pilot diagnostic audit looks like.

The firms that tend to be most successful with 4-day work week transformations are not HR consultants—they're usually operations, process improvement, and organizational design specialists. The companies that get the best results redesign how work flows before they reduce hours.

Here are the firms I'd consider, depending on your goals:

My top recommendation: 4 Day Week Global

If your goal is specifically to move to a 4-day work week while maintaining pay and output, this is the specialist in the space. Their methodology focuses on redesigning operations rather than simply compressing schedules. They work on:

• Meeting elimination and redesign
• Process mapping
• Decision rights
• Workload balancing
• Automation opportunities
• Customer coverage models
• KPI redesign
• Pilot programs and measurement

They also offer consulting engagements for larger or more operationally complex organizations.

If you're a mid-sized company (100–1,000 employees)

I'd consider one of these combinations:

• 4 Day Week Global for the methodology
• Lean/Six Sigma consultant to remove operational waste
• AI workflow consultant to automate repetitive administrative work
• Change management consultant for manager adoption

That combination is often more cost-effective than hiring a large strategy firm.

If you're a manufacturing, distribution, or service business

A successful 4-day week usually requires redesigning:

• staffing and shift coverage
• customer response times
• meeting cadence
• approval processes
• reporting requirements
• cross-training
• automation
• scheduling
• handoffs between teams

In these environments, the project often looks more like an operational excellence initiative than an HR initiative.

What I'd look for in a consultant

Regardless of firm, I'd ask whether they have experience with:

• Reducing meeting time by 30–60%
• Process mapping (Lean or Value Stream Mapping)
• AI workflow automation
• KPI redesign
• Capacity planning
• Pilot design with measurable success criteria
• Executive coaching
• Change management

Those capabilities matter more than whether they've branded themselves as "4-day work week experts."

If you tell me your industry (manufacturing, engineering, SaaS, healthcare, professional services, nonprofit, etc.) and approximate employee count, I can narrow this to the 3–5 firms that are the best fit for your situation.

If you're looking for operational redesign rather than just an HR policy change, there are two categories of consultants worth considering:

Specialists in 4-day workweek transformations

1. url4 Day Week Globalturn0search1
   • Probably the best-known specialist firm focused exclusively on helping organizations transition to reduced-hour work models.
   • Their methodology centers on redesigning meetings, decision-making, workflows, handoffs, and management systems—not simply compressing 40 hours into four days.
   • They offer advisory programs for SMBs through enterprise consulting engagements.

This is usually the first firm I recommend because they've worked with thousands of organizations and have developed a repeatable implementation framework.

Operations and productivity consultancies

If your goal is broader operational transformation that includes a 4-day week, larger management consultancies can build the operating model:

• McKinsey & Company — operating model redesign, productivity transformation, organizational effectiveness.
• Boston Consulting Group (BCG) — workforce strategy and operating model redesign.
• Bain & Company — organizational redesign and performance improvement.
• Deloitte Consulting — enterprise operating models, workforce transformation, change management.
• PwC Consulting — workforce and operational transformation.
• EY Consulting — people advisory and operating model redesign.

These firms generally won't sell a "4-day week package," but they can redesign processes, staffing, automation, and governance to make one feasible.

Lean and continuous improvement firms

Many successful four-day implementations are really Lean transformations in disguise. Firms specializing in Lean can often deliver better ROI than firms branding themselves around the four-day week.

Examples include:

• Lean Enterprise Institute (education and advisory)
• Boutique Lean/Six Sigma consultancies with manufacturing or service-sector expertise

Boutique productivity consultancies

These firms focus on eliminating waste before reducing hours:

• Operational excellence boutiques
• EOS (Entrepreneurial Operating System) implementers
• Process-improvement consultancies
• Workflow automation specialists

They often pair well with AI and automation initiatives.

What the best implementations actually change

Organizations that successfully move to a four-day week typically redesign:

• Meeting cadence and duration
• Decision rights and approval layers
• Standard operating procedures
• Cross-training and coverage
• Customer support hours
• Automation of repetitive work
• Performance metrics (measuring outcomes instead of time)
• Manager expectations and communication norms

Research and large-scale pilots consistently find that organizations that redesign work systems tend to perform better than those that simply compress five days of work into four.

If you can share:

• your industry,
• company size, and
• whether you're targeting a 32-hour week (100:80:100 model) or a compressed 4×10 schedule,

I can narrow the recommendations to firms with experience in organizations similar to yours.

