On a 4/10 schedule you work four 10-hour days and get a 3-day weekend every week. Federal agencies call it the four-day workweek under their compressed work schedule rules.
The pattern
| Day | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hours | 10 | 10 | 10 | 10 | off | off | off |
Hours
Over one 7-day cycle that is 40 hours, an average of 40 hours a week. Because the cycle does not line up with a calendar week, some weeks have more hours than others: the calendar above shows each week’s total and the hours over 40.
Lunch is not counted in the 10 hours, so a typical day runs about 10.5 hours door to door.
Overtime
Under federal law, most hourly employees get overtime for hours over 40 in their employer’s fixed workweek, whatever the schedule. Fire and police departments can use a longer work period under section 7(k) of the FLSA; for fire protection that is 212 hours in 28 days. State rules and union contracts can add more.
Sources
- OPM Handbook on Alternative Work Schedules, Appendix C: models of compressed work schedules (4-day week, 5/4-9 plan)
- US Department of Labor: overtime under the FLSA (1.5 times the regular rate after 40 hours in a workweek; the workweek is a fixed 168-hour period)
- CalChamber: Understanding Overtime Pay in California (8 and 12 hour daily rules, 7th consecutive day)
Sources last checked 1 November 2026.
Frequently asked questions
What is a 4/10 work schedule?
Four 10-hour workdays and three days off each week, 40 hours total.
Does a 4/10 schedule get overtime?
Not under federal law, since the week is 40 hours. California and a few other states have daily overtime rules unless an alternative workweek is properly adopted.
Which day is off?
Usually Monday or Friday, set by the employer.
