• Home
  • Latest
  • Fortune 500
  • Finance
  • Tech
  • Leadership
  • Lifestyle
  • Rankings
  • Multimedia

Trendingnow

1

U.S. Treasury has borrowed $155 billion every month of this fiscal year—and is now paying $24 billion a week in interest on its debts

2

Top Iranian officials admitted to the supreme leader that the U.S. naval blockade was crushing the economy, report says, as Trump eyes reimposing it

3

Billionaire MacKenzie Scott just donated $20 million to support America’s youth mental health, as a fifth of teens struggle with suicidal thoughts

1

U.S. Treasury has borrowed $155 billion every month of this fiscal year—and is now paying $24 billion a week in interest on its debts

2

Top Iranian officials admitted to the supreme leader that the U.S. naval blockade was crushing the economy, report says, as Trump eyes reimposing it

3

Billionaire MacKenzie Scott just donated $20 million to support America’s youth mental health, as a fifth of teens struggle with suicidal thoughts
SuccessFuture of Work
Europe

Telecom giant Deutsche Telekom’s Hungarian arm ditched its 4-day workweek because the benefits weren’t big enough

Prarthana Prakash
By
Prarthana Prakash
Prarthana Prakash
Europe Business News Reporter
Down Arrow Button Icon
Prarthana Prakash
By
Prarthana Prakash
Prarthana Prakash
Europe Business News Reporter
Down Arrow Button Icon
February 15, 2024, 6:47 AM ET
people browsing phones in a store
A T-Mobile retail store, operated by Hungarian Magyar Telekom, which is owned by Deutsche Telekom, pictured in 2015.Akos Stiller—Bloomberg/Getty Images
Add Fortune on Google for similar content.

A slew of employers from Portugal to the U.S. have been testing a four-day workweek to see if the shorter week helped promote employee well-being and productivity, and the results have been promising so far. Companies found that employees were performing better, thanks to improved work-life balance, and there was also less absenteeism and fewer resignations.

Given the glowing results, the vast majority of companies that tried a shorter workweek stuck with the plan. But telecom company Magyar Telekom is one glaring exception. 

The Budapest-based company, which is the Hungarian arm of behemoth Deutsche Telekom that has a market cap of nearly $120 billion, piloted the program in June 2022 with no reduction in pay or people’s responsibilities—as is typically the case with other four-day workweek trials. 

There were benefits to start. But, the company says, it discovered through surveys and interviews with employees over the one-and-a-half-year period, that the initial efficiency rewards eventually waned. In addition, the benefits of the system didn’t apply uniformly to all employees, Magyar Telekom says.

“While some of the colleagues solved the tasks without any obstacles during the more intensive four days, it became clear that the majority of them could not work efficiently in this model,” the Deutsche Telekom–owned company said in an official .

300 employees

Magyar Telekom’s goal was to collect data and test how a shorter week would pan out, and a total of 300 employees in departments from customer service to sales participated in the Hungarian company’s four-day workweek experiment.

“We are constantly looking for new directions, how we can find better and more efficient solutions, whether it is about serving our customers or organizing our work processes. We attempted the latter by testing the four-day workweek, which I think shows the extraordinary openness of our organization,” Magyar Telekom CEO Tibor Rékasi said, adding that the company gained feedback and knowledge from the process, but will be pivoting to a standard workweek from March.  

“In light of the results, we shall continue to work according to the traditional work schedule, but going forward we look for new solutions that support work-life balance and the satisfaction of colleagues,” Rékasi said. 

Magyar Telekom provided Fortune with the company’s press release from Tuesday when approached for comment, and representatives at Deutsche Telekom didn’t immediately return Fortune’s request for comment.

Four-day workweek adoption elsewhere 

Companies in past trials that are in the minority of those who rolled back their five-day weeks have raised concerns about not being able to afford an extra day off, staffers having to cram their days with excessive workload, and potentially higher costs. 

Despite the few instances of companies falling off the wagon with the four-day workweek, a number of countries are still flocking to try the system given all the advantages it offers.

Germany, home to Deutsche Telekom, recently kicked off its six-month pilot of a shorter workweek with 45 participating companies. 

The program, as described by Dale Whelehan, the chief of 4 Day Week Global, the New Zealand nonprofit leading the pilot, is designed to follow a 100:80:100 rule whereby companies maintain 100% of pay for employees, who will work 80% of the time but achieve 100% of the output. 

“This is essentially a human resource transformation project, and it is a productivity intervention. Organizations are really struggling to grapple with improving their productivity or output of their businesses’ performance—that’s because they’re fundamentally missing the foundation of a business which is run by its people,” Whelehan told Fortune last month.

For its part, the four-day workweek movement has had a few landmark wins in recent months—German IG Metall, which is Europe’s largest industrial union, managed to negotiate standard working hours to 32 a week, roughly panning out to four days. In December, luxury sports-car maker Lamborghini said its production workers would have a shorter week.

The Fortune 500 Innovation Forum will convene Fortune 500 executives, U.S. policy officials, top founders, and thought leaders to help define what’s next for the American economy, Nov. 16-17 in Detroit. Apply here.
About the Author
Prarthana Prakash
By Prarthana PrakashEurope Business News Reporter
LinkedIn icon

Prarthana Prakash was a Europe business reporter at Fortune.