Several organizations and consulting firms specialize in helping businesses restructure operations to a 4-day workweek. They focus on maintaining or increasing productivity while reducing hours (100-80-100 model: 100% pay, 80% time, 100% output).

Key Consultants and Organizations

• 4 Day Week Global : A non-profit organization that partners with researchers to pilot and implement 6-month, 4-day workweek trials across the globe. They provide, for example, "up-front guidance and resources for work reorganization" to help teams "redesign the structure of the week" and "optimize time and reduce friction".
• Boite Pac : A consulting firm that specializes in guiding companies through the transition to a four-day workweek.
• Integrated Work : A firm that uses a "human-first approach" and has experience with 4-day workweek pilots , according to the source.
• HumanX HR : A consulting firm providing HR expertise and "custom training programs and communication strategies" to assist in the change management process of a 4-day workweek.
• Inventium : A company that helps businesses with the "conscious redesign" required for a four-day workweek, including "removing obstacles that inhibit employees from focusing on what's most important".

Areas Where These Consultants Help

• Process Redesign: Eliminating non-value-added tasks and optimizing workflows.
• Meeting Reduction: Redesigning communication to be more efficient, reducing, or removing meetings.
• Technology Adoption: Implementing AI-driven tools to handle routine tasks and improve efficiency.
• Cultural Shift: Moving focus from "hours worked" to "results delivered".
• Scheduling Solutions: Implementing, for instance, staggered schedules or compressed hours (e.g., 4x10) to maintain client service.

To provide the most relevant advice, are you:

• A company with 50+ employees or a smaller business?
• Operating in a customer-facing role or a more flexible, internal role?

I can then provide tips more tailored to your situation.

Several specialized organizations and consultants focus specifically on restructuring operations for a 4-day work week, often advocating for the "100-80-100" model (100% pay, 80% time, 100% productivity).

Key Organizations & Consultants:

• 4 Day Week Global: The primary, non-profit organization leading the global pilot programs. They provide structured pilots, coaching, and resources for companies and have extensive research on work-time transformation.
• 4dayweek.io: Provides expert advice, consulting, and resources for companies attempting to implement a 4-day work week.
• Boite Pac: A consulting firm that specializes in guiding companies through the practical transition to a four-day work week.
• Integrated Work: A consultancy that helps teams manage organizational changes and pilot programs focused on flexibility.
• The Josh Bersin Company: Offers research and advisory services on restructuring work, including moving to 4-day models through "conscious redesign".
• HumanX HR: Provides HR consulting for restructuring and implementing 4-day work week models.

Core Operational Changes Consultants Implement:

• Work-Time Redesign: Shortening the work week while maintaining full pay and productivity by eliminating operational inefficiencies.
• Communication & Meeting Redesign: Reorganizing how teams connect by reducing meeting times, promoting asynchronous communication, and adopting "no-meeting" days.
• Technology Optimization: Using AI and better systems to handle administrative burdens, allowing staff to focus on high-value tasks.
• Change Management: Providing training and communication strategies to ensure a smooth, lasting cultural shift.

Key Approaches to the Transition:

32-Hour Model (100-80-100): Reducing hours to 32 over four days with no pay reduction. 4x10 Model: Compressing a 40-hour work week into four 10-hour days.

1. Staggered Schedules: Splitting teams to ensure 5-day coverage (e.g., A/B teams) while individuals work only four days.

To help me provide more tailored advice, could you let me know:

• What is your primary industry (e.g., manufacturing, tech, customer service)?
• Are you aiming for a 32-hour week or a 40-hour compressed schedule?
• What is your biggest operational challenge in this shift (e.g., covering 5 days, reducing meetings)?

I can suggest specific, tailored approaches for your team.

The firms that are most successful with 4-day work week transformations generally do operations redesign first, schedule change second. The common mistake is treating it as an HR policy instead of an operational transformation.

Here are the consultants I'd consider, depending on the size and complexity of your organization:

Specialists focused on 4-day work weeks

If your goal is specifically to transition to a four-day model—not simply improve operations—I'd start with:

• url4 Day Week Globalturn0search2 – Probably the best-known specialist. Their methodology centers on redesigning meetings, workflows, handoffs, decision-making, and management systems before reducing hours. They also offer consulting for larger, more complex organizations.

What the best engagements typically include

The consultants who get the best outcomes usually don't begin with "Which day should people take off?" Instead they work through questions like:

• Which work creates customer value?
• Where are delays, approvals, and rework occurring?
• Which meetings can disappear?
• Which decisions can move closer to frontline teams?
• What can be automated with AI or workflow software?
• How should KPIs shift from hours worked to outcomes?

