The Growing ‘Friday Effect.'
New research suggests workers are starting weekends sooner and sooner. Should leaders be frustrated?
It’s a lament of managers everywhere: Nothing gets done on Friday. And, at least at some cases, their concern may be legitimate.
According to a little-noticed but explosive national study, productivity (as measured by number of hours worked) falls off significantly at some workplaces on Fridays. Between 2019 and 2024, the average amount of time on Fridays spent on work activities dropped by about 90 minutes—or 20%—for employees in jobs that can be done remotely. While some workers are putting in longer hours on other weekdays, the Friday hours were reallocated primarily to leisure activities, says Christos Makridis, a professor at Arizona State University who conducted the research. He calls this development the “Friday Effect.”
“I think for some people there is this unspoken rule that maybe we start our weekends a little bit earlier,” says David Napeloni, a Korn Ferry vice president for client services in the firm’s Life Sciences and Healthcare practices. He adds that there have sometimes been “unofficial agreements” for four-day workweeks.
The findings of the survey, which tracked more than 250,000 workers, come at a time when many organizations aren’t expanding sales and need to find other ways to grow profitability. Productivity has also declined—down from 3% growth in 2024 to 2.1% in 2025—despite a concerted push across industries. In many cases, companies have shed workers or sought a boost from AI, but the research indicates that some leaders might be able to ask their workers to do more on what’s traditionally the final day of the five-day workweek.
“Top leaders are asking things like, ‘How do I get employees to be butts-in-seats Monday through Friday?’” says Karrin Randle, a Korn Ferry associate client partner in its Culture, Change and Communications practice.
Other data indicates that Friday is the quietest day of the corporate week. Offices are barely half full on Fridays, whereas occupancy is 70% on Mondays and about 80% at midweek, according to Kastle Systems, which monitors keycard swipes at office buildings in major metropolitan areas. Only about 16% of work meetings happen on Friday, versus 21% for each of Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday). Computer usage, as measured by words typed and mouse clicks, is also significantly lower on Friday, according to a 2023 study by Texas A&M University.
The study found that workers who were younger and childless were the demographic group that most curtailed its Friday hours, which worries some experts. They say the shorter workday reduces opportunities for team lunches, end-of-week debriefs with mentors, and other informal, but often critical events that can help strengthen both careers and an organization’s culture.
To be sure, at plenty of offices, hybrid or otherwise, Friday is just as busy as any other day. Retailers don’t close early on Fridays (if anything, they stay open later). And workers in client-facing roles are generally unable to shut down early on Fridays if clients need to meet or get things done. “Our teams are pretty busy, even though office attendance is near zero,” says Jeff Constable, co-leader of Korn Ferry’s Global Financial Officers practice and managing partner of the firm’s New York office.
Experts suggest a few ways for leaders to make Fridays more productive. Setting Friday deadlines is one; scheduling formal check-ins that day is another. Leaders should try to avoid overprogramming Fridays, however. In many cases, the traditional 9-to-5 workday has faded away, with people arranging early-morning or late-night calls and taking on a few hours of work over the weekend.
Alternatively, some firms lean into the Friday Effect by scheduling ten- or twelve-hour days from Monday through Thursday, then giving workers Fridays off. “I think we're headed to a shorter workweek, with maybe fewer days working, but longer days,” says Craig Rowley, a Korn Ferry senior client partner specializing in retail.
Learn more about Korn Ferry’s Organization Strategy capabilities.
