A four-day workweek seemingly appeals to a number of employees, with polls showing many said it would boost their productivity and emotional well-being. Now, legislators in some states are trying to make it more feasible.
In New York, Democratic Assemblymember Phara Souffrant Forrest introduced bills to create pilot programs to shorten the workweek to four days. One of them, WNYW reported, establishes a four-day workweek for state employees and another program would offer tax incentives to private employers to run a pilot.
These bills are currently in committee.
Working as a nurse, Forrest said she saw how overworked people are. She told WKBW that the five-day workweek is a “relic.”
“It’s time to evolve to better match the needs of our bodies, families and communities,” Forrest said in an interview with WKBW.
A Maine Republican state senator also wants to establish a pilot program to cut the workweek, as well as a tax credit to encourage people to participate.
State Sen. Rick Bennett presented LD 1865 to the Taxation Committee on Thursday, May 8.
The Maine Morning Star wrote that Bennett said that his proposal “is rooted in a simple principle.”
“Maine people work hard and they deserve to thrive, not just survive,” Bennett said.
According to the Morning Star, Bennett said his proposal is about working smarter. However, some legislators criticized the plan, such as state Rep. Tracy Quint of Hodgdon. The Morning Star quoted her as saying that working five days a week is “part of being an adult.”
In January, members of the Congressional Progressive Staff Association wrote a letter asking lawmakers for a 32-hour work week. They said it would increase retention on Capitol Hill and set an example for other workplaces in America. Long hours, the staff members said, leads to burnout.
However, this move got backlash from some Congressmembers such as Democrat Ritchie Torres and Rep. Tim Burchett, R-Tenn.
Some schools moving to four day weeks
Schools in certain areas have implemented four-day weeks, both for students and staff. Over half of Wyoming’s school districts made their weeks four days for students,KHOL wrote. The chair of Wyoming’s Board of Education, Mark Mathern, said many students miss school on Friday because of activities.
At least 18 public school districts in the North Texas area are on a four-day school week, KTVT wrote. This move is reportedly to help with recruiting — and keeping — teachers as well as to save money and student attendance. The Texas Education Agency, per KTVT, said that in the 2024-2025 school year the total number of teachers dropped for the first time since 2011, and departures rose.
What does the research say?
The Wall Street Journal published an excerpt of an upcoming book by Juliet B. Schor, an economist and sociologist at Boston College. Called Four Days a Week: The Life-Changing Solution for Reducing Employee Stress, Improving Well-Being, and Working Smarter,” it details Schor’s finding as lead researcher at 4DWG, and organization that wants to make the four-day workweek “the new standard.”
The group studied 245 businesses and nonprofits that did so, as well as pilot programs for more than 8,700 workers in the United States, United Kingdom, Brazil, Portugal, Germany and South Africa.
“For those employees, the results of working one day less every week, with no reduction in pay, have been outstanding: 69% experience reduced burnout, 42% have better mental health, and 37% see improvements in physical health,” Schor wrote. “Thirteen percent of participants say they wouldn’t go back to a five-day schedule for any amount of money.”
Companies also saw positive benefits, Schor wrote: asked to rate the success of the pilots, they gave an average of 8.2 out of 10. Only 20 companies went back to a five day week after the trial ended.
“We also saw excellent results in performance metrics such as revenue, absenteeism and resignations,” Schor wrote. “The bottom line is that the four-day week has been a huge win for the companies.”
Other studies have also found success with a four-day workweek model, though some reported mixed results. An analysis of 31 academic articles in Management Review Quarterly concluded that a majority of places saw “favourable” results like increased morale, job satisfaction, cost reductions and reduced turnover. Negative aspects of the four day work week included performance measures and monitoring being intensified, scheduling problems, as well as benefits fading over time, the analysis noted.
When it comes to a four-day work week model where employees have four 10-hour days, the American Psychological Association cited a study that found employees had higher performance ratings and job satisfaction, though there wasn’t a change in absenteeism or productivity. The APA noted that it could also interfere with parents’ “primary caregiving responsibilities.”
