Abstract
The case tells a story of a start-up, the Worm, where the partners want to put an end to working from home, because it has impaired the social fabric of the company. However, they have realized that their employees appreciate the flexibility and the improved work-life balance that comes with it. Hence, they are contemplating the alternatives and what they could mean for the company and the employees. The purpose of the case is to have the students engage in thinking about different ways to organize work time and the implications with a focus on 4-day work week. Since the pandemic, 4-day work week has been experimented in many countries and across economic sectors. The results of these experiments have been generally positive, with reports of improved employee well-being and even improved shareholder value (Dutordoir & Struyfs, 2024). There can, however, be costs in organizing work over four instead of five days. This case aims to generate discussion on different ways of reducing work hours, of which 4 -day work week is only one, and the potential benefits and risks of such re-organization of work time.