See full bioRight Arrow Button Icon
Add Fortune on Google for similar content.

Latest in Success

Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025

Most Popular

Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Fortune Secondary Logo
Rankings
  • 100 Best Companies
  • Fortune 500
  • Global 500
  • Fortune 500 Europe
  • Most Powerful Women
  • World's Most Admired Companies
  • See All Rankings
  • Lists Calendar
Sections
  • Finance
  • Fortune Crypto
  • Features
  • Leadership
  • Health
  • Commentary
  • Success
  • Retail
  • Mpw
  • Tech
  • Lifestyle
  • CEO Initiative
  • Asia
  • Politics
  • Conferences
  • Europe
  • Newsletters
  • Personal Finance
  • Environment
  • Magazine
  • Education
Customer Support
  • Frequently Asked Questions
  • Customer Service Portal
  • Privacy Policy
  • Single Issues For Purchase
  • International Print
Commercial Services
  • Advertising
  • Fortune Brand Studio
  • Fortune Analytics
  • Fortune Conferences
  • Business Development
  • Group Subscriptions
About Us
  • Press Center
  • Work At Fortune
  • Terms And Conditions
  • Site Map
  • Press Center
  • Work At Fortune
  • Terms And Conditions
  • Site Map
  • Facebook icon
  • Twitter icon
  • LinkedIn icon
  • Instagram icon
  • Pinterest icon

Latest in Success

Family members sitting on a sofa together
EconomyLabor
More noncollege-educated men are living at home and falling out of the labor market, forcing a decline in marriages, all thanks to rising rents
By Catherina GioinoJuly 11, 2026
1 hour ago
Americans are quietly abandoning the daily habit that billionaires say set them up for success—and it could have lasting consequences
Successlifestyle
Americans are quietly abandoning the daily habit that billionaires say set them up for success—and it could have lasting consequences
By Preston ForeJuly 11, 2026
2 hours ago
A 12-person PR firm represents De Niro, Pacino, and billion-dollar clients. Its founder says the secret is staying small
SuccessPublic relations
A 12-person PR firm represents De Niro, Pacino, and billion-dollar clients. Its founder says the secret is staying small
By Sydney LakeJuly 11, 2026
3 hours ago
usa
Commentary250 Years of Innovation
For 250 years, work defined American identity. That era Is ending
By Keith Ferrazzi and Wendy SmithJuly 11, 2026
3 hours ago
This summer’s hottest IPOs are minting a new class of ultra-high-net-worth ‘IPO Bros’—and family offices are changing how they approach them
SuccessIPOs
This summer’s hottest IPOs are minting a new class of ultra-high-net-worth ‘IPO Bros’—and family offices are changing how they approach them
By Catherina GioinoJuly 10, 2026
18 hours ago
Asian businessman using a laptop
Success
One Wall Street firm is paying its Gen Z interns fresh out of college $8,600 a week—more than the typical American makes in nearly two months
By Preston ForeJuly 10, 2026
22 hours ago

Most Popular

U.S. Treasury has borrowed $155 billion every month of this fiscal year—and is now paying $24 billion a week in interest on its debts
Economy
U.S. Treasury has borrowed $155 billion every month of this fiscal year—and is now paying $24 billion a week in interest on its debts
By Eleanor PringleJuly 10, 2026
1 day ago
Top Iranian officials admitted to the supreme leader that the U.S. naval blockade was crushing the economy, report says, as Trump eyes reimposing it
Middle East
Top Iranian officials admitted to the supreme leader that the U.S. naval blockade was crushing the economy, report says, as Trump eyes reimposing it
By Jason MaJuly 10, 2026
21 hours ago
Billionaire MacKenzie Scott just donated $20 million to support America’s youth mental health, as a fifth of teens struggle with suicidal thoughts
Success
Billionaire MacKenzie Scott just donated $20 million to support America’s youth mental health, as a fifth of teens struggle with suicidal thoughts
By Emma BurleighJuly 9, 2026
2 days ago
Wyoming officials say Meta’s 715,000-square-foot data center is responsible for contaminating its water system with a rare bacterium
Environment
Wyoming officials say Meta’s 715,000-square-foot data center is responsible for contaminating its water system with a rare bacterium
By Sasha RogelbergJuly 10, 2026
22 hours ago
Farm groups saved Bayer in court over RoundUp cancer claims. Five days later, Bayer called for tariffs on the ingredient farmers rely on
Economy
Farm groups saved Bayer in court over RoundUp cancer claims. Five days later, Bayer called for tariffs on the ingredient farmers rely on
By Mia OsmonbekovJuly 9, 2026
2 days ago
Current price of oil as of July 10, 2026
Personal Finance
Current price of oil as of July 10, 2026
By Joseph HostetlerJuly 10, 2026
1 day ago

© 2026 Fortune Media IP Limited. All Rights Reserved. Use of this site constitutes acceptance of our and Privacy Policy |  | Do Not Sell/Share My Personal Information
FORTUNE is a trademark of Fortune Media IP Limited, registered in the U.S. and other countries. FORTUNE may receive compensation for some links to products and services on this website. Offers may be subject to change without notice.