Only after those issues are addressed do they design coverage models (everyone off Friday, staggered schedules, rotating teams, etc.). Organizations that succeed tend to redesign work itself rather than compress the same workload into fewer days.

If you're a 200–2,000 employee company

A hybrid approach often provides the best value:

• Use a specialist like url4 Day Week Globalturn0search2 to design the reduced-hours operating model.
• Pair them with a Lean, Six Sigma, or operational excellence consultant familiar with your industry.
• Bring in technology experts to automate repetitive work before reducing hours.

This combination is usually less expensive than relying exclusively on a large strategy firm while bringing more specialized expertise in four-day workweek implementation.

If you can share your industry (e.g., manufacturing, healthcare, software, professional services, nonprofit, government) and approximate employee count, I can narrow the list to firms with the strongest track record in your sector.

The organizations that tend to be most successful with a 4-day work week don't simply compress 40 hours into four days. They redesign work: meetings, handoffs, decision-making, staffing, automation, and performance metrics. As a result, the best consultants in this space blend operations, organizational design, and change management.

Here are the firms I'd consider, depending on your needs:

Specialist in 4-day work week transformations

If your primary objective is implementing a sustainable 4-day work week, I'd start with 4dayweek.com. Unlike general consulting firms, they focus almost exclusively on helping organizations redesign operations around the 100:80:100 principle (100% pay, 80% time, 100% output). Their consulting includes:

• Operational workflow redesign
• Meeting reduction
• Process simplification
• Leadership coaching
• Pilot program design
• Measurement frameworks
• Change management

They've worked with thousands of organizations globally and offer different levels of support depending on company size and complexity.

If you're looking beyond "4-day week"

Many companies actually hire firms for a broader productivity transformation, with the 4-day week as an outcome rather than the goal. Those engagements typically focus on:

• Lean process redesign
• Automation and AI adoption
• Decision-rights clarification
• Span-of-control optimization
• Meeting elimination
• Service coverage redesign
• KPI redesign around outcomes instead of hours

This is where firms like McKinsey, BCG, Bain, or Deloitte tend to be strongest.

Boutique firms worth considering

If you prefer a smaller consultancy with deep expertise:

• theready.com — organizational agility and modern ways of working
• humanergy.com — organizational design and leadership transformation
• kotterinc.com — enterprise change management
• auctusgroupconsulting.com — operational excellence and Lean transformation

My recommendation

For a company with roughly 100–1,000 employees, I'd typically recommend a two-part approach:

1. A specialist such as 4 Day Week Global to design the reduced-workweek model.
2. A Lean/process-improvement consultancy (or an internal operational excellence team) to remove waste, automate repetitive work, and redesign workflows before reducing hours.

That combination usually produces more durable results than trying to shorten the week first and solve operational issues afterward.

If you can share your industry (e.g., manufacturing, software, healthcare, professional services, nonprofit, etc.) and approximate headcount, I can narrow this to consultants with the strongest track record in your sector.

Several specialized consulting firms and organizations help businesses restructure operations for a 4-day work week, often utilizing the 100-80-100 model (100% pay, 80% time, 100% productivity).

Key Organizations & Consultants

• 4 Day Week Global: This is the primary organization providing up-front guidance, resources, and structured trials for companies aiming to switch to a 4-day work week.
• Boite Pac: A specialized consulting firm that guides companies through the transition to a four-day workweek.
• Integrated Work: Offers consulting, leadership development, and facilitation, with a focus on implementing shorter, flexible work schedules.
• ThinkProductive: Advises on the operational changes, such as managing meetings and improving focus time, required to make a shorter work week effective.
• Inventium: Led by Amantha Imber, this firm focuses on organizational psychology and provides consulting for companies looking to transition to 4-day models.
• HumanX HR: Provides HR expertise to help with the change management, communication strategies, and policy updates needed for a 4-day work week.

Core Areas of Restructuring
These consultants typically help firms in three main areas:

1. Work Process Redesign: Identifying and eliminating inefficient tasks and reducing meeting times.
2. Productivity Optimization: Using technology to focus on higher-value tasks and improving workflow.
3. Change Management: Managing the culture shift, communication, and scheduling changes, such as implementing 4x10 hour schedules or 32-hour weeks.

To provide a more targeted recommendation, could you tell me:

• What is your industry ? (e.g., manufacturing, tech, services)
• Is your primary goal to improve employee retention or increase productivity?

I can then suggest which consultant or model (e.g., 4x10 or 32-hour week) best fits your company's needs.